Friday, March 7, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Some committees are hard-pressed for something to debate, and the Senate and Assembly have been holding floor sessions for just three days a week.
Kinks in a newly computerized bill-drafting process have been singled out as the main problem. But some worry about the larger issue of accountability as progress bumps against ceremony, dubious bills and a penchant for long speeches.
Measures proposed so far include one designating the official state nut. Another would require horns or whistles on float tubes or "belly-boats" typically used by people who like to fish on small lakes and reservoirs.
The lawmakers took about an hour away from their chores Thursday to honor '70s pop duo The Captain and Tennille and dozens of other Nevada artists.
On Tuesday, an Assembly panel spent most of an hour discussing the merits of changing the name of the state Taxation Department to the state Revenue Department.
On Wednesday, Chief Justice Miriam Shearing delivered a 45-minute dissertation on the state of Nevada's judiciary to both houses. Still to come, in April, is the national commander of the American Legion.
"Where do we draw the line?" says Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno. "And if there is no line, can't we all come back at, say 5 o'clock, and listen? This just interrupts the process."
Floor speeches from individual legislators can also tend to run too long, said Townsend, adding, "Our biggest problem is a lack of self-discipline."
Legislation is in the works to mandate shorter sessions, but Townsend said there are ways lawmakers can discipline themselves.
But the ceremony and speeches are traditional, and legislative leaders say it's important because Nevada is still a small state with a part-time citizen Legislature.
So, while lawmakers are limited in the number of bills they can propose, there's no defined screening process to shorten floor statements and weed out legislation that raises eyebrows.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, disputes contentions that the session is slow, saying fewer bills aren't necessarily bad and the budget review process is ahead of schedule.
He and Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, are the gatekeepers of legislation, and they prefer not to hold a bill from introduction - making sponsors politically liable when their names are made public.
But Dini said legislators "do need to be more selective, especially the new people."
As far as speeches go, Raggio said, "No one wants to limit an elected official's chance to speak. We allow a lot of leeway."
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