School funding, guns, nursing mothers and more highlight busy week four of Nevada Legislature

CARSON CITY — Week four of the Nevada Legislature will include hearings that run the gamut from mandating employer accommodations for nursing mothers to abolishing both the controller and treasurer offices to establishing an Asian Culture Day.

It also marks a milestone of sorts: There are fewer than 100 days left until the session’s scheduled end date of June 5.

MONDAY

The week kicks off with the nursing mothers measure, Assembly Bill 113, in the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee.

The measure would require most private and government workplaces to provide mothers a break, paid or unpaid, and a clean, private place to “express milk.” That’s the process by which mothers produce and store breast milk for their baby. The bill would apply to all mothers within the first year of their child’s birth.

Also Monday, the Senate Government Affairs Committee will take up a bill to establish Nov. 12 as Asian Culture Day in Nevada. The date was selected because it is the anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, considered the founding father and first president of the Republic of China. It would be a day to recognize the contributions of Asians and Asian-Americans to the state of Nevada.

TUESDAY

A joint Senate Finance and Ways and Means subcommittee, on Tuesday, will take an in-depth look at the budgets for the Nevada System of Higher Education, including the UNLV School of Medicine, which would see a boost in funding to $53 million for the next two years in Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed budget.

The first Second Amendment bill of the session is on deck on Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senate Bill 115 would expand a prohibition on carrying weapons on college campuses and schools to include libraries. Guns are allowed only if permission is obtained first.

WEDNESDAY

The public schools budget will be reviewed by a joint money subcommittee Wednesday. Sandoval has proposed adding $106 million in new funding in his budget to programs aimed at special education, English language learners, schools in high-poverty areas and gifted and talented students.

Famed attorney Gloria Allred is expected in the capital on Wednesday for a hearing in front of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The panel will hear Assembly Bill 145, which would extend the statute of limitations for some civil actions involving child sexual abuse or pornography.

THURSDAY

The Assembly Committee on Corrections, Parole and Probation will take up Assembly Bill 181, dealing with the restoration of civil rights for ex-felons.

FRIDAY

A joint money subcommittee will take a look at the state mental health budgets, which have become a focus of concern for some lawmakers this session.

ELIMINATING OFFICES

The Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections Committee will consider Assembly Joint Resolution 6, which seeks to amend the Nevada Constitution to eliminate the elected offices of controller and treasurer. The functions of those offices would be taken over by the Department of Administration.

Controller Ron Knecht and Treasurer Dan Schwartz will likely have opinions on this proposal, which would take another legislative session and a vote of the people to accomplish.

Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Follow @seanw801 on Twitter.