Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005 | 10:17 a.m.
Bill would increase county water bill
Clark County could pay more for the water it takes from rural Nevada under a bill introduced in the Senate Monday.
SB35, sponsored by the Committee on Natural Resources, would allow counties to charge $10 a year for each acre-foot of water that flows out of its county to another. The maximum fee now is $6 per acre-foot per year.
Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, chairman of the committee, said a similar bill was introduced in 2003 by Eureka County that was sending 72,000 acre feet to Elko County for use in the mines.
Eureka County wanted to charge $65-$70 an acre-foot. Rhoads said this bill this session is more reasonable.
The water authority in Clark County has applications pending with the state to draw water from Lincoln, White Pine and Nye counties.
Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said she had no objection to the fee increase. "We've got to compensate the rurals," she said.
Titus said Clark County needs the water and the environment has to be protected.
The bill was referred to the introducing committee.
Legislators consider identity theft issue
The suggestion by Treasurer Brian Krolicki to require Millennium Scholars to reveal their Social Security numbers to qualify to receive funds is getting a cool reception from Assembly Democratic leaders as the idea comes amid warnings about identity theft in Nevada.
Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said Monday Nevada has the highest identity theft in the nation and she is going to introduce a bill to curb the problem, while Assembly Speaker
Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said he was not sure that Social Security numbers should be on applications for Millennium Scholarships.
As one measure to tighten the scholarship eligibility, Krolicki said he wants to make sure foreign students don't receive scholarships. He said the way to do this is to require them to file a federal form that requires the Social Security number be listed and, of course, foreign students don't have Social Security numbers.
Krolicki has proposed several changes for the eligibility to help the financially troubled scholarship program, including disqualifying students who are taking remedial courses in college. That suggestion was endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, who said that 40 percent of the Millennium Scholars at UNLV are taking remedial English or Math.
Meanwhile Attorney General Brian Sandoval issued an advisory Monday to warn Nevadans against the dangers of identity theft. This is National Consumer Protection Week and Sandoval said, "Identity theft is the common term used in cases where a person obtains important personal information, such as a consumer's Social Security number or credit card or bank account numbers and uses the information to commit fraud or theft."
He said a recent survey found the average victim spends 175 hours and $800 resolving identity theft problems and it can often take from two to four years for victims to clear up all of the resulting problems.
Bill would raise driver's license fee
The state Department of Motor Vehicles wants to boost the cost of getting or renewing a driver's license by 50 cents so that the price will be an even dollar amount.
The proposed increase is "kiosk driven," said Tom Jacobs, department spokesman.
Jacobs said the department wants to allow people with cash to renew the licenses at the kiosks stationed through the state. But the kiosks can't make change. They can only handle credit cards.
If the bill is passed, a motorist could insert a $20 into the kiosk and get his license renewed.
The Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security sponsored Senate Bill 34 Monday to raise the fee. The bill was referred for study to the introducing committee.
Jacobs said a new or renewed license currently costs $19.50 and a license for a senior citizen is $14.50.
People who go to the DMV counters instead of the kiosks to get or renew a license pay an additional $2.25, which is the cost of the new digital photo on the license.
Lobbyists register
By the end of the first day in the Legislature, an estimated 500 lobbyists had registered.
In 2003 at the end of the regular and two special sessions, there were 840 lobbyists -- 586 paid lobbyists and 254 nonpaid.
A paid lobbyist must pay an initial fee of $95 plus $1 for each client he or she represents. A nonpaid lobbyist is required to pay $15 to cover the cost of issuing a badge.
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