Sanctions against regents explored

Wednesday, June 16, 2004 | 11 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The chief attorney for the Nevada Legislature said today she has been asked to examine what possible actions or sanctions can be taken against the university regents for violating the open meeting law.

Legislative Counsel Brenda Erdoes said she has assigned some of her attorneys to look at the law to determine what, if anything, can be done.

She said she received a telephone call late Tuesday night from Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, chairman of the Legislative Commission, who made the request.

Townsend said the regents had been warned once before about open meeting violations and then they violated the law again.

"The patience of the Legislature has run out," Townsend said.

District Judge Jackie Glass ruled Monday that the regents violated the open meetings law during meetings Nov. 17 and Nov. 20, when they voted to demote John Cummings from his position as lobbyist for the Community College of Southern Nevada and Ron Remington from the presidency of the college.

Erdoes declined to speculate what could be done.

But Townsend referred to a bill introduced previously by Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, that would have reduced the size of the board from its present 13 members and have some members appointed by the governor instead of being elected.

Townsend in May had asked a special committee looking into higher education to examine the actions of the regents.

The new request by Townsend goes a step further to see what if there can be any sanctions against the regents.