WEEK IN REVIEW: LEGISLATORS WRAP IT UP IN EXTENDED SESSION
The Legislature ran out of time early Tuesday as it tried to pass the final handful of measures sought in the 2007 session, working past its constitutionally mandated deadline of 1 a.m.
That forced Gov. Jim Gibbons to call for a special session Tuesday evening that lasted less than four hours and cost taxpayers about $25,000. This time, weary lawmakers finished their work.
"As our special gift to you, we gave you a special session," Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said, addressing freshmen members of the lower house before it adjourned sine die at 8:46 p.m. "Now you have had two sessions."
The state Senate finished at 8:49 p.m. "We voted, we won, we lost, but in the end I think we served the people of this state well," Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, told the gallery.
Among the last bills to squeeze through were measures in both the Democrat-controlled Assembly and the Republican-controlled state Senate to fund lawmakers’ pet projects, about $10 million worth on each side.
Lawmakers also passed a transportation package that puts an additional $1 billion into highway construction without raising tax rates.
MONDAY
Boggs charged with lying
District Attorney David Roger charged former Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs with lying in her campaign paperwork about where she lived and about paying a nanny from campaign coffers. Boggs, 43, faces four felonies: two counts each of perjury and filing false or forged documents.
"Nevada law requires people to be truthful in their filings," Roger said after making the decision.
Boggs appeared Thursday in court, where Judge Nancy Oesterle agreed to allow her to leave jail after her booking without paying bail.
TUESDAY
Barlow wins seat on City Council
Ricki Barlow, a Las Vegas City Council liaison for the past seven years, won a seat on the council, defeating attorney Stacie Truesdell by fewer than 400 votes.
"It came down to experience," Barlow said. "I’ve been working with the community, in the community. I know how to get the job done."
The election ended two months of brutal campaigning that saw both sides go on the attack. The candidates displayed an obvious dislike for each other.
WEDNESDAY
NHL sets sights on LV franchise
The National Hockey League has been holding discussions with film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer for months about owning an NHL franchise in Las Vegas, according to a report by SportsBusiness Daily.
The report came amid speculation that the league is on the verge of proposing expansion to Las Vegas and Kansas City, Mo.
Bruckheimer also has had discussions with officials from Anschutz Entertainment Group about the group building and/or operating an arena in Las Vegas, with an NHL team as its primary tenant, according to the report.
THURSDAY
Available homes up, prices down
The number of homes listed for sale in Southern Nevada topped 23,000 in May, just shy of the record 23,474 single-family homes for sale in October, the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors reported.
The median price of a single-family home decreased 2.8 percent from a year ago to $301,352, based on 1,568 recorded sales during the month. Sales are down 38.7 percent.
"We don’t expect to see any dramatic changes to these numbers in the next several months," Realtors’ association president Devin Reiss said.
FRIDAY
Kenny accountant pleads guilty
The accountant who helped former Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny conceal an illegal payoff related to a controversial land deal pleaded guilty to one count of honest services fraud, according to documents filed in federal court.
Dan Geiger helped establish a trust to hide money Kenny received for pushing through a zone change that paved the way for a CVS Pharmacy in 2001, according to an information report that was unsealed.
Geiger is expected to cooperate with the federal government in its political corruption probe.
COMPILED BY MICHAEL SQUIRES READ THE FULL STORIES ONLINE AT www.reviewjournal.com/wir
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