Deadline day makes for busy 12th week of state legislative session
CARSON CITY – State lawmakers had a do-or-die 12th week of the legislative session.
Tuesday was the deadline for bills to pass the first chamber, which meant lots of scrambling on the Assembly and Senate floors. There were also casualties of the deadline.
Here’s a look at what the Legislature did:
Deadline day: Lawmakers passed scores of bills early last week, as they marched toward Tuesday’s deadline. The bills passed covered numerous issues, including expanding the time to register to vote; establishing safe places to conduct sales transactions for ads posted on the Internet; and instituting criminal justice reforms such as programs for inmates preparing to leave prison and enter society.
Dead bills: Sixteen bills and resolutions died after failing to get a floor vote before Tuesday. The measures dealt with a variety of issues, including noncompete provisions in employment contracts and business license fees.
Among the casualties was Assembly Bill 217, which would have allowed cities and counties to revoke the business licenses of hotels and motels that knowingly tolerate repeated acts of prostitution on their premises.
School district reorganization: One prominent bill is cruising through the Legislature. Assembly Bill 469, which would likely end the legal challenge to reorganizing the Clark County School District, passed the Senate unanimously.
It passed the Assembly earlier this month, and now only needs Gov. Brian Sandoval’s signature to become law. AB469 would codify the regulation for the district’s breakup, likely clearing the court challenge that the Clark County School Board has brought over the reorganization.
Pot lounges: Possibly coming soon to a street corner near you: pot clubs and lounges.
The Senate voted 12-9 in favor of Senate Bill 236, which would let local governments permit marijuana social clubs and other forms of public use currently outlawed. The measure still faces a vote in the Assembly.
It’s a sign that Nevada lawmakers are boldly planning to go where no legislature has gone before, even amid concerns of a federal crackdown on states that allow marijuana sales.
Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-0661. Follow @BenBotkin1 on Twitter.
