Nevada lawmakers file 200-plus bills on deadline

More than 200 bills were filed Monday in the Nevada Legislature as the Senate and Assembly held double floor sessions to meet a bill introduction deadline.

The flood of proposals dealt with subjects ranging from taxes and terrorism to eased drug policies, switchblade knives and protection for lawmakers against any backlash because of votes they cast.

Monday was the final day individual lawmakers could introduce their own bills. Next Monday is the deadline for bill introductions by committees.

One terrorism-related measure, from Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, would allow the governor to call for a special congressional election in the event of a catastrophe.

Under AB344, one definition of catastrophe is a "natural or man-made event that causes a vacancy in at least one-fourth of the total number of offices in the United States House of Representatives."

Several tax bills were proposed, including Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio's SB308 to make counties split growth in property tax revenues with the state.

Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, introduced SB311, making it illegal for a licensed business professional to refuse service to current or former legislators just because of a vote they cast on an issue.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, sponsoring AB362, to more clearly define and raise the threshold for a driving-under-the-influence charge involving marijuana.

The proposal would make it illegal to operate a vehicle or vessel with 20 or more nanograms of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, per milliliter of blood. THC is the chemical compound in marijuana that gets people high.

The current law makes it illegal to drive if you have 2 nanograms of marijuana or 5 nanograms of a "marijuana metabolite."

Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, introduced AB423, to legalize the manufacturing of switchblades.

AB400, sponsored by Assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons, R-Reno, would exempt most state and county employees' information at assessors offices from public information laws. Under the bill, any of those public employees could request their information be held confidential.

Other proposals filed on deadline included Perkins' AB345, which would make all libraries in public high schools open to the public during times classes aren't in session.

SB309, sponsored by Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, would establish the Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy in the secretary of state's office.

The committee would be charged with recommending programs to increase citizens' role in government and support national programs designed to increase participatory democracy.

AB353, by Giunchigliani, would prohibit the University and Community College System of Nevada from using any personal information in student or employment records to solicit money unless that person authorizes it in writing.

The bill would also reduce the number of members on the UCCSN Board of Regents from 13 to 7. The Legislature would have to redraw the district boundaries for the board.

SB337 would make it illegal under most circumstances to distribute prescription drugs via the Internet.

Another bill by Hettrick would require local school districts to send money to the UCCSN if students from those schools had to enroll in remedial education classes in the colleges or universities.

AB426 creates the School Accountability Trust Fund and schools would have to pay an amount based on the number of their graduates in remedial classes.