Legislative briefs for March 27, 2001

Tuesday, March 27, 2001 | 10:31 a.m.

Measure would penalize wasters

CARSON CITY -- A bill allowing the Las Vegas Valley Water District to penalize those who waste water was introduced by the Assembly Government Affairs Committee Monday.

The board of directors could impose fines, and this penalty would be coordinated with similar ordinances from other local governments. The bill allows the appointment of an independent hearing officer if there is a dispute over whether water was wasted. Assembly Bill 566 also authorizes the district to make the prohibition against the wasteful use of water a condition of providing service.

The bill was referred back to the Government Affairs Committee for study.

Mustang named state animal

CARSON CITY -- After hearing that wild horses represented a spirit of fierce independence, the Assembly voted Monday to make the mustang the state animal, sharing the honor with the Bighorn Sheep.

Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, noted this was a class project at the Aggie Roberts Elementary School in Las Vegas, and of the 50,000 mustangs in the West, 25,000 are in Nevada.

Though he did not object to naming the mustang the state animal, Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, said the herds must be "appropriately managed" so they do not interfere with agriculture and wildlife.

Assembly Bill B219, approved by a 39-2 vote, goes to the Senate.

Statue urged for U.S. Capitol

CARSON CITY -- A bill calling for the creation of a statue of Indian leader Sarah Winnemucca to be placed in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol has been unanimously approved by the Assembly.

Assemblywoman Marica de Braga, D-Fallon, characterized Winnemucca as a "strong fighter for Native American rights."

Nevada, as is the case in other states, is entitled to two statues in the capitol. But it has only one -- Sen. Pat McCarran.

The bill originally had a $100,000 appropriation for the statue but that was stripped from the measure. De Braga said the Nevada Women's History group has raised $7,000 so far to create the statue. Assembly Bill 267 goes to the Senate.