Legislative news briefs for April 16, 2003

Wednesday, April 16, 2003 | 10:16 a.m.

Bill bans kids in truck beds

A bill expanding to all counties the prohibition for minors to ride in the back of a pickup truck was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee Tuesday.

The present law makes it illegal for any person under 18 to be a passenger in the bed of a pickup or flatbed truck in Clark and Washoe counties. Assembly Bill 58 would expand that prohibition to all counties.

There are exceptions, however. A minor would be allowed in the back of the truck in a parade, in the course of farming or ranching or if the vehicle was being operated on a road that only had one lane in each direction.

The bill goes to the floor of the Senate for a vote.

Need funds? Take the tax increase

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, is pressing home the point that the state needs additional tax revenue to fund the budget.

Historic preservation advocates appeared before the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday asking for $675,000 from the state to buy a bar-restaurant in Dayton in Lyon County and turn it into a cultural affairs center.

Raggio told them the state does not have any money to support the project and asked them if they were willing to support an increase in taxes.

The group indicated it would support a tax increase to generate enough money for the purchase but probably not a $1 billion increase as suggested by Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Raggio had posed the same question earlier to officials from Elko County who asked for state aid on a local project.

The committee did not take action on Senate Bill 380, which sought the appropriation to purchase the Odeon Hall and Saloon, which was opened in 1875 in Dayton.