2003 Legislature begins today in Carson City

Monday, Feb. 3, 2003 | 11:19 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- An election dispute that was to be settled Tuesday in the 72nd session of the Nevada Legislature, which opens today, has been dropped.

An election contest filed against Democrat Marcus Conklin, D-Las Vegas, who won Assembly District 37, has been withdrawn. Conklin beat Republican Francis Allen by 134 votes, and a complaint was filed that 160 illegal votes were cast for Conklin. But that contest, submitted by Sandra June Vitolo, was pulled Friday.

That leaves Democrats holding a 23-19 majority in the Assembly, their smallest since 1995 when the parties were evenly divided 21-21. There are 11 women in the Assembly. There are 16 freshmen in the 2003 class.

Republicans control the Senate 13-8, the biggest margin since 1995. The GOP gained a seat when Democrat Sen. Ray Shaffer of North Las Vegas switched. There are a record seven women in the Senate this session. There are four new senators, but all of them served in the Assembly before.

Conklin was to be sworn in today with the rest of the Assembly. Because the contest was not to be heard until Tuesday, he would have been sworn in even if the complaint had not been dropped.

Meanwhile, lobbyists, legislators and support staff flocked to Carson City for the opening of the 2003 Legislature, which will end June 2.

As of close Friday, 350 lobbyists were registered, and another 500 were expected to sign up during the session, which is scheduled to cost taxpayers $14 million to $15 million.

An estimated 270 extra employees have been hired to serve the lawmakers during the next 120 days. These include secretaries, police, repairmen, researchers and sergeants-at-arms.

The 63 legislators will be paid $130 a day for the first 60 days, then their salary is eliminated. Fifteen percent of that pay is deducted for their premiums to the state retirement system.

In addition, lawmakers receive $85 a day for expenses for the full 120 days. Those who live more than 50 miles from Carson City get an extra $506 a month housing allowance.

They are paid 36 cents a mile to cover their travel to and from home during the session, to a maximum of $6,800. Another $2,800 is allowed for telephone calls and $60 for postage. Committee chairman and legislative leaders also receive an extra $900 for these expenses.

Legislators are supplied with free stationery and business cards. They are covered by industrial insurance in case they are injured on the job. But if they want to enroll in the state's health insurance program, they must pay the full premium, which is more than $400 a month.

The first bill to be passed by this Legislature will be Senate Bill 1, an appropriation of $10 million to help pay the cost of the session. Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, estimates the total cost will be $14 million to $15 million.

Between $3 million and $4 million was saved by the counsel bureau in the past two years so that will be used to offset the cost of the session, he said. Malkiewich has served notice he intends to crack down on errant lobbyists who are late or don't file their monthly expense forms showing how much they spent in wining and dining lawmakers.