Legislative briefs for June 4, 2001

Monday, June 4, 2001 | 10:28 a.m.

Bill calling for study moves along

The Senate today was expected to pass the final hurdle on a bill that would require the state to conduct a sweeping racial profiling study.

Assembly Bill 500, sponsored by Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, authorizes the attorney general's office to conduct a statistical analysis of traffic stops conducted by law enforcement officials statewide in an effort to determine the level of Nevada's racial profiling problem.

When the bill went to the Senate, however, Metro Police raised concerns about how they would transmit information to the attorney general's office. When Metro's requested amendment was added to the bill, the Assembly refused to accept it, forcing the measure into a conference committee.

On Sunday that committee agreed to the Assembly's position, and the full Assembly adopted the committee's report.

The Senate must adopt the conference committee report before the measure goes to Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Two assemblymen duel over bills

With the long hours in the Legislature, tempers are growing short.

A hallway confrontation erupted Sunday between Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, and Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks.

Williams called Washington a liar and accused him of failing to keep his word on a deal over two bills. Williams was irked that Washington would not sign a conference report approving a racial profiling bill that was sponsored by Williams.

Washington replied he was keeping his word. As part of the deal, Williams would approve a charter school bill by Washington.

At the end of the face-off, Williams gave Washington 30 minutes to sign the conference report or he threatened to tear up the charter school bill. Washington signed the racial profiling report.

And both bills went on to final passage.

Assembly approves sweeping reforms

The Senate was expected to approve sweeping changes to the state's child welfare system today after Sunday's approval by the Assembly.

Assembly Bill 343, sponsored by Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, would rid Nevada of its bifurcated child welfare services by bringing the entire system under county control.

"Children ended up languishing in our foster care system for three years," Buckley said of the problems resulting from having both counties and the state shuffle children back and forth to different programs.

The bill includes more than $11 million in start-up costs to transfer state employees to county welfare divisions. It also creates a legislative oversight commission to ensure that the transfer is done efficiently.

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, called the measure "landmark legislation in the state of Nevada for our children."

Lottery, annual sessions killed

A Senate panel over the weekend killed measures that would ask voters to approve limited annual legislative sessions and a state lottery.

The Senate Government Affairs Committee struck down both measures Friday evening.

Assembly Joint Resolution 11, sponsored by Assemblywoman Kathy McClain, D-Las Vegas, would have asked voters whether they wanted to amend the Nevada Constitution to allow a state-run lottery.

Assembly Joint Resolution 5, sponsored by Bob Price, D-North Las Vegas, would have asked voters whether they wanted a constitutional amendment to authorize limited special sessions.

"This 120-day session shows us that it is very difficult to do the business of two years in such a short period of time," Price said after his measure was killed.

Price's measure had passed during the 1999 session, but constitutional amendments require identical passage in two subsequent sessions and approval by voters.

Sunrise to get slice of pie

The fight by three major hospitals in Clark County over an extra $3.2 million in federal funds to treat indigent patients was resolved Sunday.

The Senate and Assembly adopted a conference report on Assembly Bill 377 that permits Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, for the first time, to have a slice of what is called "Disproportionate Share."

Under the formula, University Medical Center will get about $750,000 each of the next two years, Lake Mead Hospital will receive about $710,000 and Sunrise, $700,000.

The federal funds are used to reimburse hospitals when patients cannot pay their bills.

Guinn approves changing rules

Gov. Kenny Guinn has signed Senate Bill 133 to permit out-of-state dentists to qualify for a temporary license in Nevada without passing the clinical demonstration test.

The national ratio is one dentist for 1,700 persons. Clark County has a breakdown of 1 to 3,100, and rural Nevada's ratio is 1 to 4,100.

The measure is designed to attract more dentists to Nevada. Opponents said the bill will allow unqualified dentists to practice in Nevada.

Last-ditch effort by Neal falls short

Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, revived his efforts Sunday to levy increased taxes on the Nevada gaming industry.

But as in the past, he failed.

A bill allowing gambling on railroads was up for final passage in the Senate. Neal had four amendments ready to raise the present gaming tax of 6 percent on gross revenue up to 9 percent.

But before he could offer the amendments, Assembly Bill 448 was taken off the list for final passage. It may not be acted on before final adjournment tonight.

The bill was an effort by Assemblywoman Marcia de Braga, D-Fallon, to permit gambling on the tourist train in White Pine County.

Splitting up of agencies approved

Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to split the state Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety received final approval in the Legislature Sunday.

Senate Bill 481 creates a Department of Public Safety that will oversee the Nevada Highway Patrol, emergency management, the fire marshal, the Division of Parole and Probation, Capitol Police, an investigations division and a training program.

The Senate has given final legislative approval

to Assembly Bill 326, which requires a fuller disclosure of the amount of money local governments spend on lobbying the Legislature. Local governments are required to reveal the salary paid to employees who attend more than 40 days of a session and the compensation paid to any lobbyists, the lodging and meals and the amount spent on entertainment.