Governor comfortable with betting, waste bills

Benjamin Grove

Tuesday, Feb. 29, 2000 | 11:21 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Gov. Kenny Guinn said he is comfortable for now with the status of two critical Nevada-related bills pending in Congress, one that would bring nuclear waste to the state by 2007 and another that would ban betting on college sports.

"Of course, it could come up at any time, but from what we understand it's not going anywhere," Guinn said today of the betting-ban bill.

The bill awaits a hearing in the Senate and House judiciary committees. Nevada politicians oppose the legislation because it targets Nevada casinos and would decrease sports book profits.

Guinn joined the nation's governors here for the four-day annual winter meeting of the National Governors' Association, which ended today. The governors met with President Clinton to hear his latest views on education, health care, trade and the effects of the Internet on government.

Nearly all of the nation's governors attended the meeting, except Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who was campaigning for president.

Between meetings the governors also buzzed with talk of presidential campaign politics.

"It's turning out to be a very tough primary," said Guinn, who like most Republican governors backs Bush over Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Guinn stressed he is not bothered that Bush has not taken a stand on a proposed repository that would bring 77,000 tons of the nation's nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, for permanent burial.

Vice President Al Gore has said a final decision on a Yucca Mountain repository should be made on the basis of science and has sided with President Clinton in his veto threats on a bill that would bring the waste to the Nevada Test Site by 2007, before studies are complete.

"We don't have a litmus test," Guinn said. "(Bush's) statements to us are the same statements that we are making, that sound decisions are based on science, not politics."

Guinn added, "On gaming, (Bush) has said that 'We don't have gaming (in Texas) because our people don't want it, but if you want to gamble go to Nevada, it's the best gaming in the world.' "

The Senate passed the nuclear waste bill in January, and it's not clear whether the House will bother to pass the legislation because Clinton has threatened to veto it. The bill has 34 Senate opponents, enough to sustain the veto.

"We feel as good as we can about it right now," Guinn said.

Guinn and several other Republican governors planned a meeting this afternoon with Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The governors also met with the Senate in an unusual meeting between those two groups today.

Guinn planned to meet with Nevada's four-member delegation in Congress on Wednesday to talk about Nevada issues in Congress and about bringing more federal money to the state.

On Monday Clinton spoke briefly about his plan to set aside "roadless areas" throughout the West, which Western governors generally oppose.

"We want to know exactly what we are cutting off and why," Guinn said.

Guinn is chairman of the governors association committee on natural resources, which met Sunday to discuss invasive species -- both plant and animal -- that are squeezing out native species nationwide. In Nevada, cheat grass threatens such native plants as the state flower, sagebrush.

Benjamin Grove covers Washington D.C. for the Sun. He can be reached at (202) 628-3100, ext. 269 or by e-mail at benjamingrove@yahoo.com.