Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Sides strike deal on maps: Compromise clears way for a speedy session

CARSON CITY -- Democratic and Republican lawmakers struck an 11th-hour reapportionment deal early this morning that could make for a quick special legislative session today.

The deal keeps the Legislature at its current size of 21 senators and 42 assembly members and carves out a competitive third congressional district. Deals to restructure the Board of Regents and Board of Education also were struck.

"I'm very pleased that we were able to reach a compromise," Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said this morning. "The alternative was a lengthy court battle."

Buckley, who participated in the eight hours of negotiations that lasted until 2:30 a.m., described the deal as a "victory" for Clark County and the Democrats.

"We fought hard to keep the size of the Legislature the same and to ensure a competitive third congressional seat, and that's what we accomplished," she said.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, who originally wanted to enlarge the Legislature, could not be reached for comment this morning. Raggio also played a key role in the talks that led to the deal.

Reapportionment was necessary because of the massive population growth in Nevada recorded in the 2000 Census. The state gained the third congressional seat because of the growth.

Gov. Kenny Guinn was forced to call the special session because lawmakers could not come to an agreement on reapportionment at the end of the regular session.

Guinn, who had urged lawmakers to limit the special session to one day, said this morning he also was pleased that an agreement had been reached.

"I'm very happy about it coming to a conclusion within the time limitations I had requested," Guinn said. "This is good for the people of Nevada."

But Guinn added: "I'm still disappointed that all of the people's work was not completed at the regular session."

Buckley and Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Las Vegas, negotiated the reapportionment deal through the night with Raggio and Senate Government Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas.

A major holdup in the talks was the makeup of the third congressional seat, which lies in Clark County. Though both sides wanted a 50-50 split of Democrats and Republicans in the new district, the Democrats felt the outlying growth areas of the district ultimately would favor the Republicans.

Buckley said the compromise cuts the southern growth area, which includes the master-planned community of Anthem, from the new district and places it in the Republican-dominated first congressional district of Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.

The new Summerlin development in southwest Las Vegas remains in the third district, Buckley said. And the communities of Mesquite, Logandale and Overton will be split between the new district and Gibbons' district, which includes most of Northern Nevada.

Rep. Shelley Berkley's second congressional district in Las Vegas stays heavily Democratic.

Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, said the legislative staff began drafting the new redistricting bills as soon as it got word of the agreement early this morning.

He said the complicated bills could be printed by noon for lawmakers to go over, and he estimated the session could end by late afternoon if no snags develop.

On Wednesday Guinn did not say in his proclamation ordering the special session when lawmakers should conclude their business. But the governor made it clear he wanted the session to end within 24 hours.

"We have the attorney general's opinion saying basically we can pull the plug on the session any time the governor deems appropriate," Guinn's press secretary Jack Finn said.

"It is his strong hope that the issues to be dealt with can be done so within 24 hours, and the governor is not going to tolerate this process unnecessarily being drawn out."

Guinn's desire to impose his will on the Legislature rankled some lawmakers, who sought a legal opinion from the Legislative Counsel Bureau that contradicted the attorney general.

Assemblyman Bob Price said the Legislature's lawyers told him the attorney general's opinion was non-binding on lawmakers.

"He can suggest limitations on the special session, but he has no authority to tell us what to do," Price said. "We can work as long as we feel necessary."

With the reapportionment deal, however, the competing legal opinions weren't likely to matter.

The governor also restricted lawmakers to revotes on the bills passed during the first hour of June 5. The 2001 Legislature was supposed to adjourn June 4, but legislators found a loophole to continue their business until 1 a.m.

The Nevada Constitution states that the session must be completed by midnight Pacific Standard Time. Since Nevada is now on Pacific Daylight Time, they reasoned, they had an extra hour to complete their work.

The attorney general's office suggested to Guinn that the lawmakers should again pass those bills to avoid any legal questions. Guinn's proclamation lists the bills that legislators will consider, but also allows for "other legislative business as the Governor may call."

One major bill on the agenda is Assembly Bill 460, which the governor said is needed to balance the state's budget. The bill would send all of the money collected from the 6 percent car rental tax to the state -- an estimated $23 million over the next two years. That money would be used to finance pay raises for schoolteachers.

Car rental agencies currently get to keep 4 percent of the 6 percent tax. AB460 would have it all returned to the state, but it gives agencies discretion to impose a new fee to make up for their losses.

The governor also wants another vote on Assembly Bill 661, which would allow large users such as casinos and mines to seek buy electricity from providers other than from Nevada Power Co. in Las Vegas and Sierra Pacific Power Co. in Reno. Small customers would still have to draw their power from these two utilities.

Also in the bill is a small surcharge each month, based on use, that would raise $8 million to $10 million a year to help low-income families pay their power bills.

The state Public Utilities Commission would be expanded from three to five members in two years, and the commission would be required to hold consumer sessions both in the north and south when rate increase cases are filed by the utilities.

The Legislature is being asked to again approve Senate Bill 148, which delays for two years the requirement that high school seniors must pass a science proficiency test to graduate. Education officials say they need more time to develop the test, and plan to require the new exam in 2005.

Another bill before the lawmakers is the consolidation of the state's child welfare programs with Clark and Washoe counties. During the next two years, the state will turn over such things as foster home care and adoptions to the state's two largest counties in an effort to provide better services to the children.

Other bills Guinn wants a revote on include:

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