Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Legislative briefs for April 1, 2005

Fee for water exchange may rise

Counties that import water from other counties would have to pay a $10 per year per acre-foot tax under a bill approved by the Senate Thursday 20-1.

Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, said the present fee is $6 and recognizes inflation over the past several years. He said no county is presently paying the $6 but some counties could be affected in the future.

There are applications pending from Southern Nevada to draw water from rural Nevada.

Sen. Warren Hardy, R-Las Vegas, objected to Senate Bill 35 saying water belongs to the people and it should be directed where it is needed.

Bill will target mad cow threat

By a unanimous vote, the Senate Thursday approved a bill aimed at stopping mad cow disease from entering Nevada.

Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, said a few years ago the Legislature allowed private individuals to import Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer or whitetail deer for gain. But he said the bill will prohibit people from bringing the animals into the state as a means to preventing the spread of mad cow and other diseases.

Senate Bill 192 goes to the Assembly.

Gasoline tax measure dies

A bill to raise the tax on gasoline by two cents a gallon starting in July 2006 and pushing it higher in subsequent years is dead.

The Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee had introduced the bill and had referred it to the Transportation Committee. Assemblyman John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, said today that the committee would not take any action on the bill.

"Nevada's gas taxes are already among the highest in the country. Adding to that burden is irresponsible at this point, and will not happen on my watch," he said.

He said the Nevada Highway Users Alliance sought the bill to help pay to retire highway bonds.

"While the committee may discuss the problem that this bill was intended to address, the proposed gas tax will not be part of the solution," he said.

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