Legislative briefs for May 23, 2005

Monday, May 23, 2005 | 9:04 a.m.

Panel approves gamblers bill

A bill setting up a program to help problem gamblers and to finance it from casino revenue has been approved by the Senate Finance Committee.

Senate Bill 357 would create an advisory committee to recommend how the money should be spent to treat problem gamblers. The bill, which goes to the floor of the Senate this week, calls for $800,000 the first year and $1.6 million the second year.

The money would come from revenues now being collected by the state. There would be $1 per slot machine turned over to the committee the first year and $2 per machine the second year.

The Finance Committee last week agreed to start a program for $100,000 a year from the state. A committee spokesman said if SB357 passes, the $100,000 appropriation would be eliminated.

State workers bill dies in committee

A bill that would have established a system for state workers and their superiors "to meet and confer" on such issues as hours and working conditions, grievances and discipline, has been killed in the Senate Government Affairs Committee on a party line vote.

Assembly Bill 484 was sought by the Nevada Employees Association as a way to work out problems in the workplace. The state workers do not have collective bargaining rights, as allowed by county and city employees.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said the bill is a "nose under the tent towards collected bargaining." He said he didn't like the provision in the bill for binding arbitration on disputes between management and workers. Raggio was joined by the three other Republicans on the committee in voting against the bill.

Regents structure could be changed

The composition of the board of regents of the newly named Nevada System of Higher Education would be changed under a proposed constitutional amendment that will be voted on this week in the Senate.

The present makeup of 13 members elected from districts would be changed to have six members appointed by the governor and three elected from the three congressional districts. No more than two-thirds of the members of the regents may be of the same political party under Assembly Joint Resolution 11.

Senate to vote on public lands bill

A bill requiring public auction of land owned by state and local governments is heading towards a vote in the Senate this week.

The Senate Government Affairs Committee on Friday approved Assembly Bill 312. Assemblyman Scott Sibley, R-Las Vegas, the chief sponsor of the bill, said "we need to get fair market value" when the properties are sold by government.

The committee accepted an amendment that no auction will be required when local governments negotiate for the sale of land for economic development or development projects. But the local government would still be required to get two appraisals of the property.

The bill was introduced after several sales of public land came under scrutiny because of the reduced prices paid for the property.

If approved by the Senate, it would return to the Assembly for agreement on the amendments.