Legislative briefs for March 25, 2005

Friday, March 25, 2005 | 9:49 a.m.

Perkins offers ethics proposal

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins introduced a proposal Thursday that would force public officers who are found guilty of three or more ethics violations to step down from their posts.

Perkins' Assembly Joint Resolution 9 is one of several legislative responses to the last fall's impeachment and trial of state Controller Kathy Augustine.

Augustine was impeached by the Assembly and convicted on one count by the Senate during a trial over her alleged use of state office time, employees and resources to help with her 2002 re-election campaign. The Senate dismissed two other counts and censured her. Augustine also was fined $15,000 by the state Ethics Commission.

Transportation Board bill OK'd

With a 6-1 vote Thursday, the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security approved a bill to reorganize the state Board of Transportation, knocking Controller Kathy Augustine off the board and giving Clark County more clout.

The committee accepted the recommendation of Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, to put the chairmen of the regional transportation committees in Las Vegas, Reno and Carson City on the board as voting members.

The board is presently composed of the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, controller and three public members appointed by the governor from Clark, Washoe and the rural counties.

Senate Bill 139, as now amended, calls for two of the three public members be from Clark County and for the rural areas to lose their representatives. The bill now says that the position of chairman of the regional transportation commission in Carson City should be switched around to the other rural counties after four years.

Committee Chairman Sen. Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas, dissented. He said putting the chairmen of the regional transportation commissions on the board may lead to conflicts over projects.

But Sen. Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, said there is a need for better communication and coordination of projects with local government, which he said the bill would facilitate.

The bill goes to the floor of the Senate.

Child in car measure added

Sen. Valerie Wiener, D-Las Vegas, Thursday introduced a bill to prohibit a person from leaving a child who is 7 years old or younger in a car without supervision.

Senate Bill 287 said a person would be guilty of a misdemeanor if he or she left the child in the car unless the youngster is supervised by a person who is at least 12 years old.

However a judge could suspend the sentence if the individual takes an educational program concerning the dangers of leaving a child unattended.

The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee.