Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal Lawmakers missed Monday's deadline for bill introductions, extending the deadline until Friday. From left, Assembly Democrats Sheila Leslie, Peggy Pierce, Kathy McClain and David Parks sign bill drafts Monday morning in the Assembly Chambers at the Legislature.
The first major deadline of Nevada's 2005 legislative session was pushed back Monday because of a logjam in the legal division.
Monday was the deadline listed in the legislative schedule for introduction of legislative proposals by individual lawmakers. Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said the two houses have agreed to move that deadline to Friday.
"The bill drafters have been unable to deliver to us today all the bill drafts that have been requested by individual senators," he said.
"Legislative Counsel has indicated it simply was an impossible task to draft all the bills."
Members of both the Senate and Assembly say they are still awaiting their legislative proposals.
Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City, said she hadn't received any of her bills as of noon. Assemblyman Bob McCleary, D-Las Vegas, said he too was awaiting bills, as did Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas.
The problem wasn't a partisan one. Republican senators Maurice Washington and Warren Hardy both said they are waiting for drafts.
Raggio said there are no plans at this point to push back any of the other major deadlines. The next is March 29 - the last day for committee bill introductions.
Many of those proposals remain to be drafted as well because Legislative Counsel Bureau staff has been focusing first on requests from individual lawmakers.
Legislative leaders say a combination of problems caused the backlog in the legal department - particularly a month spent on issues surrounding the impeachment of Nevada Controller Kathy Augustine. Lawmakers took most of the last two Fridays off to let legal staff catch up but, according to Raggio, it wasn't enough time.
"That's no reflection on the bill drafters," he said.
Even so, lawmakers managed to introduce more than 150 bills and resolutions Monday - 50 in the Senate and more than 100 in the Assembly.
That makes it the busiest day for introductions so far this session.
With bill drafters bringing legislation to lawmakers as they finish the projects, the number of introductions is expected to be high all week.
n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.
