MINUTES OF THE meeting
of the
ASSEMBLY Committee on Transportation
Seventy-Second Session
April 17, 2003
The Committee on Transportationwas called to order at 1:40 p.m., on Thursday, April 17, 2003. Chairwoman Vonne Chowning presided in Room 3143 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada, and, via simultaneous videoconference, in Room 4401 of the Grant Sawyer State Office Building, Las Vegas, Nevada. Exhibit A is the Agenda. Exhibit B is the Guest List. All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.
Note: These minutes are compiled in the modified verbatim style. Bracketed material indicates language used to clarify and further describe testimony. Actions of the Committee are presented in the traditional legislative style.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mrs. Vonne Chowning, Chairwoman
Ms. Genie Ohrenschall, Vice Chairwoman
Mr. Kelvin Atkinson
Mr. John C. Carpenter
Mr. Tom Collins
Mr. Pete Goicoechea
Mr. Don Gustavson
Mr. Ron Knecht
Mr. Mark Manendo
Mr. John Oceguera
Mr. Rod Sherer
COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:
Mr. Jerry D. Claborn
GUEST LEGISLATORS PRESENT:
Senator Dina Titus, Clark County Senatorial District No. 7
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:
Marji Paslov Thomas, Committee Policy Analyst
Nancy Elder, Committee Secretary
OTHERS PRESENT:
Jim Nadeau, Governmental Relations Representative, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office
Danny Thompson, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Nevada State AFL-CIO, Commissioner, California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission
Richann Johnson, Executive Assistant, California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission
Gary Milliken, Representative, Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation
Jimmy Gomes, Representative, On Demand Sedan, Ambassador Limousine
Mike Sullivan, Representative, Whittlesea Bell Transportation
Bruce Turner, Assistant Planning Manager, Regional Transportation Commission
Bob Fairman, Budget Chauffeur Drive
Senate Bill 276: Makes various changes to provisions relating to California-Nevada Super Speed Ground Transportation Commission. (BDR 58-820)
The Assembly Committee on Transportation will come to order. We do have a quorum. We have some guests in the back of the room.
Jim Nadeau, Governmental Relations Representative, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office:
We have a fine group of visitors from Korea, who are part of a group study exchange, which is a Rotary International sponsored program. They will be in Nevada for the next month. We are showing them the legislative process.
Chairwoman Chowning:
We send greetings to your country and we thank you for sending greetings to our country.
Senator Dina Titus, Clark County Senatorial District 7:
[Introduced herself.] I have with me today Richann Johnson and Danny Thompson. Over the years most of you have heard a great deal about our efforts to build a super speed train between Las Vegas and Anaheim. We have provided you with a packet of information that has some of the most frequently asked questions on the train. It also has some recent articles about the train, and some other good information is in there (Exhibit C). After a long haul of “on-again, off-again,” right now the train is on the verge of really taking off. In 2001 the Clark County RTC [Regional Transportation Commission] approved $3.5 million in federal funding for preconstruction and engineering of the train. The United States Senate added $2 million for the Las Vegas-Anaheim project.
[Senator Titus] U.S. Representative Don Young (Alaska), who chairs the Transportation Committee, and who you heard referenced by both Representative Jon Porter and by Representative Shelley Berkley, is very enthusiastic about building the train in California. Mr. Young believes that our project could be built faster and cheaper than any of the other projects that are in the running. We seem to be moving to the top of the list to get some of those $1 million of federal money to help move this train along. In 2002 the Speed Train Committee joined the Southern California Association of Government to form the Western States Maglev Alliance. This is a unified lobbying effort to acquire this federal money. Mayors of five cities along I-15 route, Anaheim, Barstow, Las Vegas, Ontario, and Victorville, have all come together. They recently hosted a round table, which was attended by U.S. Senator Reid (Nevada), U.S. Representatives Young (Alaska), Gibbons (Nevada), Berkley (Nevada), Lewis (California), and Governor Guinn among others.
The Senate Committee approved the train project for consideration of an appropriation this year. An environmental impact study is underway, and the report should be completed to the Federal Railroad Administration by August 1, 2003. This bill is before you because we need some cleanup language to the NRS which established the train commission in order to make the process move as smoothly as possible when we get the federal dollars.
If you look at the bill, Section 1 simply makes it clear that the commission is an official agency of the state. You can never tell what the California Legislature might do, so we want to be sure that the bylaws also govern the California delegation. Section 4, subsection 2(b) brings local, regional, and state government into the process, and it gives them appropriate jurisdiction over the route and the terminals. Subsection 3 would do the same thing for California local governments, when the train moves across the border into California. Because this train is going to be built in stages, we want to be sure that the people in California don’t have a say over what happens in Nevada, and vice versa. We believe this language will take care of that. This is the expert, Richann Johnson, who can answer any questions, and I think Danny Thompson would like to make a few comments too, if you will indulge us, Madam Chairwoman.
Chairwoman Chowning:
Wouldcreating an agency of the state of Nevada be like the Lake Tahoe project where a budget needs to be formed as well?
Senator Titus:
No, this is just simply a legal entity so we can receive the federal dollars.
Chairwoman Chowning:
Sometimes budget accounts are simply formed for the ability to receive federal dollars. This is called an agency of the state of Nevada, but it does not need to have a budget account?
Senator Titus:
Correct.
Danny Thompson, Executive Secretary-Treasure, Nevada State AFL-CIO, Commissioner, California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission:
I am here today as the newest commissioner on the Super Speed Train Commission. The governor recently appointed me, and I have only attended one meeting. In my normal job as Executive Secretary of the AFL-CIO, we also support this project. It is no secret that the Las Vegas Strip drives our economy, in that 46 percent of the money in the state budget comes from gaming in some fashion. The percentage that the Strip contributes is paramount to us being able to balance our budgets, even with the problems we currently have.
We not only view this as a great new thing for Las Vegas, but critical to that flow of customers from southern California. After September 11, 2001, midweek occupancy on the Strip literally did not exist. I believe that, had this project been built, people would have got on that train and continued to come. Now midweek occupancy depends on the airline industry. When people were afraid to get on airplanes, they did not come to Las Vegas. As a result of that, 16,000 people lost their jobs, and the state had huge costs. We are very excited about this; we think this is something that needs to be done for Las Vegas and for the state.
Chairwoman Chowning:
Thank you. Your words are very appropriate, and we all remember the sad economic downturn of our state. I do agree that having this train would have helped. Do you remember how much time it will take to get from somewhere like San Bernardino to Las Vegas, and how much the fare would be?
Richann Johnson, Executive Assistant, California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission:
If you take out this report (Exhibit C), you will find a schedule of the times and how many passengers it would carry. It is 86 minutes to Anaheim. In the past we have appeared before you, and one of the questions has been, “Do you have the support of California?” I am very happy to report that we do have the support of California. We have commissioners on our commission from all along the route: elected officials, mayors, and councilmen. They have made financial contributions to the project as well. We are sitting very nicely to be able to go forward. The goal is the next federal TEA (Transportation Equity Act) Legislation, where we are going to look for some direct funding. Thank you very much.
Chairwoman Chowning:
What would the approximate fare be from Anaheim to Las Vegas?
Richann Johnson:
The approximate fare would be $100 round trip.
Chairwoman Chowning:
In Congresswoman Berkley’s address to the Nevada Legislature the other evening, she did state that this is a high priority, and it is a possible recipient of federal funding.
The only reason we are going to wait to take a motion on the bill is simply because our house is going to get caught up before we report any other Senate bills out. We thank you for bringing this forward, and for not losing impetus, inspiration, and enthusiasm.
Is there anyone else who wishes to speak for or against S.B. 276? Seeing none we will close the hearing on S.B. 276, and open the hearing on S.B. 322.
Senate Bill 322 (1st Reprint): Revises provisions relating to self-insurance for taxicabs regulated by Taxicab Authority. (BDR 58-1157)
Chairwoman Chowning:
This is a bill requested by Senator Shaffer, and he is probably chairing the Senate Transportation Committee. In his absence Mr. Milliken is representing him.
Gary Milliken, Representative, Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation:
[Introduced himself] On S.B. 322, the only changes we are looking at are on page 2, line 8. At the present time Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation can self-insure for limousines, busses, and any vehicle we have, except for cabs. With taxis we can only self-insure for the first $50,000; beyond that we have to route for reinsurance. This bill would allow us to self-insure for taxicabs as well as for the other vehicles.
[Gary Milliken] Various companies submit to DMV a list of all their vehicles and the claims they had from the previous year. DMV then comes back to Yellow Cab and tells them the amount of bond that they must put up to cover all these vehicles for their self-insurance.
Chairwoman Chowning:
Why is this important to the company and to the consumers, who, in this case, are the passengers of the means of conveyance?
Gary Milliken:
Depending on how many claims you have, it should lessen to some extent, the amount of insurance you have to carry.
Assemblyman Oceguera:
Are the numbers that I see here per vehicle or once a year?
Gary Milliken:
That is the amount we must carry on each vehicle. It just gives us the right to self-insure. Reinsurance is becoming very expensive and it is even hard to find.
Chairwoman Chowning:
Mr. Oceguera, That is a very good question because by deleting that part, it does almost appear that, for instance, the insurance may be covered but at a lesser amount or at a higher amount. Could you answer that question, Mr. Milliken?
Gary Milliken:
I cannot, but I will get an answer for you.
Assemblyman Gustavson:
You say you self-insure, but you might explain to the Committee members how this is done through bonding.
Gary Milliken:
Right now I think our bond is just over $600,000. That is the bond we have placed at the present time. That covers our limos, busses, and the first $50,000 of cabs. I am sure the bonding will go up when we self-insure the whole thing.
Chairwoman Chowning:
We are going to ask our research staff, Ms. Paslov Thomas, if she will verify with DMV what the bond requirement is for each of the companies that would be covered by this bill. Mr. Gomes.
Jimmy Gomes, Representative, On Demand Sedan, Ambassador Limousine:
[Introduced himself] We are in support of this bill.
Mike Sullivan, Representative, Whittlesea Bell Transportation:
We are also in full support of this bill.
Assemblywoman Ohrenschall:
I am not sure I understand. When you are self-insured and you are a taxicab company, how does the government or a passenger or somebody know that the pot is, in fact, full? If you say that you are self-insured for $600,000, do you have to provide copies of the policy with particular dates or receipts to a state or federal agency, or is it totally on the honor system?
Gary Milliken:
All I know is that DMV establishes the amount of the bond. Each year, each company submits to them a list of all their vehicles that are self-insured. Then you have to supply a list of all your claims from the previous year. If you have had a year with a lot of claims, then your bond is going to be higher. If you don’t have many claims, then your bond is going to be slightly lower.
Chairwoman Chowning:
We will ask DMV to supply that information to us at our next meeting.
Assemblyman Gustavson:
We all have proof of our insurance in our vehicles. When you are self-insured, who issues that proof of insurance?
Gary Milliken:
I do not know, but I will find out for you.
Bob Fairman, Representative, Budget Chauffeur Drive:
We are in support of this bill for the bus industry.
Chairwoman Chowning:
Can you tell us what your bonds are?
Bob Fairman:
Most bonds are 10 percent of what your gross is for the year. That is normal procedure, and DMV keeps track of that.
Chairwoman Chowning:
Is there anyone else in Carson City who wishes to testify? [There was not] Is there in Las Vegas? Bruce Turner?
Bruce Turner, Assistant Planning Manager, Regional Transportation Commission:
We have no comment on this bill; we were just here to observe. I was here for S.B. 276, but I missed it, due to being late. I was given the wrong information about the time and place of the meeting.
Chairwoman Chowning:
[Chairwoman Chowning recapped some information about the California-Nevada Super Speed Ground Transportation.] What role would the Regional Transportation Commission play in the oversight of this super speed train?
Bruce Turner:
We have no role in regulation. What we are doing right now is looking at a potential site for a multimobile transportation terminal, which would be immediately adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. That might allow us to have the Citizens’ Area Transit bus system, plus the monorail system extension to the north, Amtrak, and the super speed train. We feel that would be a benefit.
Chairwoman Chowning:
Where will this be located?
Bruce Turner:
We have just started our research and we will have our first meetings within the month to attempt to select a site. We are looking at a place between the Union Pacific Railroad Tracks and Main Street.
Chairwoman Chowning:
Very good, thank you, Mr. Turner. Are there any questions of Mr. Turner? There are none. We will close the hearing on S.B. 322 and close the hearing again on S.B. 276. I want to thank everyone for being attentive to the amendments we have on the floor. Today Assemblyman Oceguera brought a typographical error to my attention that was noticed by Assemblywoman Pierce. It is things like that that help us to operate as a team. Thank you. We are adjourned. [Chairwoman Chowning adjourned the meeting at 2:06 p.m.]
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
Erin Channell
Transcribing Secretary
APPROVED BY:
Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning, Chairwoman
DATE: