Pubdate: Sat, 07 Feb 2004
Source: Las Vegas Sun (NV)
Copyright: 2004 Las Vegas Sun, Inc
Contact:  http://www.lasvegassun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/234
Author: Brendan Riley, Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/marijuana+initiative
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

NEVADA LAWMAKERS FACE BIG ISSUES AS 2005 SESSION OPENS

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Nevada lawmakers convened their 2005 session
Monday, with leaders quickly outlining possible solutions to major
issues such as spiraling property tax bills and struggling public schools.

Legislators also promised to work together and prevent a repeat of
2003 when two special sessions were needed to pass a record $833
million tax package that was held up during the regular session by
Assembly Republicans who wanted a lower tax hit.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, opened the Assembly by
calling for "a session of action" to deal with numerous issues - plus
a nearly $6 billion state spending plan proposed by Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, promised action on
legislation in the Senate, and both leaders urged cooperation rather
than what Perkins termed political grandstanding.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, suggested an immediate
cap on property tax rates to help Nevadans facing big tax hikes in the
coming fiscal year. Perkins termed that a "fallback" solution and
advanced his own suggestion of a $50,000 exemption in homeowners'
taxable property values.

Titus said she wouldn't attempt a rebuttal on the Senate floor of
Perkins' "gubernatorial speech." Both want to run for governor in 2006.

Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, called for
health care improvements to ease overcrowding in hospital emergency
rooms and ensure that Nevadans can get low-priced prescription drugs,
from Canada if necessary.

Legislators also will have to deal with voter petitions that would
restrict tobacco smoking in public places and ease Nevada's marijuana
possession laws - although Perkins called the marijuana proposal "the
wrong thing to do, now or ever."

Cooperation will be essential if the legislators hope to accomplish
their goals by June 6, the last day of a session that by law can run
only 120 days.

There have been extensive preparations for the 2005 session, with some
staffers working overtime since last fall to get the first of several
hundred expected bills ready for prompt introduction. Several
committees were scheduled to start debating big issues during the
first week of the session.

The 42 Assembly members and 21 state senators already have Guinn's
record budget plan for the next two fiscal years, and in the two weeks
preceding the session's start the lawmakers had a head start by
holding committee hearings to go over the main elements of the record
spending plan.

Early bills include a $10 million appropriation to cover part of the
session costs through June 6, along with plans to prohibit executions
of minors convicted of capital crimes and fund full-day
kindergartens.

Other start-of-session measures would allow video or "photo cop"
devices to help catch red-light runners; and help prosecutors trying
to enforce Nevada's open-meeting laws.

On Tuesday, a joint Assembly-Senate panel will start reviewing
Nevada's property tax system - a review that many hope will end with
taxpayer relief and avert the prospect of a citizens' initiative like
California's Proposition 13. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake