Legislative briefs for March 15, 2005

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 | 10:46 a.m.

Pay raises urged for Highway Patrol

The pay of Nevada Highway Patrol troopers and other peace officers in the state Department of Public Safety would be brought up to the rates comparable with similar positions with Metro Police under a bill introduced by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday.

Senate Bill 179 would provide $22.6 million over the next two years to raise the pay of Highway Patrol troopers to the Metro patrol officer levels. It also would allocate $19.6 million over the biennium to boost the salary of others in the department such as parole and probation officers and the dignitary protection unit, to the equivalent of the Metro rates for a similar job.

Gov. Kenny Guinn's budget set aside $17.9 million for 10 percent pay raises for law enforcement officers in the Departments of Corrections, Public Safety, Wildlife and Conservation and Natural Resources.

Kim Evans, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety, said a Highway Patrol recruit earns $32,364, while a similar position in Metro makes $42,975. A trooper makes $38,460 compared with $48,340 in Metro. And a captain in the Highway Patrol makes $52,367 while a Metro captain makes $83,501.

Money approved for Guinn portrait

The Assembly Ways and Means Committee on Monday approved a bill appropriating $20,000 to paint and frame the portrait of Gov. Kenny Guinn, when his term ends in January 2007.

Assembly Bill 97 now goes to the Assembly for a vote.

It's traditional for outgoing governors to have their portraits hung on the walls of the Capitol. There are 27 portraits of former governors hanging in the Capitol. The last gubernatorial portrait, of Bob Miller, cost $10,000 in 1999, officials said.

Rural counties could hike gas tax

County commissioners in the 15 rural counties would be able to increase the annual tax on gasoline, under a bill introduced Monday by the Senate Taxation Committee.

The current law allows Washoe County to raise the gas tax annually by a maximum of 4.5 percent or on the five-year average percent increase in the Consumer Price Index.

Senate Bill 181 would require voter approval before any increase could go into effect. The bill was referred back to the Senate Taxation Committee for study.