Editorial: Public defender should know better

Friday, Aug. 24, 2001 | 10:05 a.m.

For 12 years a soda vending machine has sat inconspicuously in the lobby of the Clark County public defender's office. The problem with the vending machine was that it was owned by Clark County Public Defender Morgan Harris, which meant that Harris was violating a state law in effect since 1959. As the Sun's Steve Kanigher reported in a story Wednesday, the law requires that vending machines in public buildings be first offered to blind and visually impaired vendors, and if a machine is not operated by a blind person, it's owner must be licensed.

County spokesman Doug Bradford said that Harris, who is neither blind nor licensed, was unaware of the law. That's hard to believe, but if this isn't a well-known law, then it should be. There could well be more vending machines in public buildings whose owners aren't in compliance. Local and state government agencies should review vending machines within their buildings to ensure that they are adhering to this worthy law.

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