Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Brooks proposed bill regarding admission to psychiatric facilities

Assemblyman Steven Brooks - Feb. 7th 2013

Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

Assemblyman Steven Brooks sits alone after a floor session Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 during the 2013 legislative session in Carson City. Brooks announced during the session that he would take a leave of absence to address health issues.

Assemblyman Steven Brooks - Feb. 7, 2013

Assemblyman Steven Brooks hugs Assemblyman Pat Hickey before a meeting Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 during the 2013 legislative session in Carson City. Launch slideshow »

Troubled state legislator Steven Brooks filed a bill draft request this past week “relating to emergency admissions to mental health facilities.”

Brooks, who was most recently arrested Sunday, is facing expulsion from the Assembly pending the investigation of a select committee scheduled to meet this evening at 6 p.m. in the Legislature.

In the past month, Brooks has been arrested twice and detained by police for an involuntary psychiatric evaluation at a Las Vegas hospital. He was in the hospital for five days before being released the week before session.

Brooks’ bill draft request does not provide any more than a brief description of the bill’s language, so it is unclear what kind of change Brooks is seeking to the emergency admissions law.

The select committee convened to determine Brooks’ fitness to serve had not been scheduled to meet until next week, but it moved its first meeting up one week following Brooks’ latest arrest.

Brooks filed several bill draft requests in 2011 and 2012 but made two requests this past week. In addition to the bill about emergency admissions to mental health facilities, the other “revises provisions relating to criminal law.”

Although Brooks’ office filed the bill draft requests Feb. 6, the requests were not posted on the Legislature’s website until Monday.

Brooks was arrested on counts of obstructing police and domestic battery on Sunday. Last month, he was arrested for allegedly threatening Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick and was found with a gun at the time of his arrest.

He earlier made erratic remarks during the first week of the Legislature before announcing he would be taking a leave of absence.

Brooks did not show up to the Legislature today.

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