Friday, March 18, 2005 | 9:33 a.m.
Deadline nears for new bills
Monday is the deadline for bills sponsored by an individual lawmaker to be introduced.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said there will be 206 bills ready for introduction in the Senate. He said there will be two sessions to take care the business.
Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said there are 200 bills that will be introduced in the House. The Assembly will probably handle the business in one long session.
Monday is the 43rd day of the 120-day session, and March 29 is the deadline for Senate and Assembly committees to introduce their bills.
The Legislature did not work today, giving lawyers who draft the bills a chance to complete their work by the Monday deadline.
More judges sought for LV
The number of District Court judges in Clark County would be increased from the present 33 to 40 under a bill introduced by the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.
Senate Bill 195 calls for one of the seven new judges to be stationed in Family Court bringing that number to 13. The number of new positions would be filled by those running for election in the 2006 election and they would take office in January 2007.
The bill, referred to the Senate Finance Committee, provides $608,405 to finance the new judges during the final six months of the 2007 fiscal year.
Ban proposed on deer importation
The Senate Natural Resources Committee Thursday introduced a bill to ban the importation of Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer or white-tailed deer into Nevada.
Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, said the animals can spread mad cow and other diseases. Senate Bill 192 has the support of livestock and sheep organizations, Rhoads said.
The bill, referred to the Natural Resources Committee headed by Rhoads, provides a $1,000 fine for violating the law.
Study called for on public schools
There is a growing need to build more schools in Nevada to take care of the increasing number of students, Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said Thursday.
She introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 10, directing the Legislative Commission during the interim to conduct a study of the funding available for constructing public schools.
Historically, construction of schools is financed locally through bond issues approved by the voters. The six-member study committee would look at all potential sources of revenue for the maintenance, operations and capital improvements of the public school buildings.
The state that provides money for the operation of the schools has played a limited role in financing construction. Traditionally the state has given money only to special projects of public schools in rural Nevada that need help.
Titus also suggested there is a need to look at the government funding for the public schools. The U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday that Nevada spent an average of $6,084 per student in 2003, compared with the national average of $8,019. The only states spending less per student than Nevada were Utah, Arizona, Mississippi and Idaho.
Self-defense in schools proposed
Students in junior high, middle school and high school might soon be able to take self-defense classes and count them toward physical education credits.
Assembly Bill 217, which was introduced Thursday, authorizes school boards to provide self-defense instruction, which must be included in a physicial education class. Students could also be awarded credits in physical education if they complete a self-defense court offered by another entity.
The bill was sent to the Assembly Committee on Education.
Mobile home rent discounts urged
Seniors who have resided in mobile home parks for at least five years and have a household adjusted gross income of less than $40,000 could get a break on their rent under Assembly Bill 216.
The bill would require landlords use an incremental scale based on a tenant's household adjusted gross income to determine how much of a discount the tenant would receive.
The Manufactured Housing Division would have the right to resolve disputes between tenants and landlords over rent reductions.
The bill was sent to the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee.
Scholarship changes sought
Students who apply for the Millennium Scholarship would have to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid document under Assembly Bill 223, which was introduced Thursday into the Assembly.
The bill also would require the state to deduct the amount it gives in scholarship money if students get other grants or scholarships that the student does not have to repay. Millennium Scholarship money would not be affected by merit-based scholarships or loans that have to be repaid.
The bill was sent to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.
School district audits considered
School districts could face more stringent review of their finances under Assembly Bill 222.
The bill would require districts to undergo a review of their "financial management principles" every six years. The Legislative Auditor also would recommend districts to be audited on even-numbered years.
Auditors would examine how districts are organized, especially in areas of facilities management, personnel management, transportation, and health plans. The consultant could recommend areas a district needs to change, and the Legislature would monitor whether or not the district implemented the changes.
The bill was sent to the committees on Education and Ways and Means.
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