55 bills die

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) " With the deaths of 55 bills on a Friday deadline for action on the measures, Nevada lawmakers have killed about a third of nearly 1,000 proposals that they've considered since the 2009 session opened in early February.

The latest deadline was one of several imposed during the session to ensure adjournment by June 1. With the latest casualties added in, the count of plans relegated to the 2009 session's trash bin now stands at about 330.

The bills that are left are in the lawmakers' two money committees or have already been approved and routed to Gov. Jim Gibbons for his signature. By the time the session ends, it's likely that more than half, or 550 to 600, of all introduced measures will have survived.

Among the bills that died by Friday's deadline were:

" SB262 which provides for penalties for anyone who cultivates marijuana in amounts greater than what's allowed for medical use.

" SB372, to roll back a voter-approved ban on smoking in many public places. The plan was sought by Nevada bars, restaurants and casinos but opposed by public health advocates.

" AJR7, which proposed a public vote to determine whether Nevada, the nation's No. 1 gambling state, should add lotteries to the many games of chance it allows.

" SB136, a plan to prohibit Nevada motorists, including police and emergency personnel, from text-messaging on cell phones while behind the wheel.

" SB224, which removes the ability of governing bodies in Nevada's five largest counties to take action by a vote of less than a majority of all members.

" SB206, which would have established a framework for toll road construction in Nevada.

" AB442, a watered-down plan to require government agencies that employee lobbyists to submit reports explaining terms of their contracts.

" AB413, which proposed to replace the electoral college system in presidential elections with a de facto national popular election.

" SB364, to expand the authority of the state Board of Medical Examiners to investigate potential unlawful activity by medical professionals.

" SB327, to encourage the large-scale use of electric vehicles by authorizing incentives and portfolio energy credits to utilities that invest in power-charging networks.

" SB349, a construction defect bill sought by Nevada's powerful but struggling construction industry. The bill would have curtailed homeowner lawsuits against builders.

" AB495, easing malpractice award caps. The bill was a response to a southern Nevada hepatitis C outbreak linked to shoddy injection practices.

" AB293, to give lawmakers the power to block appointments by Nevada governors to high-ranking positions in several agencies.