Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

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Clamping down on consultants

Assembly bill aims to prevent state from overpaying for long-term contracted work

Assemblywoman Debbie Smith wants stricter oversight of state government consultants.

The Reno Democrat has sponsored legislation, Assembly Bill 463, to require that current state employees undergo a one-year cooling off period before seeking work as a consultant. It would also require detailed reports on the use of consultants by state agencies and require the state auditor and controller to audit the state’s use of consultants.

The bill would apply only to state government, but school districts and the university system would be required to file reports on the consultants they hire.

Smith believes the state often pays too much and allows consulting contracts to go on for too long. She cited a former state employee who has had a nine-year consulting contract and a current state worker who has a four-year, $600,000 pact.

“I can’t be convinced that makes sense,” Smith told the Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections on Wednesday. “It’s a revolving door. They leave one week and come back the next.”

Smith has the support of the Nevada Taxpayers Association and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Dennis Mallory, representing AFSCME, said, “It’s staggering how much money is wasted.”

Several heads of state departments raised concerns about the bill.

Mike Willden, director of the Health and Human Services Department, told the committee that retired or current employees of his department who have consultant contracts are foster parents or taking care of a disabled person. Only four of the 94 listed would be considered true consultants, he said.

Lawmakers should also allow latitude for the state to quickly tap the expertise of former employees for short periods in emergencies, Willden said. He cited the hepatitis C scare as an example of a situation in which the state might turn to former employees.

State Transportation Director Susan Martinovich said lawmakers should include an exemption to permit her to hire former state engineers. The department is going to lose many of its most experienced engineers to retirement, she said.

Smith’s bill would allow the Legislative Interim Finance Committee to override restrictions on hiring consultants.

The Senate committee will take action next week on the bill, which has passed the Assembly.

•••

Term limits may take away their elected positions, but they can never take away their license plates — at least for a lucky few.

Senate Bill 247 would grant Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, the license plate of “State Senator 1” as a lifetime endowment.

Raggio, 82, has served in the state Senate since 1973, the longest term in state history. For 20 years he was the Senate majority leader.

Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, said the bill mirrored one passed in 1999, giving then-Assembly Speaker Joe Dini the lifetime use of the license plate “State Assemblyman 1.”

The bill has 17 Senate sponsors. Raggio isn’t one of them.

•••

Gov. Jim Gibbons signed 33 Assembly bills into law Wednesday and Thursday.

Among the measures was Assembly Bill 187, which allows the creation of courts to handle cases involving military veterans. It would permit the courts to assign convicts to drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs in lieu of prison.

Other bills signed by Gibbons included:

• AB37 to allow the Taxation Department to waive the penalty if a company fails to pay the annual $100 business tax.

• AB96, which clarifies the law that students are eligible for Millennium Scholarships even if they are enrolled in more than one school of higher learning.

• AB163 permits the Transportation Department to adopt regulations to allow low-emission and energy-efficient vehicles to be operated in lanes now used by high-occupancy vehicles. Local governments would be able to designate lanes in planned communities for low emission and energy-efficient vehicles.

• AB407 increases the fee for reinstatement of a commercial driver’s license that has been suspended or revoked for drunken or drugged driving. The reinstatement fee will rise from $84 to $145 when the bill becomes effective July 1.

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