Commission members named, travel policies set

In recognition of a tight state budget, lawmakers won't be doing as much traveling in the coming two years.

The Nevada Legislature's money committees chopped the Legislative Counsel Bureau's out-of-state travel budget in half. That will eliminate one fully funded trip by each lawmaker, Executive Director Lorne Malkiewich told the Legislative Commission on Friday.

In the current budget, each lawmaker had two fully funded trips, plus a third for which the state paid only room and travel costs. The proposal adopted by the commission Friday limits them to one fully funded trip and one partially funded.

Leaders' trips for regional and national organizations on which they serve are exempted from the limits, according to Malkiewich.

The commission also named Caren Jenkins to the state Ethics Commission. The former legislative research analyst is now a Carson City lawyer. She replaces former Sen. Ernie Adler of Carson City, who resigned the position. The commission also selected Douglas County attorney George Keele to replace Carson City lawyer Todd Russell on the commission when his term expires in October.

Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, was named chairman of the Legislative Commission for the next two years.

Townsend's vice-chairwoman will be Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas. The chairman of the commission alternates between the Senate and Assembly each legislative session. The outgoing chairman is Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson.

Between legislative sessions, the commission handles legislative business and manages the Legislative Counsel Bureau, work of legislative auditors and the interim studies.

In addition to Townsend and O'Connell, senators Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, and Las Vegas Democrats Dina Titus, Valerie Wiener and Maggie Carlton are on the commission. They are joined by Assembly Democrats Perkins, Barbara Buckley of Las Vegas and Bernie Anderson of Sparks, and Republicans Sharron Angle of Reno, John Carpenter of Elko and David Brown of Boulder City.