Lobbyists facing new limits on their actions

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002 | 9:46 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Lobbyists could be barred from the floor of the Senate and Assembly in the closing days of the 2003 Legislature under new rules considered Tuesday by the state Legislative Commission.

Under the new guidelines, lobbyists would also be prohibited from carrying bills between the two houses in an effort to resolve differences. In past years, lobbyists often appeared on the floor seeking votes and trying to hammer out agreements among lawmakers as the legislative session drew to a close.

Also, lawmakers gave tacit approval to lobbyists to carry bills between the houses to get necessary signatures.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, who said lobbyists were often a disruptive force on the floor, called the proposed rules a "substantial step to ensure the integrity of the process."

Harvey Whittemore, one of the state's most influential lobbyists, said lobbyists have been contacted about the changes.

"I don't see the new rules impacting my effort to represent my clients," Whittemore said.

Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, told the commission that in the upcoming session he will strictly enforce the rule regarding expense reports filed by lobbyists.

Anyone who files late will be charged $10 a day, he said. If the report is not filed within a 30-day deadline, the credentials of the offending lobbyist will be revoked, he said.

Those rules have been loosely enforced in the past, he said.