Legislative briefs for April 25, 2005

Monday, April 25, 2005 | 11:05 a.m.

Cafe immunity from weight lawsuits OK'd

Fast-food and other restaurants would be protected from lawsuits blaming them for patrons' weight gain or obesity under a bill approved by the Senate and sent to the Assembly.

The Senate, by a 15-6 vote Friday, approved Senate Bill 313 that gives the businesses immunity. Sen. Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas, said 17 other states have such laws and he said a suit that made the allegations could hurt the Nevada tourist economy.

He said businesses have been forced to spend millions of dollars defending the limited number of suits filed around the nation.

Senate approves class-size formula

In a party-line vote, Republicans in the Senate have pushed through a bill to permit Clark and Washoe County to change their class-size reduction formulas.

At present the two counties must have a ratio of one teacher for every 15 students in grades 1-3, unless an exception is granted. The other 15 counties have been able to follow a system that calls for one teacher for every 22 students in grades 1-3 and one teacher for every 25 students in grades 4-6.

Sen. Steve Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, said this proposal will "not improve school achievement." Success is achieved through smaller classes, he said. This new proposal would hurt the poor students and help the white pupils, he said.

He said the new schools being built will be able to accommodate the higher ratio. And if the state wants to increase academics, it should require a 15-1 ratio in all classes to sixth grade.

But Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said Senate Bill 490 gives the large school districts the flexibility to try out the plan. The model was tried first in Elko County and it showed "significant success" with the students.

Raggio said Clark and Washoe school districts wanted the chance to try the system. "We are not stepping back into the dark ages," he said.

All nine Democrats in the Senate voted against SB490 that goes to the Assembly.

Senate approves worker protection

An employee has the right to appear and defend himself at a closed meeting of a government body on the issues of character, misconduct or professional competence, under a bill unanimously approved by the Senate Friday.

Senate Bill 83, which goes to the Assembly after a unanimous vote in the Senate, requires the public body to notify the worker at least 21 days before the meeting, listing the general topics concerning the individual.

This bill is the outgrowth of the meeting of the board of regents on the cases of former CCSN President Ron Remington, who was demoted and college lobbyist John Cummings, who was transferred back to staff.

The two men were not at the meeting where the regents discussed their character and later in open meeting took the disciplinary action. Suits were filed and settlements were reached in both cases.

The Senate also passed 20-1 a bill requiring public bodies to record the meeting on audiotape or hire a court reporter to transcribe the session. Senate Bill 421 would exempt public bodies that don't have the money to buy a recorder or hire a court reporter.

Sale of tax liens passes Assembly

Local governments could sell tax liens to insurance companies and banks under a bill passed Friday by the Assembly.

Assembly Bill 393 would allow governments to immediately realize the money that they miss from people who don't pay their property taxes. An estimated $10 million a year in property taxes goes unpaid in Clark County, said Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville.

But governments could sell those liens to companies that want to realize the interest that the liens will generate, Hettrick said. Homeowners who do not pay property taxes would be treated the same, he said. After three years of not paying taxes, the county would file a notice and sell the home.

Eight Democrats voted against the bill after Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, expressed concern that the state couldn't prevent companies from levying additional penalties on homeowners, causing people to lose their homes. But the bill passed, 33-8.

A requirement that doctors undergo

background checks before getting a license to practice in Nevada passed the Assembly on Friday. Assembly Bill 208 would also require physicians who now have licenses to undergo the criminal check.

Employees at businesses that sell alcohol

would be required to take an alcohol awareness program from the state under a bill that passed the Assembly on Friday. Assembly Bill 221 would require that by July 1, 2006, businesses have at least one employee available during business hours who has taken the course. All employees would have to go through the program by July 1, 2008.