Lawmakers consider new office building in Carson City

Legislative leaders Thursday instructed their staff to begin looking at building a new legislative office building in Carson City.

"We're out of space," said Legislative Counsel Bureau Director Lorne Malkiewich.

He said the growth of legislative staff over the past few sessions has resulted in them "packing more and more people into the same space." He said the Legislature itself is full as is the Sedway office building across Fifth Street.

Malkiewich asked the committee of legislative leaders to allow staff to develop a proposal for another office structure next to Sedway just south of the Legislature itself and present it in the 2007 Legislature.

He said that way the Legislature as a whole can review the need and the proposal itself as well as whether there is money in the state treasury to fund construction.

If the proposal doesn't make sense at this point or there isn't enough money, Malkiewich said, "it's a simple matter not to pass the bill."

Malkiewich said the Legislature already owns the two parking lots next to the Sedway Building as well as the area occupied by the Capital Apartments, so they have the necessary land for a new building. If not all the space is needed immediately, he said, legislative staff could move out of the Sedway building and into the new structure, then lease the Sedway building space back for use by the executive branch until it is needed.

Malkiewich said he expects the legislative branch will eventually need all the space because it continues to grow with the demands of the lawmakers and the state's business.

There was almost no discussion of the proposal before Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, moved and the committee approved the study and development of a proposal for the 2007 session.

• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.