Lawmakers learn "pork" limits in 13th week of session

CARSON CITY - The big event in the 13th week of the 1999 session will be an idea of how much "pork" money lawmakers will have for pet projects. But they'll have to wait until Thursday.

That's when the state Economic Forum meets to upgrade state revenue estimates - and lawmakers already are salivating at the prospect of millions more to spend.

Until Thursday rolls around, the lawmakers have plenty to do, including a Monday hearing in Senate Finance on a bill to replace the 11-member elected Nevada Board of Education with a nine-member board appointed by the governor and Legislature.

Senate Government Affairs will consider several elections-related bills, including one to let the state Ethics Commission waive penalties that mount up for some public officials who don't file financial disclosure statements on time.

Senate Human Resources and Facilities considers education bills, including one focusing on students with disabilities and another on teacher training.

The Senate Natural Resources agenda for Monday includes bills dealing with grazing rights, mining rules and Lake Tahoe.

Assembly Commerce and Labor takes up measures dealing with genetic testing and industrial injuries; Assembly Education considers bills dealing with oversight of school construction and courses taught in public schools; and Assembly Health and Human Services considers a bill dealing with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Tuesday meetings include a Senate Commerce and Labor hearing on measures dealing with mobile homes, manufactured housing and trailer parks. The bills include one to ensure landlords can't stop park residents from posting political signs during campaign seasons.

Senate Judiciary considers child custody bills, including one to expand grandparents' visitation rights when their children's families fall apart.

Senate Transportation considers a bill to let courts suspend the registration of any vehicles owned by drunken drivers, and a measure to boost licensing requirements for teen drivers.

Assembly Taxation reviews a Senate-approved measure to repeal a tax break for businesses that offer child care for low-income employees. The bill has been criticized as a move that could encourage sweatshops.

Wednesday meetings include a Senate Commerce and Labor session on bills to impose new controls on the construction industry. One would let unhappy homeowners collect payments from a new fund to fix construction defects when a contractor refuses to make the repairs.

Senate Judiciary considers a bill that tells slot manufacturers to pay their share of state taxes based on the amount of money generated by networked slot machines - like IGT's Megabucks or Wheel of Fortune.

Senate Natural Resources considers various boating and water-related bills, including one that attempts to resolve a long-standing Truckee River water battle between Fallon farmers, Paiute Indians at Pyramid Lake and Reno interests.

Assembly Judiciary considers a bill that continues new therapy efforts within Nevada prisons. The programs were authorized in 1997 but got off to a slow start.

Assembly Judiciary also takes up a bill to ensure that breath test results can be used in DUI cases. That's aimed at countering a state Supreme Court ruling that said DUI law refers specifically to blood.

Thursday's meetings, besides the Economic Forum's "porkfest prelude," will include an Assembly Taxation review of a proposed tax break for casino mogul Steve Wynn's Bellagio art collection - a break that senators have endorsed amid legislative whining about a state revenue shortfall.

Senate Transportation considers a bill that targets "road rage" by making aggressive driving a misdemeanor punishable by suspension or revocation of a driver's license and mandatory traffic school. The panel also considers a bill that expands the information the Department of Motor Vehicles can give a private investigator.

Also Thursday, Assembly Constitutional Amendments considers a proposal to allow tax breaks for owner-occupied homes. Also on the agenda is a proposal to restrict property and sales tax exemptions.

Assembly Transportation lets school districts change school zone signs to allow normal speed driving when students are inside school property. Also on the agenda is a bill to allow manufacture of blue license plates.

A special Assembly Government Affairs panel will consider a big electric utility deregulation measure; and Assembly Ways and Means will review a plan to give tax credits to employers that provide onsite child care services for employees.

While it's separate from the Legislature, a university regents' meeting Thursday in Reno will have a big impact on a pending proposal before lawmakers to revise state funding for the university-community college system.

Regents are scheduled to discuss a study examining whether the university budgeting has favored northern Nevada over rapidly growing southern Nevada. For some regents from Las Vegas, it's clear there's a disparity.

On Friday, Senate Human Resources and Facilities considers measures to deal with students who continually cut classes. A related measure provides for "contracts of behavior" for pupils.

Assembly Commerce and Labor considers a Senate-approved plan to regulate people who counsel alcohol and drug abusers.

Assembly Judiciary takes up a bill to ban hazing at Nevada colleges and high schools. Another proposal allows people to smoke in slot arcades located in grocery stores - but mandates better designs for future stores and better ventilation.

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