Legislative briefs for April 18, 2003

Friday, April 18, 2003 | 10:08 a.m.

Senate approves phone call curbs

A bill that would prohibit telemarketing calls to everyone except people who sign up to receive them was approved by the Senate 21-0. Senate Bill 255 would require a person put his or her name on a "do call" list with the state attorney general's office before telemarketers could call.

Exceptions to the bill include public safety agencies in emergencies and companies that have "pre-existing business relationships" with the consumer.

Violation of the proposed law would carry a civil fine of $500 on the first offense and fines of up to $5,000 for three or more offenses.

The bill goes to the Assembly.

The Assembly has already passed a bill that would establish a "do not call" list with the attorney general. People who do not want telemarketing calls would have to file their names on this list.

Consular cards as IDs given OK

The state Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a measure allowing state agencies and local governments to accept consular identification cards as proof of identity.

The bill permits but doesn't require cities, counties and the state itself to consider the IDs -- commonly issued by Mexico's consulate -- as equivalent to a driver's license.

An earlier version of SB312 required acceptance of the cards, called matriculas consulares, but it was amended by the Senate Government Affairs Committee.

The bill notes that while they provides identification, the cards may not be used to allow a person to collect any benefits. They have nothing to do with a person's immigration status and do not signify whether a person is in the country legally or not.

About 23,000 people have applied for the cards in Las Vegas since the Mexican consulate opened there in February 2002. Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Bank of America and the Metro Police Department have since decided to accept the cards as a legitimate form of identification.

New execution chamber still urged

Nevada prisons officials said Thursday they still want a new execution chamber, although they've scaled back an initial plan to spend $237,000 on the project.

Under the new plan, prison labor would be used to cut costs to about $75,000 or even less, a legislative budget subcommittee was told.

The new death chamber and "last night" cell for condemned convicts would be located on the first floor of the Nevada State Prison, replacing the old second-floor execution area.

Glen Whorton, assistant director of operations for the state Department of Corrections, told legislators there was "some confusion" over reports last month that the project had been scrapped.

The prison official also said earlier accounts talked about the need to allow for wheelchair access, in line with federal Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

Senate Democrats blocked a bill Thursday

that would have raised the maximum fee for smog inspections in Clark and Washoe counties by $2. The money would have been used to hire six more people at the state Division of Environmental Protection, according to the bill.