Hopes for adjournment this week dim

Thursday, May 27, 1999 | 11:27 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Differences grew between the Senate and Assembly Wednesday, threatening the hope of legislative leaders for final adjournment by early Saturday.

On Wednesday 28 conference committees were still working on disputed bills on which one house could not agree with the version of the other.

It's more than in past years, but Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said the differences can be resolved easily.

Only the budget committees are continuing full-scale work, he said. That leaves 15 of 22 senators and 29 of 43 assemblymen free to serve on the six-member conference committees.

The Legislature must adjourn by midnight Monday to stay within the 120-day limit set by voters in November.

One of the bills that is deadlocked deals with concealed weapons.

Assemblyman Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, originally introduced Assembly Bill 166 to allow those who have permits to carry concealed weapons to be able to take them into more public buildings. The Senate changed the bill to require the public buildings to post a notice that concealed weapons are allowed, kicking it back to a conference committee.

The so-called Sherrice Iverson bill is also in conference committee. It would require a person who knows of a violent crime against a child 12 years old or younger to report it to police. The houses disagree on whether the measure should apply to family members.

The bill was named for Iverson, 7, who was raped and murdered at a Primm casino. The killer's companion never told authorities.

Meanwhile the Senate Finance and the Assembly Ways and Means committees continued to build the state's spending program for the coming two years.

The committees Wednesday approved the overall $14 billion authorization act for the coming two years and the $3.2 billion the state will contribute toward that. The rest comes from federal matching funds and other programs. The budget bills are expected to be introduced today or Friday.

The only major disagreement on the budget bills came over education funding.

Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, complained the appropriations for education were being "fenced in" so they could not be put into a pot to allow teachers to bargain for pay raises.

He was concerned over $3.3 million a year set aside for schools that have posted poor test scores; $1 million a year for summer school or between session classes to help students catch up; and $1.2 million a year for buying and scoring the various tests given in Nevada schools.

Coffin said that only a small amount is being earmarked for the programs and if the trend continues, it could leave little money available for salary increases.

Raggio, however, said the funds ensure that educational reforms started two years ago continue. Putting the money into a general education pot, he said, "would set the whole program back."

The state support for schools will be $463 million next fiscal year and $477 million the following year. In addition, the state will spend $160 million for class size reduction.

The public schools and the University and Community College System of Nevada will take about 55 percent of the state $3.2 billion budget.

The budget has been the subject of hearings since the opening day of the session in February.

Raggio said two other bills are in the works -- one authorizing the state's building program for the next two years and the unclassified pay bill. The salary bill, he said, will make only minor adjustments for top level employees and does not give a cost of living raise to all workers.

The aim of the adjustments would be to fix instances in which the pay of a deputy may be higher than his or her superior.

There are also scores of bills still in the two budget committees asking for millions of dollars. Some committee members suggest there may be as much as $18 million available for these programs.

Gov. Kenny Guinn submitted a request Wednesday for nearly $2 million to start an internal audit team. This unit, he said, would pay for itself as it goes through government looking for waste and improving efficiency.