Legislative Briefly

Reid chops $100 M from Yucca budget

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Monday announced that he has managed to cut an additional $100 million from the Yucca Mountain Project budget for fiscal 2009.

The initial request made by former President Bush was $494.7 million. Reid said the final budget amount is now set at $288.4 million " a difference of $206.3 million.

"For more than 20 years I have been fighting to protect Nevadans and end the wasteful spending that is the Yucca Mountain Project," he said in announcing the reduction. "I am pleased that I was able to further cut Yucca's budget and help make brighter the light at the end of the tunnel."

Bill expanding gov't union negotiations introduced

Sen. Shirley Breeden, D-Las Vegas, on Monday introduced legislation designed to expand the scope of local government union negotiations.

Under existing law, teachers unions have the ability to include policies for transfers and reassignment in their bargaining. SB154 would give all local government employees that right. She said the bill was requested by the AFL-CIO.

SB154 was referred to the Legislative Operations and Elections Committee for study.

Gibbons skips National Governor's meeting

Gov. Jim Gibbons decided not to attend this past week's National Governor's Conference meeting in Washington D.C.

Spokesman Dan Burns said the governor took a pass on the meeting because of Nevada's tight budget. He said the cost of the trip with travel, lodging and expenses for the governor, staff and security would have been some $5,000 and that the governor didn't think that was an appropriate expense in this financial crisis.

The 2009 Winter Meeting of the association concluded today.

Cheaters would lose Millennium scholarship

Students caught cheating in high school would lose the right to the Millennium Scholarship under a proposal introduced in the Assembly on Monday.

AB212 was sponsored by 22 members of the body, enough to assure its passage.

The state already has a code of honor for pupils in public schools. It also provides rules for receiving the Millennium Scholarship.

AB212 provides that, if a student violates the code of honor by cheating on three or more occasions in high school, that student is no longer eligible for the scholarship even if his or her grades are high enough.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Education.

Plan would require two-thirds majority to raise taxes

A group of nine Assembly Republicans has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment that would require two-thirds of voters to support a tax increase before it could become law.

The plan authored by Assemblyman Ed Goedhart of Amargosa Valley would apply rules for raising taxes in the Legislature to the electorate as well. Nevada lawmakers are already required to get two-thirds of both houses to support any tax or fee increase.

Assembly Joint Resolution 2 was referred to Elections, Procedures, Ethics and Constitutional Amendments for study.

Bill requires school boards to act at public request

A bipartisan group of 15 Assembly members has introduced legislation that would require school boards to take action on issues submitted by the general public.

AB211 would require the board to take action within 60 days or to issue a written explanation why it declined to act.

AB211 was referred to the Committee on Education for study.