Vegas lawmaker

Lawmakers are reviewing a $250,000 appropriation they approved at the end of the last legislative session after learning half of it is planned for a "gospel festival" in West Las Vegas.

The appropriation was made to the non-profit group, Fighting AIDS in our Community Today, for outreach, testing, counseling and dissemination of information on HIV/AIDS.

The plan the group submitted to the state Department of Human Resources proposed spending half the money --$125,000 -- to hold a "gospel festival." State Human Resources Director Mike Willden said the money won't be released until they receive information on exactly how the money would be spent.

The legislation was processed by the Ways and Means Committee chaired by Assemblyman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas. He said the proposal came from Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, and that the first he heard of the gospel festival was a call this week from legislative staff.

He said he supported the proposed appropriation because of the high rate of AIDS cases in West Las Vegas. But he said he opposes spending the money for a gospel festival.

The president of the group is Michael Chambliss and the treasurer listed as Franklin Simpson, both co-workers of Williams at the city of Las Vegas.

The appropriation was criticized after its passage by Assemblyman Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, who described it as a program to "buy condoms for gay black men." He was criticized by Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson, D-Las Vegas, who said the comment sounded racist.

Williams has been in the news several times over the past two weeks for allegedly trying to use his influence to get a woman described as his "legislative assistant" a job in the university system and for failing to pay an aggressive driving citation. He has since paid the $600 fine in the traffic case and cleared the warrant from his record. The university is still investigating the matter of his assistant's job application.