O’Donnell misses out on interim committees

Friday, Sept. 7, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Members of the Legislative Commission ostracized Sen. Bill O'Donnell, R-Las Vegas, when they met Thursday to appoint legislators to study committees.

The commission is a bipartisan group of legislators that handles business when the Legislature is not in session.

O'Donnell, who is not going to run for re-election, had requested to serve on at least 11 study or interim committees, but received no appointments.

O'Donnell, when he announced his retirement, complained about Republican leaders in the Senate and their ties with lobbyists.

The commission chose Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas to head the committee on health care.

Other appointments were:

* Assemblyman Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas, chairman of the committee studying misdemeanors.

* Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, chairman of the committee to study competition between local governments and private enterprise.

* Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, to head a study of suicide prevention.

* Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, chairwoman of the committee on providing state services to the disabled.

* Assemblyman Harry Mortenson, D-Las Vegas, chairman of the standing committee on high-level radioactive waste.

The commission, on the suggestion of Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, also created a subcommittee on wilderness. Rhoads said 4.4 million acres have been set aside as wilderness study areas in Nevada but Nevada's congressional delegation won't move on designating the areas for wilderness until there is a consensus in the state. Rhoads said he hoped this subcommittee could find this consensus.