Lawmakers agree to enforce rules limiting lobbyists

Erin Neff

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2002 | 9:30 a.m.

Lawmakers will have to rely more on common sense than on rule changes to manage their time and keep lobbyists in check during the 2003 session, a committee decided Monday.

During 2001's 120-day session, lawmakers spent the equivalent of several days' time honoring people, most of whom are dead, for their service to the state.

And as the session neared adjournment on midnight of the closing day, lobbyists shuttled bills onto the floor, hovering over lawmaker's desks and instructing them as to which items needed to get out of the house.

Monday, Legislative Counsel Bureau Director Lorne Malkiewich suggested several reforms to improve the flow of work throughout the session and to better control lobbyists.

The lawmakers' committee, meeting in Carson City, agreed to enforce the existing laws about lobbyists, and Malkiewich said he would notify all lobbyists when they register for the 2003 session that the rules would be enforced more stringently.

The rules say lobbyists cannot enter the room with the bill-drafting attorneys to suggest language without prior approval from a lawmaker or counsel bureau staff.

Malkiewich said he now will be more inclined to fine a lobbyist or even revoke a license if a lobbyist fails repeatedly to file the necessary disclosure reports in a timely manner.

"I just didn't feel very comfortable going from lax enforcement to something tougher without the committee's approval," Malkiewich said. "We're going to now enforce the statutes and the lobbyists are going to be told that."

Malkiewich's recommendations to limit honorary resolutions met with some grumbling.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said most resolutions are too important to friends or survivors of the honorees to be limited.

"I think we just have to use good common sense on this," Raggio said.

Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, agreed that "self-control" would be better than authoring any changes in the rules involving resolutions.

Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, suggested the committee recommend that lawmakers submit their memorials in writing. Lawmakers routinely rise in support of resolutions and laud some of the honorees for an hour or more.

He also suggested lawmakers opt for commendations for successful sports teams and good deeds. Commendations don't require lengthy readings on the floor.

The committee did agree to limit the days on which resolutions are considered and to limit the length of resolutions to three typed pages. Those recommendations will be forwarded to the Legislature for consideration.

Resolutions will not be allowed on Fridays or on days for which there is a deadline to introduce bills. Resolutions will be limited in the last weeks of the session and in the weeks at mid-session involving deadlines for bill passage out of the first house.

However, resolutions will still be allowed during those restricted days at the behest of Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, and Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas.

During the discussion, Raggio said that rather than limit resolutions, lawmakers may want to limit the amount of time they spend talking about non-pertinent items.

"Sometimes people think it's to discuss their personal problems," Raggio said. "We may have to put some time constraint on that much more than the time we take on resolutions."