Guinn casts his first veto since ‘01

Friday, April 8, 2005 | 9:42 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn on Thursday evening vetoed his first bill since the 2001 legislative session.

Assembly Bill 135, which was requested by the attorney general's office, would have increased the assessment some insurance companies pay each year to the state.

They extra money would have gone to the Special Investigative Account of the attorney general's office, which investigates insurance fraud.

Guinn spokesman Greg Bortolin said the governor already alloted money in his budget for two additional insurance fraud investigators in the Attorney General's office.

Guinn doesn't think the state should impose a new fee when it has the money sectioned off for new investigators, Bortolin said.

"We have funds to pay for the positions they want," Bortolin said. "This is just good fiscal responsibility."

The assessments are based on the amount of insurance premiums an insurer charges its policy holders. Insurance companies pay up to $2,000 dollars a year into the fund for insurance fraud investigation depending on how much they charge in premiums.

Representatives of the attorney general's office could not be reached for comment.