Guinn signs bill to hike lawmakers’ pay

Monday, June 13, 2005 | 9:28 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Bills to increase the pay of legislators and constitutional officers in 2007 and to require more qualifications for judges in the future have been signed into law by Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Guinn signed 35 bills Friday including one that limits the charge on a gift certificate.

Assembly Bill 462 will allow a raise of 6 percent for legislators who run in the 2006 and their salaries will be pegged in the future to the cost of living given state workers.

Lawmakers make $130 a day for the first 60 days and then their salary is cut off. An amendment to the Nevada Constitution is on the election ballot in 2006 to permit pay for the full 120-day session.

The present salary of the governor will go from $117,000 to $141,000; the lieutenant governor from $50,000 to $60,000 and the secretary of state, treasurer and controller from $80,000 to $97,000.

All of the present constitutional officers have hit their two-term limit and cannot run for re-election.

The salary of Attorney General Brian Sandoval would rise from $85,000 to $110,000. While Sandoval is free to run for re-election, he has been nominated for a federal district court seat and is expected to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Senate Bill 234 requires years of legal experience to become a judge. It does not affect present members of the Nevada Supreme Court, district courts or justice of the peace courts who are serving in those office this coming Oct. 1.

In the future, a justice of the Supreme Court must have been an attorney for 15 years and had practiced in this state for at least two years. To qualify as a district judge, the person must have 10 years of legal practice and at least two years of that in Nevada.

In Clark County in the townships of 100,000 or more people, a justice of the peace must have been listened to practice law for at least five years prior to his election or appointment.

The bill also recommends the Supreme Court study the establishment of an intermediate court of appeals between the district court and the Supreme Court.

Assembly Bill 19 requires those who sell gift certificates to print on these cards the date of expiration or a toll free telephone number to call to determine if there is an expiration date.

The seller of the gift certificate must also put a notice on the gift certificate if there is going to be a service charge and when it will start to be imposed.

The law, which applies to gift certificates after Oct. 1, limits a service charge to $1 per month. And the fee can't start until one year after purchase.

This new law does not apply to a gift certificate that is issued as part of an award, promotional or incentive for which the bearer did not receive any money. It also does not apply to an employer or nonprofit or charitable organization if the expiration date of the gift certificate is not more than 30 days after the date of sale.

Senate Bill 233, which becomes effective immediately, allows a grocery store to serve samples of alcoholic beverages on the premises to a person of legal age. Convenience stores are not authorized to serve samples.

The bill also permits a person to operate an instructional wine-making facility that is licensed by the state Department of Taxation. Wine can be sold by the glass. And the individual, who is making the wine, may take 60 gallons of wine home a year.