Shortened session results in hectic pace

Monday, March 15, 1999 | 1:52 a.m.

But the big question remains unanswered: Will the 63 lawmakers be able to finish the public's business by May 31, within the voter-mandated 120 days?

"Absolutely, I think we're on track," saya Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins, D-Henderson. "We have come to the realization that we have a short period of time and we have to concentrate on our priorities."

While lawmakers say they are keeping up with the workload, some lobbyists and legislators wonder at what price. Concerns are being expressed that the public is on the losing end of the accelerated schedule. Even Perkins agrees the public's access is more restricted because of time constraints.

"We have folks call us and tell us they want to come and testify, but they can't get up here," he said.

Perkins, who is also a member of the Ways and Means Committee charged with reviewing and approving a two-year, $3.2 billion budget, said work is well ahead of 1997.

"We've heard 90 percent of the budget and closed 25 percent in the Assembly," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, the author of the 120-day session legislation, said the Finance Committee is also ahead of schedule on the budget and all committees are hearing bills at a much quicker pace than in the past.

"The committees seem to be working hard," he said. "When you have to meet a deadline, you get the bills out."

One of the major deadlines established by the Legislature to make sure lawmakers meet the May 31 adjournment deadline occurred Monday - the last day lawmakers can introduce their own bills. March 22 is the last day for committees to introduce bills, so the legislative picture should be clear within a week.

While the overall view is positive, the byproduct that public participation is limited has several people complaining.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said hearings are more rushed, there is less time for members of the public to testify and there is less deliberation in committee.

"I see it in Government Affairs (Committee) all the time," she said. "The chairman says to the parties: 'You all go work it out and bring it back to us.' If you do that too much it becomes a question of why are we even here."

Public participation is a problem because hearings are set so quickly after bills are introduced, lawmakers don't have time to schedule witnesses, Titus said.

Perkins said another problem seems to be a lack of flights between Las Vegas and Reno, which makes travel difficult and expensive for witnesses to appear in Carson City on short notice.

The videoconferencing system that allows people to listen to hearings and testify from Las Vegas helps, but he said it isn't the same as being in the same room with legislators.

Some lawmakers have made extra time during committee hearings to accommodate all those people who want to testify, but in other cases, time runs out.

Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, faced a situation March 5 with more than 100 people in Las Vegas attending a hearing on home construction defects. Only a couple of people in Las Vegas had the chance to testify.

Townsend said he left it up to the supporters and opponents of the bill to schedule their share of the limited time available, a common practice in the Commerce and Labor Committee that has not changed with the shorter session.