MINUTES OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Sixty-eighth Session July 1, 1995 The Senate Committee on Government Affairs was called to order by Chairman Ann O'Connell, at 3:00 p.m., on Saturday, July 1, 1995, in Room 227 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada. Exhibit A is the Agenda. Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster. COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Senator Ann O'Connell, Chairman Senator Randolph J. Townsend, Vice Chairman Senator Jon C. Porter Senator Dina Titus Senator Raymond C. Shaffer COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT: Senator William J. Raggio (Excused) Senator William R. O'Donnell (Excused) GUEST LEGISLATORS PRESENT: Assemblyman John Carpenter, District Number 33 STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Dana Bennett, Principal Research Analyst Teri J. Spraggins, Committee Secretary OTHERS PRESENT: Thomas J. Grady, Executive Director, Nevada League of Cities Ben Graham, Chief Deputy, Office of the District Attorney, Clark County Robert Hadfield, Executive Director, Nevada Association of Counties Mary Henderson, Director, Washoe County Government Affairs George L. Cotton, Affirmative Action Officer, Clark County Senator O'Connell opened the committee meeting with a hearing on Assembly Bill (A.B.) 703. ASSEMBLY BILL 703: Revises provisions relating to organization of certain cities and election of officers thereof. Assemblyman John C. Carpenter, Assembly District 33, testified in favor of A.B. 703. He said this bill will enable council members in the second and third class cities to run at large. He said this bill particularly affects West Wendover due to their current population growth. Thomas J. Grady, Executive Director, Nevada League of Cities, stated support of the bill. SENATOR SHAFFER MOVED TO DO PASS A.B. 703. SENATOR TOWNSEND SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS RAGGIO, O'DONNELL, AND TITUS WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.) ***** Senator O'Connell closed the hearing on A.B. 703 and opened the hearing on A.B. 363. ASSEMBLY BILL 363: Revises provision governing number of justices of the peace in townships. Ben Graham, Chief Deputy, Office of the District Attorney, Clark County, provided a handout to the committee (Exhibit C). He stated during the 1991 session, the Legislature enacted two affirmative acts and unless those two affirmative acts occurred, a township would automatically get another justice of the peace, whether they needed one or not. He requested the committee to allow the towns just to say they do not need the additional justices of the peace. He outlined this as a more convenient process than the two affirmative actions. SENATOR TOWNSEND MOVED TO DO PASS A.B. 363. SENATOR SHAFFER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS RAGGIO, O'DONNELL, AND TITUS WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.) ***** Senator O'Connell closed the hearing on A.B. 363 and opened the hearing on A.B. 499. ASSEMBLY BILL 499: Revises requirements for publication of certain information by counties. Robert Hadfield, Executive Director, Nevada Association of Counties, stated this is a compromise between the counties and the Nevada Press Association to address the issue of publishing of mechanics' liens, and the publishing of the voter registration list. He said this measure would allow flexibility to publish the voter registration list. Mary Henderson, Director, Washoe County Government Affairs, explained the problems with publishing the voter registration list. She stated no newspaper in the county could afford to do the bid on it. She stated they went to a Spanish- speaking newspaper in the county. She said they did not circulate it in the county, but it was provided at grocery stores, mini marts, etc. She stated it was a difficult, unworkable process. She emphasized this bill is a good compromise that will keep the county from spending $17,000 to $30,000 for voter registration lists that, "basically end in trash at the service stations." Senator Porter stated two southern Nevada newspapers contacted him and were against the bill. Mr. Hadfield responded the original bill was more comprehensive. He stated the bill, in its current form, has been agreed to by all the proponents. SENATOR TOWNSEND MOVED TO DO PASS A.B. 499. SENATOR SHAFFER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS RAGGIO, O'DONNELL AND TITUS WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.) ***** Senator O'Connell closed the hearing on A.B. 499 and opened the hearing on A.B. 282. ASSEMBLY BILL 282: Authorizes preference for disadvantaged businesses in public works and in state and local government purchasing. George L. Cotton, Affirmative Action Officer, Clark County, explained this bill will assist the county in contracting with "underutilized" businesses. He said the bill does not require any county to conduct an economic disparity study. However, if a county does conduct such a study, the bill outlines parameters that they must meet under supreme court guidelines. Discussion of "underutilized" ensued. The discussion included two other Assembly bills that were conflicting with A.B. 282. As the bill was a substantial piece of legislation that the committee had not seen previously, Mr. Cotton endeavored to provide a section-by-section analysis of the bill. SENATOR SHAFFER MOVED TO DO PASS A.B. 282. SENATOR TITUS SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS RAGGIO AND O'DONNELL WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.) ***** Senator O'Connell closed the hearing on A.B. 282 and opened the hearing on A.B. 404 ASSEMBLY BILL 404: Makes various changes regarding financial disclosure by public officers. Mr. Grady stated the bill will allow members of local governments who serve on one or more commissions or boards to file one financial disclosure form once a year with the ethics committee. Ande Engleman, Lobbyist, Freedom of Information, stated support of the bill. SENATOR TOWNSEND MOVED TO DO PASS A.B. 404. SENATOR PORTER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS RAGGIO AND O'DONNELL WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE. ***** Senator O'Connell closed the hearing on A.B. 404. SENATOR TOWNSEND MOVED TO INDEFINITELY POSTPONE ALL BILLS REMAINING IN COMMITTEE (EXHIBIT D). SENATOR PORTER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION FAILED. (SENATORS TITUS, AND SHAFFER VOTED NO. SENATORS RAGGIO AND O'DONNELL WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.) ***** SENATE BILL 294: Creates Las Vegas Valley Ground Water Replenishment District. SENATOR PORTER MOVED TO AMEND AND DO PASS S.B. 294. SENATOR TITUS SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION FAILED. (SENATORS O'CONNELL AND SHAFFER VOTED NO. SENATORS RAGGIO AND O'DONNELL WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.) ***** ASSEMBLY BILL 586: Provisions governing committee on benefits. SENATOR TITUS MOVED TO DO PASS A.B. 586. SENATOR PORTER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION FAILED. ( SENATORS O'CONNELL AND TOWNSEND VOTED NO. SENATORS RAGGIO AND O'DONNELL WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.) ***** SENATOR TOWNSEND MOVED TO INDEFINITELY POSTPONE ALL BILLS REMAINING IN COMMITTEE (EXHIBIT D). SENATOR PORTER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS RAGGIO AND O'DONNELL WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.) ***** Hearing no further testimony forthcoming on any of the bills, Senator O'Connell adjourned the committee meeting at 3:50 p.m. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED: Teri J. Spraggins, Committee Secretary APPROVED BY: Senator Ann O'Connell, Chairman DATE: Senate Committee on Government Affairs July 1, 1995 Page