Session marked by wide range of bills passed

Friday, June 8, 2001 | 11:08 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- One could argue that the 2001 Legislature touched the lives of all Nevadans.

The session gave some protections to consumers, lent a helping hand to big business and opened the door for those with debilitating illnesses to use marijuana.

Through Thursday Gov. Kenny Guinn had signed more than 500 bills and vetoed two -- one involving boom boxes in autos and an audit of the state Transportation Department.

Still more are coming from the Legislature, which adjourned early Tuesday. More than 1,250 bills were introduced, not including resolutions and proposed constitutional amendments.

The Legislature approved a $3.8 billion two-year general fund budget, giving 4 percent annual raises to state workers and faculty at the University and Community College System of Nevada. Schoolteachers will get a 3 percent bonus this year and a 2 percent cost-of-living increase next year.

Energy proved to be a major topic in this session. Lawmakers retreated from a 1999 law that allowed for deregulation of the electric industry. A bill was passed to hold off any power rate increases until early next year. And these increases could be spread over a three-year period.

Consumers will pay an extra few cents a month on their power bills to raise $10 million to help low-income families pay their electric bills.

Big casinos and mines will be able to leave Nevada Power Co. or Sierra Pacific Power Co. to seek lower electric rates. And the utilities will have to buy an increasing amount of "Green power" over the next few years from renewal resource developers.

The gambling industry will be able to dip into the Internet business and also will be permitted to have closed-door "gaming salons" that cater to ultra high rollers.

The Senior RX program, started two years ago, was restructured to provide free insurance premiums for the low-income elderly residents in an effort to help them buy drugs.

The general public escaped an overall tax increase. But to finance raises for schoolteachers, the Legislature increased transaction fees collected by the Secretary of State, and the state took back the 4 percent sales tax now collected and retained by rental car companies.

Many bills died.

Proposed constitutional amendments for annual sessions of the Legislature and for a state lottery were defeated in the Senate Government Affairs Committee. Legislation to impose a moratorium on the death penalty lost in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

The bill to lower the blood-alcohol level for drunken driving to .08 never made it out of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

Major bills on construction defects failed to survive the session. The budget committees rejected Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to double the property tax rebate for low-income senior citizens.

A proposal to start a program for problem gamblers was approved by the Senate Finance Committee but failed to make it to the floor in time for final passage.

A measure to permit lawsuits by women who suffered illnesses from silicone breast implants couldn't garner enough votes to get out of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.

The bill to exempt adult motorcycle riders from wearing a helmet died in the Assembly Transportation Committee. And the legislation to permit school vouchers failed.

Here is a breakdown of some of the bills that made it:

Business

Children

Crime

Education

Fees

subhed Government

Health

subhed Judicial

Las Vegas and surrounding cities

License plates

subhed Miscellaneous

Schools

Senior citizens

Symbols

Taxes

Traffic or transportation

archive