Lawmakers may have new laptops, more security

Thursday, Aug. 26, 2004 | 9:43 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Lawmakers may have new laptop computers and increased security at the 2005 Legislature starting next February.

Study subcommittees presented proposals to the Legislative Commission Wednesday for upgrading equipment and hiring more personnel.

Assemblyman Harry Mortenson, D-Las Vegas, chairman of the subcommittee on information technology for the Legislature, suggested $1 million be spent on upgrading technology.

He said the subcommittee is looking at getting new laptops for the lawmakers and has narrowed the choice to three. They may require new power adapters at the lawmakers' desks, he said.

Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, the commission's chairman, expressed strong reservations. "What's wrong with the ones we have now?" he asked. Mortensen said the computer capability of the Legislature is being increased and the lawmakers need to keep pace.

Townsend then questioned whether the new computer would prevent lawmakers from playing solitaire, reading the sports page or e-mailing lobbyists on their laptops, as is now the case. "You won't get my support if you can't do that," he said.

Mortenson replied that was the lawmakers' personal choice.

"That's a bad choice," Townsend answered.

Mortenson said the subcommittee is looking at sample models and will make a decision soon. He was asked why it was taking so long to decide. He replied, "We're smart to postpone it simply because technology changes so fast."

Traditionally the Legislature enters into a lease agreement for the computers and when they are finished, they pass them on to staff or state agencies that continue to honor the lease. Lawmakers first had laptops in 1997, replaced them in 1999 and again in 2001. In 2003, the IBM Thinkpads were upgraded with more memory and speed but were not replaced.

Townsend also question why lawmakers needed a $382,000 new phone system. Mortenson said he could not answer that.

A recommendation came from the legislative subcommittee on security to hire two more full-time officers and two additional officers for the legislative session. The subcommittee, in its report to the Legislative Commission, said an open-door policy should be continue to be used at the Legislature and not to deploy metal detectors.

But the security subcommittee also is asking the Legislative Police to study a contingency plan for deploying metal detectors and the cost. It also wants its police staff to study the possibility of installing additional barricades for security.

Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, outlined plans to hire 87 additional workers for the 2005 session in such jobs as police officers, janitors, telephone operators and legal staff.

He told the commission this would be 11 more than in 2005 and the added staff would be mostly in the legal division. He said the legal staff at the last session considered a 20-hour day a short day.

This does not include the staffs hired by the Senate and Assembly for committee workers, personal secretaries and other duties.

These requests will have to go to a legislative budget committee before they can be presented to the full Legislature.