THE SECOND DAY
Carson City (Tuesday), February 4, 2003
Senate called to order at 11:23 a.m.
President Hunt presiding.
Roll called.
All present.
Prayer by Reverend Marvin R. Gant, Nevada State Chaplain for the Chapel of Four Chaplains.
Almighty God, we thank You for our very health and ability to be
here, today.
We pray You will inspire the minds of the women and men to whom
You have committed the responsibility of government and leadership of the great
State of Nevada.
Give them the vision of truth and justice that by their counsel
all people of all races and creeds can from Your Legislators receive the
dignity they deserve, and even more; that those here, today, learn to
understand and walk side by side with the people of Nevada, feel their pain,
share their joys, dream their dreams and strive to accompany them truly to
life, liberty and justice.
This day we mourn and pray for the crew and their families of the
Space Shuttle Columbia, patriots of our country and one who nobly served his
nation of Israel.
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Anderson (U.S.A.F.), Mission
Specialist
Captain David Brown (U.S. Navy), Mission Specialist
Doctor Kalpana Chawla (NASA), Mission Specialist
Commander Laurel Clark (U.S. Navy), Mission Specialist
Colonel Rick Husband (U.S.A.F.), Shuttle Commander
Commander William McCool (U.S. Navy), Pilot
Colonel Ilan Ramon (Israeli Air Force), Payload Specialist
O God, now look graciously upon these elected officials and 2003
Legislators.
Where there is pride, subdue it.
Where there is need, supply it.
Where there is error, rectify it.
Where there is default, restore it.
And where there is that which is just and compassionate,
support it.
In Your Holy Name, we pray.
Amen.
Pledge of allegiance to the Flag.
Senator Raggio moved that further reading of the Journal be dispensed with, and the President and Secretary be authorized to make the necessary corrections and additions.
Motion carried.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM STATE OFFICERS
United
States Senate
Washington
D.C. 20510-2803
January 13, 2003
The Honorable William
Raggio, Senate
Majority Leader, State of Nevada Senate,
Legislative
Building, 401 South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada 89701-4747
Dear Senator Raggio:
I am
writing to request the honor of speaking before both Houses of the Nevada State
Legislature at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2003.
My
Reno office will be coordinating the details of my visit. Please call Mary
Conelly or June Schmidt at (775) 686-5750 if you have any questions.
Thank
you for your kind consideration.
With
all best wishes.
Sincerely,
Harry Reid
Assistant Democratic Leader
United
States Senate
Washington
D.C. 20510-2803
January 27, 2003
The Honorable William
Raggio, Senate
Majority Leader, State of Nevada Senate,
Legislative
Building, 401 South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada 89701-4747
Dear Senator Raggio:
I
respectfully request that you allow me the privilege of addressing a joint
session of the Nevada State Legislature on Wednesday, February 19, 2003, from
5:15 p.m. until 5:45 p.m.
Sincerely,
John Ensign
United States Senator
Congress
of the United States
House
of Representatives
Washington
D.C. 20515
January 8, 2003
The Honorable William
Raggio, Senate
Majority Leader, State of Nevada Senate,
Legislative
Building, 401 South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada 89701-4747
Dear Senator Raggio:
It
would be my honor and pleasure to address a joint session of the Nevada
Legislature at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, 2003, to deliver a
formal assessment of our Congressional agenda, and its impact on our State.
As
you know, there are a number of issues critical to the well being of our State
and our Country that will be addressed in the months to come. It is vital that
local, state and federal representatives work together to achieve our goals.
Thank
you for this important opportunity. I look forward to seeing you and many of my
former colleagues in Carson City.
Sincerely,
Jim Gibbons
Member of Congress
Supreme
Court of Nevada
Deborah
A. Agosti,
Chief Justice
Capitol
Complex
Carson
City, Nevada 89710
January 14, 2003
Re: State of the Judiciary
Address: 2001 Legislative Session, February 26, 2003
Senator William
Raggio, 401 S.
Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701
Dear Senator Raggio:
As
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nevada, it is my privilege to request to
address the Senate and Assembly of the State of Nevada. It is my understanding
that both Houses will be available for this purpose on Wednesday, February 26,
2003, at 5:00 p.m., in the Assembly Chamber of the Legislative Building. If a
conflict exists with this time and date, please contact my office.
The
Supreme Court’s reception for the Legislature will be held immediately
following the Judiciary Address. We cordially invite the members of the
Legislature to attend.
Thank
you.
Sincerely,
Deborah A. Agosti
Chief Justice
MESSAGES FROM THE ASSEMBLY
Assembly
Chamber, Carson
City, February 4, 2003
To the
Honorable the Senate:
I
have the honor to inform your honorable body that the Assembly on this day
passed Senate Bill No. 1.
Diane
Keetch
Assistant Chief
Clerk of the Assembly
MOTIONS,
RESOLUTIONS AND NOTICES
By Senators O'Connell, Amodei, Care, Carlton, Cegavske, Coffin, Hardy, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, Nolan, Raggio, Rawson, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Tiffany, Titus, Townsend, Washington, Wiener; Assemblymen Beers, Hettrick, Anderson, Andonov, Angle, Arberry, Atkinson, Brown, Buckley, Carpenter, Chowning, Christensen, Claborn, Collins, Conklin, Geddes, Gibbons, Giunchigliani, Goicoechea, Goldwater, Grady, Griffin, Gustavson, Hardy, Horne, Knecht, Koivisto, Leslie, Mabey, Manendo, Marvel, McClain, McCleary, Mortenson, Oceguera, Ohrenschall, Parks, Perkins, Pierce, Sherer, Weber and Williams:
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1—Commemorating the induction of
Senator William J. Raggio into the Chapel of Four Chaplains and the inscription
of his name on the Legion of Honor Wall.
WHEREAS, Through
the Legion of Honor Award Program, the Chapel of Four Chaplains recognizes and
encourages selfless service rendered without regard to race, religion or creed
by individuals from all walks of life to their communities, the nation and
humanity; and
Whereas, The inspiration for the Chapel of Four Chaplains and
its mission comes from the courageous acts of the four Army chaplains who were
serving aboard the U.S.A.T. Dorchester when it was hit by an enemy torpedo and
sank in the North Atlantic on February 3, 1943; and
Whereas, The story of the four chaplains begins
on the evening of February 2, 1943, when the U.S.A.T. Dorchester, crowded to
capacity, was moving across the frigid waters from Newfoundland toward an
American base in Greenland; and
Whereas, Just after midnight, with the U.S.A.T. Dorchester
only 150 miles from its destination, an enemy submarine fired a torpedo that
exploded in the boiler room, destroying the electric supply and releasing
suffocating clouds of steam and ammonia gas; and
Whereas, Taking on water rapidly, the ship began listing to
starboard and men clung to the frozen rails, frozen with fear, unable to let go
and plunge into the dark, churning water far below; and
Whereas, The testimony of survivors tells us that the sole
order and only fragment of hope in this chaos came from four chaplains,
Lieutenant George L. Fox, Methodist, Lieutenant Alexander D. Goode, Jewish,
Lieutenant John P. Washington, Roman Catholic, and Lieutenant Clark V. Poling,
Dutch Reformed, who quickly and quietly spread out among the men, tending the
wounded, calming the frightened and guiding the disoriented toward safety; and
Whereas, One witness found himself floating in oil-smeared
water, surrounded by dead bodies and debris, and said that he could hear men
crying, pleading and praying and that the only thing which kept him going was
the voices of the chaplains, preaching courage, offering prayers for the dying
and encouragement for those who were trying to survive; and
Whereas, The Arctic air was freezing, leading Rabbi Goode to
offer what he said was an “extra” pair of gloves to Petty Officer John J.
Mahoney, who only later realized that the Rabbi had decided not to leave the
ship and so had offered his only pair of gloves; and
Whereas, Topside the chaplains were distributing life jackets
from a storage locker, and when there were none left to distribute, to the
astonishment of the men, the chaplains removed their lifejackets and gave them
to four frightened young men; and
Whereas, Rabbi Goode did not call out for a Jew, Father
Washington did not call out for a Catholic, nor did the Reverends Fox and
Poling call out for a Protestant, they simply gave their life jackets to the
next man in line, showing true altruism and spirituality; and
Whereas, As the ship went down, the survivors in nearby rafts
could see the four chaplains, arms linked and braced against the slanting deck
as the ship went down, their voices still offering prayers for the salvation of
the men they served; and
Whereas, Through the powers vested in Ed Gobel, Southwestern
States Regional Director, and his Regional Board of Directors, Linda West
Myers, Caryl Gobel and Dr. Alan Myers, and with the blessing of Reverend Marvin
Gant, State Chaplain, on the 60th Anniversary of these heroic acts, United
States Senator Max Cleland and Nevada Senator William J. Raggio were honored by
being inducted into the Chapel of Four Chaplains and having their names
inscribed in the Legion of Honor Wall in the Chapel at Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF
THE STATE OF NEVADA, THE ASSEMBLY CONCURRING, that the Nevada Legislature
hereby recognizes the spirit of the four chaplains in Senator William J. Raggio
for having devoted his life to helping others through service to his country in
the United States Marine Corps, his work on behalf of the principles of all
religions as evidenced by his recognition by the National Conference of
Christians and Jews, his work to eliminate discrimination as evidenced by the
Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League and the virtual plethora
of legislation passed during his 30 years in the Senate; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this
Legislature heartily commends Senator William J. Raggio on the auspicious
occasion of his induction into the Chapel of the Four Chaplains and
congratulates him on becoming the fifth Nevadan to be so inducted; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate
prepare and transmit a copy of this resolution to Senator William J. Raggio.
Senator O'Connell moved the adoption of the resolution.
Remarks by Senators O'Connell and Raggio.
Senator O'Connell requested that the following remarks be entered in the Journal.
Senator O’Connell:
Madam
President, I realize this is early in the session for a resolution, but we
wanted to acknowledge the event close to the 60th anniversary of the sinking of
the U.S.A.T. Dorchester, which was yesterday, February 3.
The
purpose of this honor being given to deserving leaders around the country, such
as to our esteemed Senate Majority Leader, is to keep alive the memory of the
four outstanding chaplains who willingly gave their lives, that others may
live.
Through
the resolution, you have heard of the remarkable courage of these four
chaplains. This courage was also demonstrated by many men and women on
September 11, 2001.
On
behalf of the Nevada State Senate and Assembly, I would like to extend our
thanks to the Southwestern Board of Directors of the Chapel of the Four
Chaplains for their selection of Senator Raggio.
This
prestigious award brings well-deserved honor, not only to him but also to the
State of Nevada.
Those of us who have had the privilege of serving with Senator
Raggio applaud the choice the Board has made.
Senator Raggio:
I am not often taken by surprise. I did not know of
this. I appreciate the honor from the pastor and from all of you. It is a
wonderful tribute. The remembrance of what these four chaplains did is
certainly something significant in the history of this country. It shows the
true purpose and the meaning of America. I feel I am not deserving of this
recognition. I am very grateful for it and to my colleagues in the Legislature
for their support. I will always treasure this award.
Resolution adopted.
Senator O'Connell moved that all rules be suspended and that Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1 be immediately transmitted to the Assembly.
Motion carried unanimously.
Resolution ordered transmitted to the Assembly.
Senator Raggio moved that the following persons be accepted as accredited press representatives, and that they be assigned space at the press table and allowed the use of appropriate media facilities: LAS VEGAS SUN: Erin Nef, Cy Ryan, Michael Campbell, David Clayton, Jeff German, Mat Hufman, Steve Kanigher, Ed Koch, Jennifer Knight, Aaron Mayes, Judy Odierna, Launce Rake, Emily Richmond, Susan Snyder; FACE TO FACE WITH JON RALSTON: Jon Ralston, Dana Gentry and Angela Pilmer.
Motion carried.
INTRODUCTION, FIRST READING AND REFERENCE
By Senators Coffin, Care, Carlton and Neal:
Senate Bill No. 56—AN ACT relating to the Legislature; requiring each regular session of the Legislature to adjourn sine die not later than midnight on the 120th calendar day of that session; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Senator Coffin moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Legislative Affairs and Operations.
Motion carried.
By Senator Wiener:
Senate Bill No. 57—AN ACT relating to juvenile justice; revising certain provisions governing the program of restitution through work; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Senator Wiener moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Motion carried.
GUESTS
EXTENDED PRIVILEGE OF SENATE FLOOR
On request of Senator Neal, the privilege of the floor of the Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Helene Ndedi and Mr. MouBamba.
On request of Senator O'Connell, the privilege of the floor of the Senate Chamber for this day was extended to Ed Gobel, Linda West Myers, Dr. Alan Myers, Caryl Gobel, Reverend Marvin R. Gant, Anita R. Gant, Ann Gant, Sarah Gant and John Gant.
On request of Senator Raggio, the privilege of the floor of the Senate Chamber for this day was extended to a delegation of visitors from the People’s Republic of China
Senator Raggio moved that the Senate adjourn until Thursday, February 6, 2003, at 11 a.m.
Motion carried.
Senate adjourned at 11:53 a.m.
Approved: Lorraine
T. Hunt
President of the Senate
Attest: Claire J. Clift
Secretary
of the Senate