Legislative briefs for May 4, 2005

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 | 8:59 a.m.

Measure passes on spousal battery

The Senate Tuesday voted 20-0 for a bill to stop justice and municipal courts from compromising misdemeanor offenses involving spousal battery.

Assembly Bill 21, which goes to Gov. Kenny Guinn for his signature, also said the courts could not compromise, or plead down, a misdemeanor offense that violated a temporary or extended protection order against domestic violence.

Tougher DUI bill sent to Guinn

A bill that gets tough on drunken drivers who kill somebody was approved by the Senate Tuesday and sent to Gov. Kenny Guinn for his signature.

Assembly Bill 256 creates the crime of "vehicular homicide" that involves death of a person by a motorist who has been convicted three previous times of drunken driving.

A person, who has been convicted of at least three prior DUIs, would be subject to a prison term of 25 years to life with parole eligibility after ten years, under the terms of the bill.

Existing law provides that a separate crime is committed when a person who drives under the influence of alcohol causes the death of another person, regardless of the number of prior DUIs. That offense carried a 2-20 year prison term.

Peeping Tom measure approved

A bill that makes it a crime for a peeping Tom to come onto somebody's property was approved by the Senate 20-0 Wednesday.

Assembly Bill 190 says a person who conceals himself on the property of another to "peep or spy through a window, door or other opening" is guilty of a misdemeanor. If the person has photographic equipment or a video camera, the crime is elevated to a gross misdemeanor.

The bill, which goes to Gov. Kenny Guinn for his signature, says if the person has a deadly weapon, the crime is a felony with prison term up to six years and a fine of up to $5,000.

Assembly bans anonymous bills

The Assembly unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that would require legislators to put their name on all bill drafts, instead of allowing legislators to submit anonymous bill drafts.

Assembly Bill 415 would delete language in state law that allows legislators to submit initial ideas for bills without attaching their name to them. Legislators do have to put their name on bills once they are drafted.

Some legislators have argued that they left their names off of bills because they were submitting them on behalf of other people. But Assemblyman Bob McCleary, D-North Las Vegas, said legislators should have to take responsibility for their bills. The bill now goes to the Senate.

Guinn signs off on military center

Gov. Kenny Guinn Tuesday signed a bill for $935,098 to start the design of the Las Vegas Readiness Center for the state Office of the Military.

Of that amount in Senate Bill 496, $617,578 will come from the state and the rest from the federal government.

In his budget, Guinn had suggested more than $23 million to build the center to house five Army National Guard units. Of the total, $13.1 million would come from the federal government and $9.9 million from the state.