Legislative briefs for May 26, 2005

Thursday, May 26, 2005 | 9:52 a.m.

Chiropractor bill approved

The Assembly split down a rare party-line vote Wednesday when it approved a bill to require chiropractors to have liability insurance.

Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, said Republicans opposed the bill because the minimum amount of insurance that chiropractors would have to hold -- at least $100,000 per claim and at least $300,000 in aggregate for the year -- is too little to help in most cases. Plus, he said, other professional specialties are not required to hold the insurance.

Senate Bill 174 also would increase the number of people on the Chiropractic Physicians Board from six to seven.

The bill now goes to Gov. Kenny Guinn for approval.

Permanent waiver recommended

The Assembly voted unanimously Wednesday to make permanent a program that waives university and college fees for active members of the National Guard.

A current program has covered registration and laboratory fees since 2003, but the program was slated to end June 30.

"This has been a really good recruiting tool for them," said Assemblyman Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas, who works as a recruiter for the Community College of Southern Nevada.

The bill now goes to Gov. Kenny Guinn for approval.

Senate OK's pedestrian bill

A bill aimed at protecting pedestrians from being hit by vehicles was approved by the Senate Wednesday.

Senate Bill 310, which goes to the Assembly, would require governments to gather statistics on locations with high numbers of car-pedestrian accidents. Some action would have to be taken to increase the safety in those areas.

The vote was 20-0.

Arbitration funding OK'd

The Senate approved a bill 20-0 Wednesday for a $673,900 appropriation to pay the cost of arbitration in the dispute over construction of the state veterans home in Boulder City.

The state Public Works Board pulled the contractor, Addison Inc., off the job after delays and cost overruns. Addison has filed a suit seeking $15 million from the state. The state says it is owed $2 million from Addison Inc.

The issue will go to binding arbitration in November.

Senate Bill 510 goes to the Assembly

Bill on drunken driving OK'd

The Senate on Wednesday approved and sent to Gov. Kenny Guinn a bill toughening the law on drunken driving.

Assembly Bill 421, approved 20-0, provides that once a motorist has been convicted of a felony for driving under the influence following an accident that injured or killed someone, all subsequent convictions are felonies.

The penalty for the new violation, whether or not there is an injury, would be two to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

The bill prohibits prosecutors of negotiating a plea to a lower penalty, unless the charge cannot be proved at trial.