Anti-terrorism package readied for Legislature

Cy Ryan and Jeff German

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2002 | 9:49 a.m.

Gov. Kenny Guinn and Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa unveiled a series of legislative measures Monday to beef up the war on terrorism in Nevada.

The package includes proposals to expand wiretap authority in terrorism cases and hand out the death penalty to those responsible for anyone who dies in an attack similar to Sept. 11.

The anti-terrorism push was announced as Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge Monday canceled a visit to the counter-terrorism facilities at the Nevada Test Site.

Ridge had planned to tour the facilities Wednesday with Guinn and Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., on his way to the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. But pressing meetings in Washington forced him to postpone the trip here, his spokesman, Gordon Johndroe, said.

The nation's top anti-terrorism fighter planned to reschedule the tour at a later date, Johndroe said.

Guinn said Ridge told him Monday morning that he expected to make the trip in a couple of weeks.

Reid and Ensign are trying to persuade the Bush administration to turn the Test Site facilities, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Energy, into a national training center for counter-terrorism.

Guinn and Del Papa, meanwhile, said they hope the 2003 Nevada Legislature will extend the racketeering law to allow authorities to freeze assets to prevent the movement of money that would help terrorists. And they proposed new laws to protect water and sewer systems, food supplies, electric and natural gas utilities and communication systems.

The two said they would be working in the coming months with Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, and Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, who have already proposed changes to the laws to guard against terrorists.

"Our goal has been to outline proposals designed to bolster legal efforts to both combat terrorism and continue to increase our state's readiness for any disaster," Del Papa said.

These suggestions, she said, are in line with the federal Patriot Act.

Added Guinn: "This critical process involves many people throughout the state. After preliminary work concerning weapons of mass destruction and bio-terrorism preparedness, we are moving forward on a number of fronts."

The legislative package calls for the creation of a new crime of "terrorism" under which the death penalty would apply when a person is killed or in the event a firefighter, police officer of emergency medical provider is killed when answering an act of terrorism.

There would be penalty of up to life in prison for those who injure people or damage buildings and state infrastructures during acts of terrorism.

A new crime would go on the books for anyone possessing or using unlicensed radioactive materials, unregistered biological agents, any chemical weapon or weapons of mass destruction.

Guinn and Del Papa also proposed expanding the law to allow Supreme Court justices and District Court judges to authorize wiretaps in a terrorism investigation without the consent of one party.

Kim Rushton of the attorney general's office said the new measures would allow the state to use information gained by federal wiretaps to obtain search warrants or freeze assets of those suspected of being involved in terrorism.

The recommendations also call for strengthening consumer protection laws to prevent price gouging in times of emergency. Penalties would be increased for those who knowingly make a false threat or hoax involving terrorism.

And steps will be taken to secure state computer systems that provide essential services such as medical payments or unemployment checks.