NEVADA LEGISLATURE
Sixty-ninth Session, 1997
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ASSEMBLY DAILY JOURNAL
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THE THIRTY-FIRST DAY
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Carson City (Wednesday), February 19, 1997
Assembly called to order at 10:53 a.m.
Mr. Speaker presiding.
Roll called.
All present.
Prayer by the Chaplain, The Reverend Ken Haskins.
Our Heavenly Father, You are light. Your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Direct our steps this day. We pray in the Name of the One who is even still the Light of the World. Amen.
Pledge of allegiance to the Flag.
Assemblyman Perkins moved that further reading of the Journal be dispensed with, and the Speaker and Chief Clerk be authorized to make the necessary corrections and additions.
Motion carried.
MOTIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND NOTICES
Mr. Speaker appointed Assemblymen Goldwater and Krenzer to invite the Senate to meet in Joint Session with the Assembly to hear a message from United States Senator Harry Reid.
MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE
Senate Chamber, Carson City, February 18, 1997
To the Honorable the Assembly:
I have the honor to inform your honorable body that the Senate on this day passed Assembly Bill No. 57.
Also, I have the honor to inform your honorable body that the Senate on this day passed Senate Bills Nos. 8, 51, 54, 87.
Also, I have the honor to inform your honorable body that the Senate on this day passed, as amended, Senate Bill No. 12.
Also, I have the honor to inform your honorable body that the Senate on this day adopted, as amended, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 2.
Mary Jo Mongelli
Assistant Secretary of the Senate
MOTIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND NOTICES
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 2.
Assemblyman Perkins moved that the resolution be referred to the Committee on Elections, Procedures, and Ethics.
Motion carried.
The Members of the Senate appeared before the bar of the Assembly.
Mr. Speaker invited the Members of the Senate to chairs in the Assembly.
IN JOINT SESSION
At 11:03 a.m.
President pro Tempore of the Senate presiding.
The Secretary of the Senate called the Senate roll.
All present.
The Chief Clerk of the Assembly called the Assembly roll.
All present.
The President pro Tempore of the Senate appointed a Committee on Escort consisting of Senator Wiener and Assemblywoman Chowning to wait upon Senator Reid and escort him to the Assembly Chamber.
The Committee on Escort in company with The Honorable Harry Reid, United States Senator for Nevada appeared before the bar of the Assembly.
The Committee on Escort escorted Senator Reid to the rostrum.
The President pro Tempore of the Senate welcomed Senator Reid and invited him to deliver his message.
Senator Reid delivered his message as follows:
Message to the Legislature of Nevada
Sixty-Ninth Session, 1997
Mr. President, members of the legislature, and friends.
American patriot and public servant Adlai Stevenson said more than 50 years ago that public confidence in the integrity of the government is indispensable to faith in democracy, and when we lose faith in the system, we have lost faith in everything we fight and spend for.
Too often, the media and public dwell on the negative. We as legislators cannot. We all know we can do better, but let us educate the taxpayer of our accomplishments. In late December and early January, northern Nevada experienced some of the worst flooding this century. We saw the Federal Emergency Management Agency quickly respond to short-term and long-term needs of residents and businesses. With FEMA's help, we are rebuilding, and we are well on the road to recovery. Over the years, FEMA has developed an example of good government. This cost-effective, responsive agency has developed an innovative, customer-oriented approach to government. Washoe, Storey, Lyon, Douglas, and Carson have seen their good work.
I am proud of our historic national park system, started in the early part of this century. We now look with satisfaction and pride at our country's special places with names like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite and, yes, Great Basin. There is so much more that our governments can accomplish for our great nation. We need to work together to accomplish this.
Let's look at our economy. Last year was the fourth year in a row with a declining deficit, the first time since before the Civil War we've had four years in a row with a declining deficit. We've had the lowest inflation and the lowest unemployment in more than 40 years. We've had the highest economic growth in 40 years. We have today 300,000 fewer federal employees than we had four years ago. We have a federal government smaller today than when President Kennedy was president.
For the end of one millennium and the beginning of another, we have to make government work. We must work to restore faith in government. We are all part of government: city, county, state, and federal.
There are things we need to do better. I am committed to a partnership with you to make government better. We each, as legislators, have the ability to effect change--change to people, their businesses, and their communities. We need to exercise the power we have with foresight and with discretion. We, as legislators, need to work together in a true federal-state partnership.
Where must we work together? The first area is education. Two-thirds of our kids after finishing high school never graduate from college. These two-thirds, just like those that do graduate from college, are valuable and worth much to society.
The President, in his State-of-the-Union message, set forth 10 specific items to improve the education of all of our boys and girls. The Hope Scholarship proposed by the President to extend school to years 13 and 14 will enable those who do not attend college to learn technical skills or a trade and become productive, vital parts of our business markets. I will work to make Hope Scholarships a reality for all Nevadans so that our high school graduates--all of them--can advance in today's complicated and competitive world.
While we on the federal level can help with Pell Grants for college, Hope Scholarships for community college, and other national goals, the prime responsibility for getting Nevada youngsters to this level lies with you. There is some federal discretion with programs such as reading and math initiatives, national teaching standards, and safe and drug-free schools in grades K through 12, but the main responsibility, I repeat, is yours. I look forward to helping you shoulder this difficult but essential burden for the State of Nevada. State and federal governments must work together to help all children. Governor Miller has worked hard during his more than eight years as governor to help reduce class size and to modernize Nevada's schools. With your help, he has accomplished much. Dr. Moore and Brian Cram have done something that is truly historic. Moore and Cram have anticipated and met many of the education needs of the diverse communities in southern Nevada.
Last night, I was with my oldest granddaughter, Ryan, a first grade public school student in Las Vegas. I asked Ryan if I could borrow her backpack to illustrate why we need to focus on education and technology. What will this backpack contain only 15 years from now, in the year 2010? Let's take a look inside.
Is this a cellular phone? It is that and it's even more. This small device has the ability to phone, page, provide instant information and services about news, weather, sports, and even stock prices. This pocket-size instrument can send data for computers, electronic mail, and faxes. It can handle two-way messaging; it can do conference calls and electronic transfers of funds in your bank. This is what it can do now; think what a similar model will do in the year 2010.
Are there books inside this twenty-first century backpack? No. Instead we have CD ROMS. In one small, feather-light disc, we have an entire set of encyclopedias and even more. I have all my adult life collected books. I have bookcases in my homes in Washington and in Searchlight. I have bookcases in my Carson City office, Las Vegas office, Washington office, and Reno office; but one of these small discs has the capacity to hold many more books than are in my homes and all my offices put together.
Are there traditional notebooks made with paper inside this twenty-first century backpack? No, instead we have a computer laptop. This notebook also serves as a DayTimer® and a calendar. With this, tomorrow's students can do more than could be done with the computer that covered the entire third floor of the Clark County Courthouse only several years ago.
In Searchlight and at Basic where I went to school, we had adequate teachers and some excellent teachers. In the future, all of our students will have access to the best teachers in the country. The best math teacher in Los Angeles can teach students all over Nevada, rural and urban. It will be interactive teaching, and it can be done through an instrument like this small computer.
Last week, I visited Silverado High School in Las Vegas and was fascinated by one teacher's classes. Dan Curry is an innovative science teacher at Silverado who created a global lab program where his students interact with students from Milan, Italy, and Prague in the Czech Republic. This same class also coordinates and shares with students in Hawaii, Indiana, and Texas. There is a waiting list to get into his class. His students love science. They even put out their own global newspaper. I have no doubt that in the year 2015 all high schools in America will be involved in programs similar to Mr. Curry's at Silverado.
Technology is advancing rapidly. As we enter a new millennium, Nevada students should not be left behind. Every time I visit with my five grandchildren, I am reminded about the importance of preparing for the future and making Nevada a strong, healthy state for future generations--yes, for my children and my children's children. There are things we need to do now in order to be prepared for the twenty-first century, but nothing is more important than investing in education, and this backpack of the future shows technology as the new frontier to the best education possible.
We also need to work together on health issues. Six years ago, three women came to visit me in my Las Vegas office. They had a disease called interstitial cystitis. Prior to my advocacy on their behalf, this disease was unrecognized--it was unrecognized even at the National Institutes of Health--even though 500,000 women suffered excruciating pain from this bladder disease. As a result of their visiting my office, we now have a women's health division at NIH, and IC, and other women's diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and uterine cancers are being aggressively pursued by our research scientists looking for new treatments, preventive medicine, and cures. A male-dominated federal legislature had allowed women to be routinely ignored in medical research, and devastating diseases were overlooked or under funded. Now, what I call "medical sexism" has been nearly eliminated.
There is one success story I want to share with you. Professional golfer Terry Jo Myers suffers from interstitial cystitis. She had the courage to come to me a few years ago and work with me toward finding a cure for this disease. She and I have become friends, and I follow every tournament that she plays. In the Monday morning Reno paper, in the sports page which I always read first, there was an article about my friend, Terry Jo Myers. Let me share it with you.
- Terry Jo Myers' triumph was considerably more than just a golf victory.
- Myers, who has fought a long battle against a painful, depressing disease that led her to the brink of suicide, charged past the fading Annika Sorenstam, to win the Los Angeles open championship Sunday, her first victory in nine years.
- Myers finished with a 6-under-par 66 to rally from five shots behind and beat Sorenstam by two shots.
- The 34-year-old Myers, who two years ago began using an experimental drug that helped clear her of the symptoms of the bladder disease interstitial cystitis, began crying on the sixteenth hole at Oakmont Country Club, realizing that she had, at least for the time, beaten her illness and regained her golf career.
- "My emotion is not about going so long without a win. It's connected more with overcoming a very serious disease and actually being able to win again," Myers said. "That's what the emotion is about, staying out here and playing."
- "I'm very proud of myself."
She also won $100,000.
I was encouraged by President Clinton's support of legislation I am sponsoring with the Senate leadership to end what are being called drive-through mastectomies. Our Breast Cancer Protection Act will stop insurance companies and managed care providers from forcing women who undergo mastectomies to leave the hospital the same day they undergo this traumatic procedure.
About two years ago, my wife was stunned by news from the doctor who had interpreted her mammogram. Spots appeared that were not present at the last examination. It was necessary that a surgeon perform a lumpectomy to determine whether it was cancerous. We went through 10 very difficult days, waiting for the surgery and, of course, worrying about the results. The anxiety was intense, especially during the surgery. The doctor came out of the operating room and conveyed the words, "Your wife is okay."
Jackie Zaro had a different experience. Her surgeon told her she would need a mastectomy. Jackie's insurance company and provider would pay for the procedure only on an outpatient basis. She had the surgery and went home within a day. I can't imagine what it would have been like if Landra would have had a mastectomy and been sent home that same day. I am not a surgeon, but I know that mastectomies are painful, invasive procedures. Women need time to recover and learn what is needed for safe healing, with basics, such as wound dressing. I'd like you today to welcome to the Nevada State Legislature, Jackie Zaro, a brave, courageous woman who is here representing the tens of thousands of breast cancer victims and survivors in Nevada who all say we can do better. Jackie, would you please stand.
In 1990, well before the O. J. Simpson trials, I brought up an issue in the Senate that few discussed publicly, domestic violence. At the time, Nevada only had two shelters with about 60 beds. I held domestic violence hearings in Nevada--the first of their kind in the country. I learned first-hand about this tragic violence that scars thousands of Nevada families. The statistics are overwhelming. In our country, 5,000 women a day are beaten by somebody they know. With this knowledge, I was able to craft legislation to provide more shelters and education services. Every year since then, I have made sure that Congress remains committed to providing women the means to end the cycle of violence in their homes. I have appreciated what you have done in the past to stop this oppression. I also anticipate passage of legislation offered by Assemblywoman Ohrenschall this session, co-sponsored by every Assembly member, to make restraining orders easier to obtain, to create a clearinghouse for domestic violence information, and establish sentencing guidelines. I thank you very much.
Individual participation in our democracy can effect real change. Three or four years ago, a friend of mine from Las Vegas, Sandy Jolly, called me in Washington and said she had seen a terrible example of man's inhumanity on a television program. I obtained the program and for the first time was confronted with a tortuous procedure known as female circumcision, or female genital mutilation. At least 130 million women have been mutilated; 6,000 each day, seven days a week. Two million girls each year have their genitalia cut from their bodies without anesthesia and with the crudest of instruments, including razor blades and broken glass.
I was horrified that this procedure could take place, and even take place in our country. Two years ago I had legislation passed to require the United States Department of Health to compile data on FGM and to disseminate this information, including to medical schools. Last year I authorized and had passed legislation making FGM illegal in the United States. A new law also directed the executive directors of international financial institutions to oppose loans to countries that are not working to eradicate this barbaric practice.
Because of Sandy's call to me, we now have federal law that makes a difference in the lives of women and their families. Sandy Jolly is here today. She is here in Carson City attempting to work with each of you to pass a state law to criminalize FGM in Nevada. She is a terrific example of a citizen legislator. Sandy, would you please stand so we can thank you for your good work.
Another overlooked policy arena when it comes to women is pension equity. Nevada does well in protecting spouses. We are one of 11 states in the country that require, by statute, spousal consent to waive survivor pensions. This means there must be actual written consent of the participant's spouse in the event that the participant does not select an annuity with survivor benefits. This shows that Nevada recognizes the importance of the spouse's participation in the process of structuring retirement benefits. Nevada is one of the states that has a statutory provision that requires the pension plan to comply with court orders, awarding a share of the participant's pension to a spouse. On a federal level, we need to encourage other states to follow Nevada's example. I am sponsoring the Pension Equity Act in Congress to make sure that women everywhere are afforded retirement security to the same extent as men.
We are witnessing the greatest social transformation of women's roles and the structure of the family unit since the beginning of time. It is a time rich with opportunities, yet complicated with countless demands and challenges. Women have made great strides despite unfair setbacks and discrimination. Now, more than ever, we need to work together to eliminate the roadblocks that prevent women from reaching their fullest potential.
We have a proven partnership when it comes to meeting the needs of those in their golden years. Together, we have made some important changes. Nevada, magnet for seniors--Summerlin, Henderson, Dayton, Elko, any place in Nevada--has a large, growing senior population. This past year has made it easier for people moving here with pensions from other states. This legislature passed resolutions on more than one occasion advocating passage of the source tax repeal, which I had authored, and with your help, my legislation passed.
One of the main reasons we were able to complete my source tax bill was because of another citizen legislator who took the time to make government more responsive. Bill Hoffman and his wife Joanne started on their kitchen table an organization called RESIST. Until his work, this was ignored. His initial meeting, as I've indicated, was over his kitchen table in Carson City. Members from all 50 states joined this grass roots movement he called RESIST. The rest is history. Bill Hoffman is an example of how democracy can work if one allows himself or herself to get involved. Bill Hoffman and his wife Joanne should be congratulated. Because of them, we no longer have in Nevada the source tax. Would you please stand, Bill and Joanne. Two weeks ago, I introduced a free-standing bill in the Senate to force the federal government to stop using Highway Trust Fund monies for unrelated government spending. The trust fund was set up to use these gas taxes for road building and repair and mass transit. But more than $20 billion of this trust fund is being used to mask the federal deficit. The House has passed my legislation; the Senate should also pass it. Join with me in this effort to resolve that all trust fund monies be used to pay for road construction and nothing else. This is extremely important to a booming state like Nevada where our roads and highways are stretched to their limits. With this money from the Highway Trust Fund, I have been able to direct money to the U. S. 395 expressway between Reno and Carson City; the Sparks interchange; the Sahara overpass; the Spaghetti Bowl; the Spring Mountain exchange; the road to Pahrump; Henderson beautification; and many more. But this is only a small amount of what could be done if we had our share of the $20 billion trust fund. Raiding the Highway Trust Fund to pay for unrelated government expenses is the same as using the Social Security Trust Fund to offset the deficit under a constitutional amendment to balance the budget. I support a balanced budget amendment, but I do not favor the Social Security Trust Fund being used like the Highway Trust Fund. When one goes to buy a gallon of gas, the 19-cent federal tax perhaps should be advertised as not really going into a trust fund but a slush fund.
Also, an employer pays into a fund with their employees to set up a retirement plan we call Social Security. This money should not to be used for other purposes. I used to be a lawyer, and when I practiced law, when we collected money from one of my clients, it was put into a trust fund. If I were to use this money to pay for something personal in nature, I could lose my license to practice law or even be prosecuted criminally. Likewise, I say it is wrong we use Social Security Trust Fund monies for other purposes, and I think it should be illegal for Congress to deplete the Social Security Trust Fund monies the way that we're doing.
When I started this battle to protect Social Security three years ago, I was a voice in the wilderness. Slowly, support has escalated. Even as we speak, a courageous group of sophomore Republicans in the House of Representatives have decided not to march with their leader, Newt Gingrich; they have said yes to a balanced budget amendment, but we're not going to vote for a balanced budget amendment unless we exclude Social Security. I appreciate that, I appreciate that a lot. I also am aware of articles within the past few days in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times which indicate that almost 75 percent of the American people want a balanced budget, but they don't want it if Social Security is used to balance the budget. I also am aware that in the Nevada State Legislature in the last several hours, there has been a resolution authored by Senator Coffin and supported by nine other senators, that calls for the State of Nevada to follow the lead--yes, let's have a balanced budget amendment, but let's exclude Social Security, and I appreciate each of you who are willing to go forward and help us in Washington on this issue.
One of the ways considered to preserve Social Security in the out years is to mandate that all state and local government employees would have to participate in this federal program. In Nevada, this would mean about 70,000 employees. We must join together to stop this. It is a bad idea, number one, because it is tantamount to establishing a new tax on middle class Nevadans; two, mandatory Social Security would undercut the ability of state and local governments to continue to fund state retirement; and, three, state and local governments do not need another unfunded mandate.
Finally, as to older Americans, we heard a lot of speeches for years about having a veterans' cemetery; we now have two. We have a VA hospital in Reno; we also have one in Las Vegas, but we are one of only nine states without a veterans' home. With Governor Miller's leadership and your advocacy, we are finally going to get what the veterans have so long deserved. This has given me great satisfaction and stands as another example of a productive federal-state working partnership.
If we are to maintain Nevada's high quality of life into the next century, we need to take steps now to protect our natural resources. Our economic well-being is inextricably linked to a healthy environment and clean and abundant water supplies. Countries that have ravaged their natural resources for short-term gain have learned hard lessons about the importance of environmental protection. As growth continues, we need to pay close attention to our natural resources and properly prepare for the challenges ahead.
I, like you, am proud of Nevada's tourist attractions--the Las Vegas Strip; Glitter Gulch; South Virginia Street; Lake Tahoe. But nothing gives me more satisfaction than promoting our state's natural grace and radiance. Our state, the most mountainous state in the United States with the exception of Alaska, has natural beauty that is second to none. Our 14 wilderness areas are the talk of the West. But we in Nevada also have major environmental problems stemming from our population growth.
Unprecedented expansion has created dust and smog in the valleys of Las Vegas and Reno. The federal government has helped Nevada maintain water quality, clean air, and a wide range of our natural resources. As a member of the Senate Environment Committee and the Appropriations Committee, I have helped develop solutions with you to ease Nevada's growing pains and protect magnificent gems like Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston, Lake Mead, Mount Rose, Great Basin, and Lake Tahoe. The stress being placed on our great outdoors necessitates continual vigilance.
The Nevada congressional delegation is sponsoring a bill to provide for long-term planning of public land sales to enhance open spaces. The Nevada Public Lands Management Act incorporates local entities into the planning process and gives state and local governments a portion of the profits from the sale of this federal property. We need a long-range management plan for conveying certain public lands to state and local interests in exchange for environmental protection of fragile areas. When our bill passes, I envision a carefully planned, interconnected system of parks and biking and hiking trails. It is a win-win in the truest sense; the environment wins, the economy wins, and most of all, Nevada wins.
Our vigilance must carry over to our urban environments as well. Across America, downtowns are struggling for survival. Las Vegas and Reno downtowns have benefited by line items I placed in the Treasury and Postal Service appropriation bills. Almost $40 million for our beautiful courthouse in Reno, and now $100 million for the Las Vegas courthouse to fill the Minami hole. These appropriations could not have come about without direction from the Nevada judiciary and leaders of the cities of Reno and Las Vegas.
Another environmental concern Senator Bryan and I have been battling since we both entered Congress is nuclear waste. I still hold the record for the longest filibuster for a freshman senator when I stymied the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste bill in 1987. Last year, I developed a new parliamentary procedure in the Senate called a rolling filibuster to derail a bill to propel nuclear waste into Nevada at an interim site. As we all know, politics, not science, made Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the final site selected for a permanent repository. This has been the critical flaw in the entire process.
Over the years, the nuclear industry has grown tired of the studies at Yucca Mountain, conducted to ensure public and environmental health. The possibility that Yucca Mountain may be found unsuitable for permanent storage has increased, and a decade of battling with me and Senator Bryan has taken a toll. So the industry came up with a sneaky, dangerous plan to circumvent current law and propel waste into Nevada on a supposed temporary, or interim, basis at the Nevada Test Site, bypassing strict public safety requirements. Last year, we beat back the interim storage legislation scheme with our filibuster and a vow from President Clinton to veto this unsafe legislation. While Senator Bryan and I got a lot of headlines, our success would not have been possible without the leadership of Governor Bob Miller and the overwhelming opposition to nuclear storage in Nevada by both the Nevada Assembly and Nevada Senate. I appreciate that. Nevada has won many battles, but the war is not over.
Another battle we face is over water. Our supplies are limited and our demand growing. In 1929, when waters from the lower Colorado River were apportioned, no one could have guessed that Las Vegas would be the booming metropolis that it is and the country's fastest-growing region. At the time, Nevada only got a tiny share of the water allocated. We need to modernize water laws governing the river to better reflect population trends, density, and demands. We must also keep our options open for other projects such as desalinization and water banking.
Given the lack of water in arid regions, western water disputes have been contentious, longer even than Nevada has been a state. When I was elected to the Senate in 1986, I said water was the biggest problem facing northern Nevada and decided to become involved in these conflicts. My Truckee River Negotiated Water Settlement, signed into law by President Bush on the date of the birth of my granddaughter, November 16, 1990, was a turning point in the history of western water.
Significant progress has been made in implementing the negotiated settlement dealing with the Carson and Truckee Rivers. More than I, however, have worked on this legislation; Barbara Vucanovich; the leaders of the cities of Sparks and Reno; Washoe County; Pete Morros; Mike Turnipseed; the Sierra Pacific Power Company; the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe; the Fallon Paiute Tribe; and my friend, Governor Bob Miller, have been instrumental in our record of achievement on this landmark legislation. This has ended a 100-year water war between the states of Nevada and California. We dealt with two endangered species; two Indian tribes; threatened wetlands; upstream water storage for Reno and Sparks; a beautiful desert lake called Pyramid; and several agricultural communities. Law review articles, water conferences, and academics speak of the importance of our work. We are now in the final stages of implementing this historic legislation.
All of northern Nevada, especially Pyramid Lake, benefited from the negotiated settlement, but nearby Walker Lake is in serious trouble. I have been working to save this unique body of water in Mineral County that is drying up. The Walker River and Walker Lake are part of the Great Basin and an integral part of Nevada. Walker Lake is a popular fishing and recreation attraction that has played a vital role in the economy of Mineral County for decades.
The problems of the Walker River system are a challenge for us all. This fragile desert river now needs our full attention. The federal presence is not as overwhelming as with the Carson and Truckee Rivers. The agricultural communities of Mason Valley; Smith Valley; Schurz; the Walker River Paiute Tribe; Lyon County; Yerington; Hawthorne; and, of course, Walker Lake, depend on our responsible stewardship of this delicate ecosystem. There are only 21 other desert terminus lakes in the whole world.
When I first announced I wanted to save and preserve this thing of nature, I was approached by an elected official and landowner who asked to meet with me in Reno. We met, with their short and succinct message to me being, "Let Walker Lake dry up." I quickly responded, "No." That is still my response. We must save this priceless piece of nature. We can save Walker Lake and preserve the green of the two picturesque valleys called Mason and Smith. It won't be easy, but working together we can do it because I believe we must.
Finally, Lake Tahoe, which Mark Twain described almost 140 years ago as, " surely the fairest picture the whole earth affords." Lake Tahoe is in trouble. It needs help. We again need to work together, not only within the state, but also with the State of California. As you know, I have asked President Clinton to convene a summit to focus national attention on the treasure we share not only with California, but with the world. This body of water is in stress, but I am today elated to inform you that just yesterday the White House informed me the Tahoe summit was a go. In fact, the President's note on the briefing papers he was given stated, "I'm okay. I want to do this in the spring or early summer." So I say to you, Mr. President, "Thank you. With your attention, our crown jewel, Lake Tahoe, will continue in its unparalleled majesty."
I have enjoyed our visit today. I appreciated your attention. Most of all, I acknowledge and applaud your public service, your sacrifice for the intended good you perform. I leave you, though, with the words of one of America's great leaders, Woodrow Wilson: "I would rather lose in a cause that will some day win, than win in a cause that will someday lose." Please keep this counsel in mind as we travel in time to the end of a millennium and prepare our great state, the State of Nevada, for its entrance into the next century, a new millennium.
Thank you very much.
Senator Porter moved that the Senate and Assembly in Joint Session extend a vote of thanks to Senator Reid for his message.
Motion carried unanimously.
The Committee on Escort escorted Senator Reid to the bar of the Assembly.
Assemblyman Neighbors moved that the Joint Session be dissolved.
Motion carried unanimously.
Joint Session dissolved at 11:48 a.m.
Mr. Speaker announced that if there were no objections, the Assembly would recess subject to the call of the Chair.
Assembly in recess at 11:53 a.m.
ASSEMBLY IN SESSION
At 12:01 p.m.
Mr. Speaker presiding.
Quorum present.
MOTIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND NOTICES
Assemblyman Anderson moved that Assembly Bill No. 102 be taken from the Second Reading File and placed on the Chief Clerk's desk.
Motion carried.
INTRODUCTION, FIRST READING AND REFERENCE
By Assemblymen de Braga, Anderson, Neighbors, Lee, Segerblom, Amodei, Hickey, Lambert, Manendo, Bache, Perkins, Freeman, Evans, Chowning, Collins and Dini:
Assembly Bill No. 188--An Act relating to counties; authorizing each board of county commissioners to create by ordinance the office of coordinator of services for veterans; establishing the duties of the coordinator; authorizing the coordinator to seek support from certain county, state and federal funds; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Assemblywoman de Braga moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Government Affairs.
Motion carried.
By Assemblymen Carpenter, Sandoval, Anderson, Herrera, Collins, Neighbors, Ohrenschall and Gustavson:
Assembly Bill No. 189--An Act relating to community service by county inmates; requiring certain boards of county commissioners to conduct a study regarding the feasibility of establishing a program to require the inmates of its county jail to perform community service; providing an exception; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Assemblyman Carpenter moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Motion carried.
By the Committee on Ways and Means:
Assembly Bill No. 190--An Act relating to the account for the channel clearance, surveying and monumenting program; increasing the amount retained in the account; making an appropriation; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Assemblyman Arberry moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Motion carried.
Assemblyman Anderson moved that the Assembly recess subject to the call of the Chair.
Motion carried.
Assembly in recess at 12:06 p.m.
ASSEMBLY IN SESSION
At 12:07 p.m.
Mr. Speaker presiding.
Quorum present.
INTRODUCTION, FIRST READING AND REFERENCE
Senate Bill No. 8.
Assemblyman Perkins moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Motion carried.
Senate Bill No. 12.
Assemblyman Perkins moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Motion carried.
Senate Bill No. 51.
Assemblyman Perkins moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Education.
Motion carried.
Senate Bill No. 54.
Assemblyman Perkins moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Education.
Motion carried.
Senate Bill No. 87.
Assemblyman Perkins moved that the bill be referred to the Committee on Commerce.
Motion carried.
second reading and amendment
Assembly Bill No. 17.
Bill read second time and ordered to third reading.
Assembly Bill No. 65.
Bill read second time and ordered to third reading.
Assembly Bill No. 101.
Bill read second time and ordered to third reading.
Assembly Bill No. 124.
Bill read second time and ordered to third reading.
Assembly Bill No. 125.
Bill read second time.
The following amendment was proposed by the Committee on Government Affairs:
Amendment No. 23.
Amend the bill as a whole by deleting section 1, renumbering sections 2 through 4 as sections 1 through 3 and adding new sections designated sections 4 and 5, following sec. 3, to read as follows:
"Sec. 4. The chief of the purchasing division of the department of administration shall adopt the regulations required pursuant to NRS 333.155 on or before January 1, 1998.
Sec. 5. 1. This section and sections 1, 2 and 3 of this act become effective on October 1, 1997.
2. Section 4 of this act becomes effective upon passage and approval .". Amend the title of the bill to read as follows: "An Act relating to public purchasing; revising certain provisions governing the maintenance of records relating to state purchasing; establishing a deadline for the adoption of certain regulations by the chief of the purchasing division of the department of administration; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.".
Assemblywoman Lambert moved the adoption of the amendment.
Remarks by Assemblywoman Lambert.
Amendment adopted.
Bill ordered reprinted, engrossed and to third reading.
GENERAL FILE AND THIRD READING
Assembly Bill No. 78.
Bill read third time.
Remarks by Assemblyman Collins.
Roll call on Assembly Bill No. 78:
Yeas--42.
Nays--None.
Assembly Bill No. 78 having received a constitutional majority, Mr. Speaker declared it passed.
Bill ordered transmitted to the Senate.
Assembly Bill No. 98.
Bill read third time.
Remarks by Assemblyman Bache.
Roll call on Assembly Bill No. 98:
Yeas--42.
Nays--None.
Assembly Bill No. 98 having received a constitutional majority, Mr. Speaker declared it passed.
Bill ordered transmitted to the Senate.
GUESTS EXTENDED PRIVILEGE OF ASSEMBLY FLOOR
On request of Assemblyman Anderson, the privilege of the floor of the Assembly Chamber for this day was extended to Bob St. Germain.
On request of Assemblywoman Freeman, the privilege of the floor of the Assembly Chamber for this day was extended to Elmcrest Fifth grade class: Mrs. Taylor, Miss Kane, Annika Albert, Megan Arnold, Libby Barnard, Jill Callender, Colleen Daly, Marie Duan, Katelyn Dukatz, Tyler Ellis, Clifford Eskola, Cymon Fultz-Valenta, Brandon Gilbert, Jose Henriquez, Genny Krause, Will Loverin, Nancy Martinez, Karen Reynolds, Kelly Rice, Auburn Rittenhouse, Andy Samples, Scott Shaffer, Nichole Spencer and Ellen Webb.
On request of Assemblyman Marvel, the privilege of the floor of the Assembly Chamber for this day was extended to Katie Marvel, Dani Jeanne Duncan, Rosie Marvel, Jamie Marvel, Joan Duncan and Thersa Marvel.
On request of Assemblywoman Segerblom, the privilege of the floor of the Assembly Chamber for this day was extended to Vicki Mayes.
Assemblyman Perkins moved that the Assembly adjourn until Thursday, February 20, 1997 at 10:45 a.m.
Motion carried.
Assembly adjourned at 12:25 p.m.
Approved: Joseph E. Dini, Jr.
Speaker of the Assembly
Attest: Linda B. Alden
Chief Clerk of the Assembly