Wednesday, May 12, 1999 | 10:34 a.m.
AB304 was sent to the governor's desk following a debate over the possibility that the bill would discourage legitimate complaints against police.
Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said people with legitimate complaints would be told they could be charged with a misdemeanor if their complaints weren't proven.
"We created a community board to investigate problems with the police, and now we're turning that on its head and making sure no one ever files a complaint," Titus added.
Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, also objected to the bill, saying it wasn't needed and "creates an atmosphere that police are beyond the control of the citizens."
But Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, said the misdemeanor charges would only apply in the most egregious cases.
"Just because the case wasn't proven, that doesn't mean the person filed a knowingly false statement," James said.
"Without this, there's no remedy for someone who wants to exact retribution against a police officer of our state for someone who knowingly files a false complaint," he said.
Voting against the bill were Sens. Titus, Neal and Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas.
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