Legislative briefs for February 13, 2001

Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001 | 11:02 a.m.

Inconsistent policy shown

Nevada's system of determining whether convicted sex offenders are ready for release from prison is inconsistent and needs to be tightened, lawmakers were told Monday.

"Our track record as to how we've handled this has been questionable," Department of Prisons Director Jackie Crawford said during an Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing.

"We want to make sure we're not letting out the wrong people."

Crawford was responding to a legislative audit showing shortcomings in the way the prison system's sex offender certification panels are formed, how hearings are conducted and how sex offenders are evaluated.

The audit found several problems with the system, including a lack of clarity about who's in charge of the certification panels and no clearly defined qualifications for panel members or guidelines for picking a chairman.

Perkins has no decision

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins said Monday he has not decided whether he would support the addition of new seats in the Legislature to help protect representation of Northern Nevadans.

The Democrat from Henderson denies that he has agreed to add some seats as part of a deal with Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno.

"I'm not convinced we need additional seats yet to protect the north," Perkins told KOLO television in Reno.

Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, has introduced a bill that would expand the Legislature by six members to protect rural seats during the redrawing of political boundaries.

The Senate would grow from the current 21 to 23 seats. The Assembly would grow from 42 to 46.

City seeks OK for outside lawyers

The city of North Las Vegas introduced a bill Monday that would change the city's charter to allow the hiring of outside law firms.

The proposal, Assembly Bill 93, authorizes the city council to appoint certain professional corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies to perform the duties of the city attorney.

The bill, which is North Las Vegas' only requested legislation this session, was sent to the Assembly's Government Affairs Committee.