Annual Nevada legislative sessions plan revised -- again

A proposal to allow annual Nevada legislative session and allow lawmakers to call themselves into special sessions was revised Friday -- again.

The state Assembly agreed to new amendments to AJR7 to allow for sessions in odd-numbered years that could cover a 140-day period, and sessions in even-numbered years that would run 45 days.

Lawmakers also could call themselves into a special session that could take up to 20 days, if that's what at least two-thirds of the senators and Assembly members wanted. The power to convene a special session is currently limited to the governor.

Earlier, the Assembly Constitutional Amendments Committee decided to turn AJR7 into separate proposals rather than one measure that might get killed in the state Senate or, if it passes there, be rejected by voters.

But the measure's author, Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, said she sought the latest amendment to have one proposal so that she wouldn't "wind up negotiating against myself" in seeking the Senate's approval.

A comprehensive resolution is better than a piecemeal approach, she said, adding that voters should have a chance to vote on the full measure.

In its original form, AJR7 called for a public vote on whether to allow for 60-day sessions in even-numbered years, along with the existing 120-day sessions in odd-numbered years.

The earlier version also would have let lawmakers meet in Las Vegas for the 60-day session, if an appropriate building is available. That's left out of the latest plan.

The proposal also would have let lawmakers draw pay for every day they're in session. In its current form, the plan would allow the legislators to get paid for the first 60 days of the odd-year session, all 45 days of the even-year session, and every day of any special session.

Currently, legislators meet in odd-numbered years for 120 days. The number of days in actual session in those years would be the same -- but legislators could exclude weekends and any other days they decide to take off, as long as the calendar-day total didn't exceed 140 days.

AJR7 also had proposed to boost the legislators' $60 postage allowance -- set more than a century ago -- to $500. That increase is left out in the latest version.

Every-other-year sessions have been the rule in Nevada since 1867, except for 1960 after voters approved annual sessions. Soon after, biennial sessions were voted back in.

Since then, periodic attempts to meet every year developed. But the proposals repeatedly died in the Senate. In the 2001 session, an Assembly-approved annual sessions plan died on a 3-3 vote in the Senate Government Affairs Committee.

Besides Nevada, other states with every-other-year sessions include Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Kentucky and Texas.