Nevada Senate debates bills to expand privacy for some government workers
CARSON CITY — Bills that would expand privacy protections and broaden the scope of government information that can be kept confidential for judges and other specified public employee groups were endorsed Monday in a Senate hearing by a long list of speakers.
But the bills did draw opposition in the hearing before the Senate Government Affairs Committee, which did not take immediate action on the measures.
Senate Bills 6 and 79 would expand the classes of employee groups that are permitted to make their government information confidential, including district attorneys and court personnel. SB79 would also expand the protections from assessor records to include DMV, county recorder and voting records.
Current law allows confidentiality, with a court order, of county assessor records for judicial officers and law enforcement officers.
The rationale is the safety of the employee groups.
John Jones, representing the Nevada District Attorneys Association, said their proposal in SB6 would protect the public information of the elected district attorneys and their deputies who prosecute the most serious felony crimes and domestic violence cases.
Kim Kampling, Clark County justice court administrator, said she often gets threatening letters and has been personally threatened by a former court employee. Kampling said her name is on the court documents and so is the focus of the ire of individuals who are arrested.
One of the most egregious examples of the potential for harm occurred in 2012 when shots were fired through the front door of John Tatro’s Carson City home. Tatro is a justice of the peace.
Carson City Assessor Dave Dawley said county assessors oppose the bill, arguing that it runs counter to transparency and open government. Closing off records can open the door to corruption, he said.
Dawley particularly disliked a proposal to remove photographs of properties on assessor websites, saying it would provoke more attention from those wondering what properties are deleted.
John Fudenberg, representing Clark County, proposed an amendment that would satisfy some of Dawley’s concerns, including leaving the photos in place. The amendment would also strike some of the public employees proposed to be covered, including deputy clerks and other employees of a court.
Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Follow @seanw801 on Twitter.
