Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 | 5:12 p.m.
CARSON CITY – The 2009 Legislature approved a proposed constitutional amendment to allow lawmakers to call themselves into special session.
But there was little outward support Tuesday for the amendment at a hearing of the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections.
Currently, the governor is the only one who can convene the Legislature into a special session. The proposed constitutional amendment, introduced by former Assemblyman Harry Mortensen, D-Las Vegas, would allow the Legislature “on extraordinary occasions, to convene a special session upon a petition signed by two-thirds of the members of each House.”
Only Mortensen spoke in favor of the bill. There was no other testimony for or against the measure.
But Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, said he received 56 e-mails on Tuesday with most of them opposed to the amendment.
Two years ago it passed the Assembly 28-13 and the Senate 17-4. If it is approved by this Legislature, it must then be passed by the voters at the 2012 election.
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