Panel opposes bill on disclosing professors’ outside income

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, April 9, 2009 | 12:30 a.m.

CARSON CITY – By a vote of 4-3, the Senate Government Affairs Committee defeated a bill Wednesday that would have required public disclosure of outside agreements and contracts of professional staff of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, who sponsored Senate Bill 279, said he favored open disclosure in government. The university had submitted proposed amendments but did not show up to testify on them.

Care then moved the committee to approve the bill and send it to the floor of the Senate. Supporting Care were Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas and Sen. Shirley Breeden, D-Las Vegas.

Opposed were Committee Chairman John Lee, D-Las Vegas and Republicans Bill Raggio and Randolph Townsend, both of Reno and Mike McGinness of Fallon.

Care said he sponsored the bill after the Las Vegas Sun started an investigation into these contracts by professors and professionals with outside private companies but was turned away on grounds they were not public.