Legislative briefs for March 1, 2005

Tuesday, March 1, 2005 | 9:22 a.m.

More control eyed over agencies

A bill to give the Legislature greater control over regulations imposed by executive agencies was approved 21-0 Monday by the Senate.

Senate Bill 17 would require every regulation be reviewed by the Legislative Commission or a subcommittee before it went into effect.

Sen. Valerie Wiener, D-Las Vegas, said only 22 percent of the regulations were reviewed during the past two years by legislators. The Legislature passes laws that require agencies to adopt regulations to carry out the intent.

Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, said this bill makes sure that the intent of laws passed by the Legislature is followed.

Under the law, the Legislative Commission or its subcommittee could object to any regulation that members feel may expand on what the law intended.

SB17, introduced by Wiener, goes to the Assembly.

State board change proposed

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, says the state controller and the attorney general don't know anything about transportation.

Titus has introduced Senate Bill 139 to remove the two elected officials from the board that oversees the state Transportation Department. The present board is composed of the governor, three of his appointees from the three regional districts, the lieutenant governor, the attorney general and the controller.

To replace the two elected members, Titus proposes to include the directors of the regional transportation commissions in Las Vegas and Reno. She said the lieutenant governor would serve as a representative for the rural counties on the board.

The governor is chairman of the board. SB139 was referred Friday to the Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security.

Resolution honors black history

By unanimous vote, the Legislature Monday adopted a resolution to commemorate February as African-American History Month in Nevada.

Sen. Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, recalled the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King and said there still is a lot to be accomplished. He said there must be progress in social justice, feeding the hungry, health care, establishing a living wage and the right to vote.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, introduced by Horsford, says blacks have a long and active history of protesting against racial prejudice and social injustice in Nevada.

It cites the Rev. Bill Stevens of Las Vegas who in the 1940s went daily to restaurants that discriminated against blacks to attempt to order a meal or a cup of coffee.

The resolution was sent to the Assembly.