Legislature briefs for April 14, 2003

Monday, April 14, 2003 | 10:04 a.m.

Topless club tax deleted from bill

A new tax on clubs that feature nude or topless dancers has been deleted from its original bill, but the tax may come up again in other legislation.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, had proposed an amendment to her medical malpractice insurance bill that would have levied a a new tax on strip clubs.

The Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor approved Titus' Senate Bill 122 Friday without the amendment.

Titus said she decided that the tax, to be based on the square footage of a business, should not be in the insurance bill. It would be better tacked on to tax bill, she said. Titus said the American Civil Liberties Union cautioned that imposing this type of tax might be illegal because it would infringe on free expression.

Committee OKs monorail audit bill

A bill requiring the Las Vegas monorail project's annual audit to be submitted to state officials has been approved by the Senate Committee on Legislative Affairs and Operations.

Senate Bill 362, introduced by Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, originally called for a legislative audit of the operation. But monorail officials objected, saying they had not done anything wrong.

Titus said the project has $600 million in bonds backed by the state, and that its principal contractor, Bombardier Inc. of Canada, is having "serious financial problems."

"The state needs oversight," she said.

The bill, approved Friday, goes to the Senate for a vote.

'Double dipping' bill OK'd by panel

A bill to stop "double dipping" by state Public Safety Director Dick Kirkland and his deputy has been approved by the Assembly Government Affairs Committee.

A 2001 law allowed a government to declare a position "critical" and permit the person who was drawing pension benefits from the state system to also be paid a salary. In the case of Kirkland, it means about $70,000 in retirement pay in addition to his $101,301 salary.

The bill would also strip his deputy Dave Kieckbusch of his retirement pay. Both Kirkland and Kieckbusch retired from police agencies in Reno.

AB450 specifically denies the "critical" designation for administrative heads.

The bill, approved Friday, goes to the Senate floor. If passed it would become effective Oct. 1.

DMV ads bill goes to Assembly

A bill is on its way to the Assembly to allow advertisements in the offices and on the walls outside the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

By a 12-8 vote, the Senate approved Senate Bill 149 to permit the agency to contract with a private company to place advertisements in the areas of buildings owned by the department as long as these signs or posters do "not inhibit or disrupt the functioning of the department."

The bill also allows advertisers to put inserts into the mail sent by the department to residents.

Money generated would go to support driver's education classes and toward operating expenses.