Nolan eyes ads in government buildings

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2000 | 10:58 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- There could be commercial advertisements in government buildings by late next year if a Las Vegas assemblyman has his way.

Assemblyman Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas, said today "it's a revenue generating idea" to permit both commercial and public service advertisements to grace the halls of state and other government office buildings.

The idea came from a constituent who had to wait two hours at the state Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety, he said. "That would be a great place to advertise. We could put public service announcements on teleprompts."

He asked the state Attorney General's office for guidance and was told advertisement was prohibited in state buildings.

Assemblyman Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas, pushed through a bill several years ago to permit commercial advertisements on school buses but that idea hasn't caught on yet. But Nolan said the advertisements plastered on city buses in Las Vegas have "made a killing," generating hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Nolan has asked that a bill be drafted for introduction at the 2001 Legislature to lift the ban. If the session accepts his idea, Nolan said each division would have to come up with regulations governing the advertisement. "We want to make sure this is clean stuff," he said.

"I don't think anybody waiting in line at DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) would want to see advertisements from the Crazy Horse (a topless club)," Nolan said.