Senate considers relaxing reporting requirements for lobbyists

CARSON CITY - The Nevada Senate has voted unanimously to delete a requirement that lobbyists account for spending on individual lawmakers at group events.

AB518 was authored by Assemblywoman Gene Segerblom, D-Boulder City, who says she wants to encourage lawmakers to go to parties, dinners or other events sponsored by lobbyists.

The bill, approved Monday, will take effect once it's signed by Gov. Kenny Guinn. If he signs it immediately, reports for the final few weeks of the current session could be exempted from spending reports.

AB518 still requires lobbyists who throw group events to declare what they spend - but they wouldn't have to name the lawmakers who show up.

Segerblom says the problem with the reporting requirement is that it's a hassle to determine the amount spent per person.

The formula doesn't seem too difficult, however. For example, if 10 lawmakers attend a group event that costs $1,000 and draws 100 people, the per-head cost would be $10. Each legislator now is listed as getting food or drink worth $10, under current requirements.

Some legislators who don't want to show up on the lobbyist reports have been reimbursing the organizations that invited them to the group events.

Supporters of the bill included some of the top-spending lobbyists, including the Nevada Taxpayers Association, Utility Shareholders Association of Nevada and the University of Nevada, Reno.

Lobbyists would still have to list the dollar value of one-on-one meetings between lawmakers and lobbyists, typically over lunch or dinner.

At an earlier Assembly hearing, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada opposed the measure and said the existing reporting requirements are being ignored by some high-powered lobbyists.

AB518 was approved by the Assembly earlier this month. Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, cast one of only two votes against the bill, saying the bill subverts the original intent of the reporting rules by letting lobbyists spend an unlimited amount of money for an event without requiring a per-lawmaker itemization.

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