State showcase

At first glance, it looks like just another

gift shop, stocked with T-shirts and mugs,

books and posters, logo wear and plush toys.

But the Publications and Gift Shop operated

by the Legislative Counsel Bureau in the

Legislative Building at the state capital in

Carson City has a mission: to showcase

Nevada.

Upon closer look the boxed bling is a

series of commemorative coins, the plush

toys are mustangs and coyotes, the jigsaw

puzzles depict state flags and the bronze casting

is a frontier icon.

The shop opened in 1997 along with a

snack bar both part of an addition to the

State Assembly building.And the idea came

from the politicians who gather there.

"A lot of our legislators saw it done in

other states and asked,"Why aren't we doing

this?'" says Lorne Malkiewich, director of the

State of Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau.

"It's not a profit-making venture," he

adds,"but rather, a convenience for the

public."

That's not to say the shop doesn't ring up

sales, especially with the busiest season coming

up: those four months the Legislature is

in session, from February to May. However,

when items sell, the take goes to replenishing

stock.

The most popular items are apparel

emblazoned with Nevada state or legislature

designs.

The best customers come from among the

800 lobbyists that converge upon the building

when the lawmakers are in session. Shoppers

also step out from the clusters of staff and

personnel attached to the legislators who

travel to the capital from southern Nevada.

"When going back to Las Vegas, they

think to pick up a souvenir for their kids,"

says Malkiewich.

While gift shop employees may spend up

to 75 percent of their time selling souvenirs

during session, souvenir sales fill only 5 percent

of the day after lawmakers head home.

Then the staff takes on other jobs such as

filling orders from the publications unit."The

larger part of their job is selling Nevada

Revised Statutes," says Malkiewich.

In summer, visiting tourists are partial to

a state pin or brooch. And business picks up

again at Christmas, when legislative staff

members shop for gifts and Carson City residents

come in seeking gifts distinctly

Nevadan.

Recently says Malkiewich, lawmakers

approved legislation that allows the shop to

sell wine with a distinctly Nevadan label,

of course.Again, legislators on travels

brought back the idea, this time after seeing

it at the capital of a Canadian province.

The Publications and Gift Shop staff hasn't

worked out the details about whether the

souvenir wine would come from a local winery.

But with all the publications work associated

with the upcoming legislative session,

finding a source of wine is the least of

Malkiewich's worries.

In fact, he says,"We're a little leery about

having it in session."