Nevada Senate votes to remove public retirees names from public record

The Nevada Senate voted on Friday to remove the names of public employee retirees from the public record.

SB384 by Sen. Julia Ratti, D-Sparks, instead creates a unique identifying number and limits public access to the employee’s retirement date, years of service, their position held and the amount of the benefit they’re receiving.

It wouldn’t, however, identify them by name.

Ratti said the bill was proposed because of court rulings that made the names and benefits received public for every public retiree in the state. She said employees have repeatedly raised concerns releasing more information to the public would expose them to potential identity theft and other things. They pointed out scammers could potentially get names of their beneficiaries and target retirees they believe because of age or other reasons to be vulnerable to schemes to defraud them.

Sen. Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, supported the measure in committee but voted no on the floor Friday saying eliminating the names “went a little too far.”

He said he believes the public is entitled to know how much a public employee is earning as a pension.

The bill passed 11-10 on a party line vote with independent Patricia Farley joining the opponents.

SB384 goes to the Assembly.