Nevada Legislature Briefly 3-7

Bill protects volunteer firefighter benefits

Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, has introduced legislation to protect retired public employees who join volunteer fire companies from losing retirement benefits.

Under existing law, most public retirees who go back to work for another public entity lose their retirement benefits unless they get a special exemption. Those exemptions are primarily available only to teachers who return to work in certain specialties.

SB174 would extend the exemption to retired public workers serving with volunteer fire departments.

The Finance Committee is reviewing the proposal.

Bill would toughen penalties for resisting police

AB253, introduced Friday in the Assembly, would increase the penalty for a person who uses a firearm while interfering with or resisting a peace officer.

Existing law makes that crime a category D felony. If a firearm is used or the person tries to take away the peace officer's weapon, AB253 would make it a category C felony, which provides tougher punishment.

The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee for study.

AB245 requires photo ID to vote

Assembly Republicans have introduced legislation to require voters show photo identification at the polls.

AB245 limits the acceptable photographic identification to a drivers' license or other DMV issued ID card, an armed services ID card, U.S. passport or card issued by an Indian tribe.

It also allows county clerks to issue voter identification cards, free of charge, to people who don't have another form of photo ID.

AB245 also stiffens requirements for a voter to get an absentee ballot in an election, requiring the voter provide not only his name, but address and date of birth as well as a statement that the requester is a registered voter and the political affiliation of the voter if the election is a primary as well as identifying documentation.