MINUTES OF THE
SENATE Committee on Government Affairs
Seventy-First Session
June 3, 2001
The Senate Committee on Government Affairswas called to order by Chairman Ann O'Connell, at 9:41 p.m., on Sunday, June 3, 2001, in Room 2149 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada. Exhibit A is the Agenda. There was no Attendance Roster. All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:
Senator Ann O'Connell, Chairman
Senator William J. Raggio, Vice Chairman
Senator William R. O’Donnell
Senator Jon C. Porter
Senator Joseph M. Neal, Jr.
Senator Dina Titus
Senator Terry Care
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:
Scott G. Wasserman, Committee Counsel
Robert E. Erickson, Committee Policy Analyst
Sherry Rodriguez, Committee Secretary
Everybody knows the hour is late and we are running into a process problem. In order for us to keep negotiating, and I might add the Senate map is within a hair of being completed, we cannot say the same yet for the Assembly map. So, what we are going to do is make the same motion made this morning and pass out a bill so we have a vehicle to work with and we can continue the negotiations. Senate Bill (S.B.) 575 will go over to the Assembly and hopefully we can get the bill out by the first thing in the morning so it can be voted on and have it over on the Assembly side very early. We already have the Assembly map to put into this.
SENATE BILL 575: Revises districts for state legislators and representatives in congress. (BDR 17-1558)
Chairman O’Connell:
Again, I need to put on the record, we have had the full cooperation of Senator Titus, and I think we have pretty much worked everything out; it has been a very nice relationship. Senator Titus and I thought if everybody else would get out of the way, we could probably get this done. Having said that, I would now entertain a motion.
SENATOR O’DONNELL MOVED TO AMEND AND DO PASS S.B. 575 WITH THE ASSEMBLY MAPS AS WELL AS THE MAPS GENERATED BY THE SENATE AND THE MAPS DRAWN FOR THE HISPANIC DISTRICTS.
SENATOR RAGGIO SECONDED THE MOTION.
Senator Raggio:
The motion would include the previous amendment we voted on which was requested by the Hispanic Coalition. As I understand Senator O’Donnell’s motion, it also includes the presentation made on the Republican Assembly districts.
Chairman O’Connell:
Again, just because I know this is of interest to everybody in the room, what we were hoping to do during the hours of the day was to have both maps completed so there would not be a second arm to this process. It is what we have been working on. Evidently we have not been able to get the same understanding or result on the Assembly side as we have in the Senate. Therefore, we want to keep the two together. Is there any opposition to the motion?
Senator O’Donnell:
Madam Chairman, I can appreciate the conciliatory attitude which has permeated this Senate chamber; I have hoped to extend it as far as we possibly can. I understand the minority leader and the minority might not be in favor of this measure, however, we have to get going, we have to do whatever we have to do in order to get out of this session. We may have to go into a special session because of this, but so be it. We just have to do what we have to do. I appreciate the cooperation extended in the time we have been able to work together to get to this point.
THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS CARE, TITUS AND NEAL VOTED NO.)
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Senator Porter:
I have an additional comment. I appreciate the hours you have put in, Chairman O’Connell, two or three nights in a row working until past midnight, trying very hard to create the consensus, and I appreciate the time and energy you have put into this personally.
Chairman O’Connell:
Thank you.
Senator Neal:
Are we headed to court on this, is it that bad?
Chairman O’Connell:
Not if we can help it. Having said that and taken the vote, we will adjourn as we have some other business to take care of. I close the committee hearing at 9:46 p.m.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
Sherry Rodriguez,
Committee Secretary
APPROVED BY:
Senator Ann O'Connell, Chairman
DATE: