Legislative briefs for April 26, 2005

Tuesday, April 26, 2005 | 9:29 a.m.

Change in ethics rules approved

The Senate on Monday approved changing the law to prevent the state Ethics Commission from automatically referring a case to the Legislature for impeachment.

At present the commission, if it finds three violations of the ethics law, must send the case to the Legislature for an impeachment proceeding. That's why Controller Kathy Augustine ended up in an impeachment proceeding, where she was convicted of one count by the Senate.

Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, suggested theamendment to Senate Bill 430 would mean the case of Augustine would have never reached the Legislature. Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, said nobody will ever know if the Augustine case would have been referred to the Legislature.

Beers said the Ehics Cmmission had no objection to removing this automatic referral.

SB430 was to come up for final approval today.

Senate passes bill on condemnations

By a vote of 12-7 the Senate on Monday approved a bill to stop governments from using the power of condemnation to acquire property for open- space use or for protecting or preserving wildlife habitat.

Senate Bill 326 also requires a government that is using condemnation power for a redevelopment project to make a written finding that a condition of blight exists.

The Senate first voted 16-4 for the bill, but later the passage was rescinded and a new vote was taken to allow some senators from Washoe County to change their votes to opposition because of a pending condemnation in that county of a large parcel of open space.

Entertainment tax undergoes change

A bill intended to eliminate the 10 percent entertainment tax on such events as piano players in restaurants, hula girl performances and athletic events was approved Monday by the Senate.

Senate Bill 247, passed 20-0, imposes the tax on strip clubs or other live adult entertainment but specifically eliminates houses of prostitution. It retains the 10 percent levy on the showrooms in the Nevada casinos.

The bill, by Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, defines live adult entertainment as an activity that includes the "exposure of one or more personal anatomical features by a person or persons" during a show. The bill lists the anatomical features.

Titus said earlier that eliminating the tax on athletic events might help draw Major League Baseball and a second NASCAR race to Las Vegas.

Also approved by the Senate 20-0 and transferred to the Assembly was a bill to give a tax break to those who trade in their vehicles on a newer car. Senate Bill 356 provides that the value of the older car would be deducted from the newer model in computing the sales-and-use tax.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, puts the issue on the November 2006 ballot since the state's 2 percent sales tax cannot be changed without a vote of the public.

Changes OK'd for school promotions

Local school boards would be prohibited from appointing any administrator unless he or she had some experience in the classroom in the preceding year, under a bill approved by the Senate 16-4 Monday.

Senate Bill 268 requires that for a person to be appointed an administrator, principal or vice principal, he or she must have spent at least one day each semester teaching in the classroom in the preceding year if the individual has a license. For those who do not have a license to teach, they would be required to spend at least one day each semester of the preceding year personally observing a classroom.

Voting against the bill that goes to the Assembly were Democrats Maggie Carlton and Lee Horsford, both of Las Vegas, and John Lee of North Las Vegas and Bernice Mathews of Reno.

The Senate also passed 20-0 a bill to allow home-schooled children to participate in sports at public schools. At present the law allows only home-schooled children to take part if they are in high school. The new bill would open it up to all level of schools.

But the bill, which goes to the Assembly, would allow a private school that is a member of an interscholastic association to prohibit a homeschooled child from participating.

Handicapped parking targeted

Fines would be increased for unauthorized persons parking in a handicapped parking space under a bill approved by the Senate on Monday.

Senate Bill 269, approved 19-0, raises the fine to $250. In addition the bill requires that each handicapped parking card have an identification number and the date of expiration, in an effort to keep people from stealing the cards for misuse.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, goes to the Assembly.

Gov. Kenny Guinn Monday signed

a bill appropriating $20,000 for a portrait of him when he leaves office. Assembly Bill 97 provides the money. Guinn will select a painter who will do the portrait to hang in the hall of the capitol.