Lawmakers to review state ethics panel

Now, those officials get their turn as the scope of the panel's powers comes up for review by the 1999 Legislature, which convenes Monday.

In an unrelated issue, a key lawmaker said any moves to radically change Nevada's 88-year-old public records law appear headed for defeat.

Without a consensus on any bill to change the law, Assembly Government Affairs Chairman Doug Bache said there will not be time in a shorter, 120-day session to win approval.

The media and police agencies are at odds over a bill proposed by the latter that would allow government agencies to keep certain documents secret.

"I don't think there is sufficient time in a 120-day session for proper discussion of any huge type of bill," Bache said. "This bill will probably end up dying."

And two years after growth in Las Vegas surged to the top of the Legislature's agenda, some key legislators say it appears unlikely the Legislature will approve any comprehensive growth measures this session.

They say the 1997 Legislature created the 21-member Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority to deal with the growth issue, but the body plans to ask for only minor help from legislators in carrying out its 20-year growth plan.

But lawmakers agree changes in the the Ethics Commission are a sure bet as just about every aspect of the state ethics law is up for review.

More than a dozen bill draft requests addressing the issue have been submitted to date, but the two committee chairwoman who will handle the bills are taking different approaches.

Senate Government Affairs Chairwoman Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, favors a larger, more assertive ethics panel, while Assembly Elections and Procedures Chairwoman Chris Guinchigliani, D-Las Vegas, prefers cutting back on some of the panel's duties to help speed up decisions.

Both agree on much of the criticism of the Ethics Commission: that it is understaffed and cannot handle cases fast enough to be fair to accused elected officials.

Ethics commissioners acknowledge the problem but point out they have the nation's lowest budget - $150,000 a year - and smallest staff - a half-time attorney, a legal researcher and secretary.

Gov. Kenny Guinn and Guinchigliani agree one key to hastening the panel's work is to scrap the law that gives the panel the power to fine candidates who lie or mislead in campaign literature.

That provision was passed by the 1997 Legislature with O'Connell's help and in January led to a record $10,000 fine against North Las Vegas Constable Herb Brown.

Brown claimed in a campaign flier that his opponent, Steve Bergstrom, had no qualifications for the office, but the ethics panel found that not to be true and levied the fine.

"Now that's just ridiculous," Guinchigliani said. "That just shows you they're getting into regulating speech. It's probably not even constitutional."

Guinchigliani wants to set a 30-day limit for the panel to render decisions. Guinn and O'Connell want the commission to issue opinions in 60 days.

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