The Vegas Voice - Recap Of The 2005 Legislature
Recap Of The 2005 Legislature (Vegas Voice July 2005)
The 2005 legislature will most likely be remembered for enacting property tax reform and giving Nevadans a tax rebate.
Residential property tax is now capped at 3% and Nevadans who registered a vehicle in 2004 will have $75 to $275 rebated to them. Seniors over 65 who have a DMV-issued identification card but do not own a car also qualify for a rebate.
Other legislative accomplishments received less media attention but will still have a great impact on many people's lives. Take, for example, my bill to tighten up Nevada's sex offender notification provisions, (SB 341.)
Statistics show that Nevada is the fifth worse state in the country when it comes to tracking known sex offenders. I find that unacceptable. Nevada should not be a haven for perverts.
People deserve to know who is moving into their neighborhoods. That is why I worked with law enforcement and children's advocates to make it easier to track sexual predators by giving police more resources and by providing the public with more information.
Seniors are especially susceptible to identify theft. I also cosponsored, along with Senator Valerie Wiener, a successful bill to strengthen Nevada's identity theft law (SB 17).
Nevada is the second worse state for cases of identity theft. The new provisions will make it harder for criminals to get access to personal information and increase penalties.
In the area of consumer protection, hospitals will now be required to publish information about their charges and to provide patients with information about how to get help through the Nevada Office of Consumer Health Assistance. This office can be reached toll-free at 888-333-1597. You can get expert advice on deciphering your bill, negotiating with your insurance company, applying for Medicare, etc.
Of further interest to seniors is a bill I cosponsored with Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley to allow Nevadans to import prescription drugs from Canada. These drugs are safe, approved, and often manufactured here in the United States; yet they can be purchased at much lower prices across the border. That is not right. Nevada joins several other states that have successfully defied the federal government by allowing this.
If you have ever had to call around to state agencies to find information, you know how frustrating it can be: wrong numbers, wrong departments, getting recordings instead of people. A common sense solution is creation of a "211" phone line.
Similar to "911," a "211" line provides assistance to callers who need access to any of the state's social services. This "one stop shopping" is a way to provide better customer service to Nevada citizens, and should be up and running later this year.
In my next column I will preview the interim study committees, which will be meeting during the upcoming months. You may want to attend some of the sessions here in Las Vegas at the Sawyer Building because their recommendations will set the agenda for the 2007 session.
Thank you.
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