Assembly panel votes to close Nevada's office in Washington, D.C.

The Ways and Means Committee voted Thursday to end funding for the agency, with the four Republicans serving on the 14-member panel voting no. The Senate Finance Committee voted earlier to continue the funding, so the differences between the two money committees now must be resolved.

Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, made the motion to eliminate the funding, saying his repeated requests for information about the benefits of the office to Nevada have been ignored.

"In 1995 there was no answer. In 1997 there was no answer, and here in 1999 we just said, 'We don't know what the state is getting for its money,' so in a tight budget year we should not put any money into it," he said.

During the debate on the recommendation, Assemblyman Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, asked that the office be continued for at least the next two years to give Gov. Kenny Guinn a chance to run it to see if it is worthwhile.

Guinn in his 1999-2001 budget proposed spending about $250,000 a year on the office to help keep Nevada officials apprised of national developments on gambling and nuclear waste issues.

Guinn told lawmakers earlier this year that he decided not to renew the contract of Leo Penne, who has headed the state's Washington office and its staff of two full-time workers since it was opened in 1986. Penne's contract ends June 30.

But Guinn did want to hire a new staff to run a Washington office for the state.

Hettrick said Guinn, as a new governor, deserves a chance to assess the value of the office.

Assemblywoman Chris GiunFAchigFAliani, D-Las Vegas, who has long argued to abolish the office, disagreed with Hettrick, saying it would be easier to eliminate it because the current contract is being terminated. If the office is continued and new staff are hired, it will be tougher in two years to eliminate the office, she said.

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