1999 Legislature opens today

CARSON CITY - The 1999 Legislature will begin its work today faced with a voter mandate from last November requiring it to wrap up its work and adjourn in just 120 days.

And judging from an ambitious first-week schedule and the advance work that has gone into the session startup, the lawmakers are paying close attention to that first-ever mandate.

There will be the usual pomp and circumstance as the 70th session of the Nevada Legislature opens at noon - new and re-elected lawmakers will be sworn in, family members will be introduced, speeches will be given, and top leaders will be elected.

The formalities will include Joe Dini's election as Assembly speaker for a record eighth time - although Dini, D-Yerington, had the top lower house job locked up as soon November balloting showed Democrats still in command in the Assembly.

Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, is majority leader again in the Senate - a post that he was assured of once the votes were counted in November and Republicans maintained control of the upper house.

"The only thing that might cause a little excitement is that we will adopt the rules for a 120-day session," said Lorne Malkiewich, the lawmakers' chief staffer. "It will be the first time we'll have these limitations on our actions."

With the first day's events out of the way, the legislators will start hearings on bills immediately. That will include money committee hearings on Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposed $14 billion budget plan for the next two years.

The Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees wrapped up two weeks of preliminary hearings on the budget Friday - but panel members could only talk about the budget since the session hadn't started.

As of Tuesday, when the money panels renew their hearings, they can actually slash or expand Guinn's proposals.

Finance will begin with a review of the budgets for the state library, archives and museums systems. Ways and Means will be looking at the budgets for the governor's office, the state Ethics Commission and the secretary of state's office.

Also Tuesday, Senate Legislative Affairs will start discussions on a study of reapportionment - the politically charged task of redrawing legislative districts that will be taken up by lawmakers following the 2000 Census.

Assembly Government Affairs will start its hearings with discussion Tuesday of the problem-plagued health insurance system for state employees.

Other committees meeting Tuesday include Assembly Transportation on current and future Nevada Department of Transportation road-building projects.

On Wednesday, Assembly Judiciary members will discuss juvenile justice concerns; Ways and Means will take up tourism and economic development budgets; Senate Government Affairs will review measures dealing with Medicaid recipients; and Senate Human Resources and Facilities will hear from the head of the state Human Resources Department.

Also Wednesday, Senate Judiciary will review a proposal to increase penalties for anyone possessing "biological weapons." The bill stems from an anthrax scare in Las Vegas last year.

Senate Commerce and Labor will review a proposal to tighten sales of fireworks in Nevada; and Senate Natural Resources will hear from the heads of the state-level offices of the federal Bureau of Land Management and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

Assembly Commerce and Labor will review a plan to prevent mobile home park landlords from restricting political signs that tenants put up; and Assembly Government Affairs will review a bill that would limit government agencies' policy-making powers.

On Thursday, the new Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendments will review a proposal to ensure the Nevada Supreme Court follows the dictates of the U.S. Supreme Court.

On Thursday and Friday, Assembly Judiciary will take up proposals dealing with fines collected in Nevada's justice courts.

And Assembly Government Affairs on Friday will hear from the head of the state Public Utilities Commission on the issue of utility deregulation in Nevada.

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