Nevada Legislature Briefly 2-18

Bill creates crime of gang recruitment

Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, Tuesday introduced legislation that would create the crime of gang recruitment.

The bill would make it a criminal offense to coerce or threaten a child to become a member of a criminal gang, to stay in a gang or rejoin a gang. The penalty could be up to four years in prison under the definition of a Category D felony.

The bill was patterned after laws already in effect in 12 states. SB142 was referred to the Judiciary Committee for study.

Schneider introduces second seat belt bill

Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, Tuesday introduced a second bill that would allow police to stop and ticket people if they believe they aren't wearing a seat belt.

Schneider introduced a bill containing the same language in the first week of the 2009 Legislature. He said there is little difference between the two.

Current law prohibits police from stopping somebody for not wearing a belt but allows ticketing them for no seat belt if they were stopped for another reason. The bill, sought by police for several sessions now, would make not wearing a seat belt a primary offense.

Opponents including the American Civil Liberties Union say they are worried it would constitute open-ended probable cause to stop anyone an officer wants for no reason.

Bill would ban gender identity bias

AB184, introduced Tuesday in the Assembly, would prohibit employers from discriminating based on "gender identity or expression" and allow individuals to choose their gender when getting a drivers license or identity card.

Assemblyman Paul Aizley, D-Las Vegas, said he introduced the measure on behalf of trans-gender individuals who were left out of the law enacted a decade ago barring discrimination against gays in the workplace.

He said trans-gender individuals complain they are denied promotions and otherwise discriminated against in the workplace.