Legislative briefs for April 8, 2003

Tuesday, April 8, 2003 | 8:43 a.m.

Committee OKs Lamb Park transfer

A bill allowing the state to turn over Floyd Lamb State Park to Las Vegas was approved by the Senate Government Affairs Committee on Monday.

Senate Bill 444 would allow negotiations to begin between the state and the city. But Las Vegas representative Kami Dempsey said the City Council has not made a decision whether to go forward.

The committee, at the suggestion of Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, agreed there should be no cost to the state if the city takes over.

Senior Rx plan may be expanded

Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposal to expand the low-cost senior citizen prescription drug program won approval from the Senate Government Affairs Committee.

Currently, a person must earn less than $21,500 to qualify for the program. Senate Bill 459 would make a couple earning up to $28,660 eligible for the program.

While the bill was approved by the committee, the Senate Finance Committee must agree with Guinn's budget to put general fund money into the insurance program. Currently only money from the tobacco settlement fund is used to finance the insurance.

Meanwhile, an Assembly panel on Monday approved a measure to put into law the state's application for federal matching funds to expand the Senior Rx program.

Assembly Bill 504, sponsored by Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, asks the state's Human Resources Department to request a federal waiver under Medicaid to enable the state to tap federal matching funds.

Abduction-alert system approved

The Assembly on Monday unanimously approved a bill creating a statewide system of alerts about abducted children.

Assembly Bill 322, sponsored by Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, establishes a Committee for the Statewide Alert System and prescribes the manner by which the system can be activated by law enforcement.

Perkins said if the measure becomes law, he would like to work with the Transportation Department to get more reader boards erected along roads throughout the state.

Bill to replace schools grows

The Assembly amended a Clark County School District school replacement bill Monday to add more money and more schools to the measure.

The amendment changes Assembly Bill 396 to increase the amount of money the School District can use from the Fund for Capital projects from $135 million to $230 million.

The amendment will allow 10 instead of five schools to be replaced.