Legislative briefs for March 15, 2001

Thursday, March 15, 2001 | 10:55 a.m.

Assembly amends voting provision

CARSON CITY -- The Assembly voted unanimously Wednesday to amend the state Constitution's provisions barring "idiots" from voting and erroneously giving the Legislature the power to elect U.S. senators.

Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, sponsored Assembly Joint Resolution 3, proposing to amend the state's constitution to revise certain provisions governing the right to vote.

The constitution states that "no idiot or insane person" can be granted the right to vote.

"The reference is not only offensive, it is antiquated," Giunchigliani said.

The resolution replaces the phrase "idiot or insane person" with the phrase, "a person adjudicated mentally incompetent."

An amendment to the resolution also removed the provision giving the Legislature, not the public, the right to elect U.S. senators. The provision was only recently discovered and has not affected elections in Nevada.

The resolution was referred to the Senate. If it passes there and again passes both houses in the 2003 session, voters will get to decide in 2004 whether to amend the constitution.

Panel seeks halt in deregulation

CARSON CITY -- The newest legislative committee introduced its first bill draft Wednesday -- a measure calling for a halt to deregulation and divestiture of power plants.

Assembly Bill 369, introduced by the Assembly's Select Committee on Energy, would place a moratorium on deregulation and the divestiture of the power plants owned by Sierra Pacific Resources.

The Senate's Commerce and Labor Committee already has heard testimony on a proposal to halt the sale of the plants for five years. It has yet to vote on the measure, however.

"We feel it's incumbent on us to act immediately," said Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas.

The Select Committee on Energy will hold its first meeting today.

$1 million is eyed for Fallon probe

CARSON CITY -- The state's Health Division would receive $1 million to investigate the Fallon leukemia cluster under a bill introduced Wednesday.

The Assembly Committee on Ways and Means introduced Assembly Bill 359, which proposes allocation of the funds to the Health Division of the Department of Human Resources.

The money is proposed for testing victims of leukemia, environmental issues, the compilation of data from the results of such tests and the dissemination.

The bill was referred to Ways and Means.

Bill aims for disclosure

CARSON CITY -- Home sellers would have to disclose any construction defect or complaint filed with the state contractors' board, under a bill introduced Wednesday.

Assembly Bill 366 would require the disclosure in writing at the time the contract is signed to sell the home.

The disclosure would also have to include the terms of any settlement, order or judgment relating to a construction defect claim.

The bill was referred to the Assembly Government Affairs Committee.