Hearings on deregulation start third week of Legislature

Brendan Riley

Saturday, Feb. 17, 2001 | 9:50 a.m.

CARSON CITY - Nevada lawmakers will open the third week of the 2001 session with more hearings into ways to avoid the energy crisis that has caused utility rates to soar in neighboring California.

The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee will start hearings on utility deregulation issues on Monday - and will continue those hearings Tuesday through Thursday.

Commerce and Labor Chairman Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, said the hearings will focus on specific solutions to help Nevada avoid a deregulation debacle, and are a vital follow-up to the round of deregulation-related hearings he held in the first week of the session.

Legislative money committees will review Gov. Kenny Guinn's $3.85 billion budget throughout the week, starting Monday with the state's Nuclear Waste Projects Office. The agency has been heading up the fight against a proposed federal dump for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, 1000 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

On Tuesday, the thorny issue of reapportionment is on the agenda for the Senate Government Affairs and Assembly Elections, Procedures and Ethics committees.

In addition to the once-every-decade redistricting issue, the committees also will review possible election law reforms to prevent a Florida-style election debacle.

Also Tuesday, the Assembly Taxation Committee will hear from foes of a plan to impose a 4 percent business profits tax to help Nevada's school system.

The Nevada State Education Association circulated a petition that forced tax-shy lawmakers to consider the plan, which would bring in an estimated $250 million a year for schools.

In related action, joint Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees review teacher education and licensing programs and other education-related issues.

Also Tuesday, Senate Judiciary considers a measure that might help high-rolling gambler and golf course developer Billy Walters of Las Vegas get back the $2.8 million police seized from him in an alleged money-laundering case.

SB36 increases the standard in civil law for seizing someone's property. Now, authorities must show by "a preponderance of evidence" that forfeiture is warranted. The new, higher standard would be "clear and convincing evidence."

Also Tuesday, budget subcommittees will go over spending plans for Nevada's prison system.

The agenda Tuesday also includes a speech from U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. That'll be followed Wednesday by a speech from U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.

Also Wednesday, the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources, Agriculture and Mining is expected to outline its proposals for more medical and environmental tests to help pinpoint a cause for a strange cluster of childhood leukemia cases in Fallon.

The committee, which held hearings last week into the 11 recent cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, is expected to call for tissue and blood testing of the victims, along with ground and air tests in the Fallon area.

On Thursday, joint budget panels will review various child care and juvenile justice programs that come under the state Division of Child and Family Services.

Other money panels will talk about budgets for Nevada's state park system and state Wildlife Division programs. And Chief Justice William Maupin will discuss issues involving Nevada's court system in a speech to the Assembly and Senate.

On Friday, budget committees will discuss the state's programs for veterans; and also review spending plans for Nevada's university and community college system.