Spending bill gives Metro $1.5 million

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Suzanne Struglinski

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004 | 11:06 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Metro Police will get $1.5 million in federal funds to meet Homeland Security requirements for communication equipment, based on money included in a large spending bill passed by the Senate.

The money will help local police radios work better with federal public safety agencies, according to office of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

A massive spending bill is waiting final approval in the House. Each chamber passed the bill before Thanksgiving, but the House needs to approve a final change before it can go to the president.

Reid's office said today the bill has nearly $4.8 million for law enforcement and domestic projects for Nevada, including:

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., worked with Reid to help secure money for some of the Nevada projects, Ensign spokesman Jack Finn said. But Ensign voted against the omnibus bill because there were too much pork projects at too great a cost, Finn said.

Asked if Ensign objected to any specific Nevada projects, Finn said Ensign objected to the "scope of the overall bill."