Transgender discrimination bills pass Nevada Assembly, head to governor

CARSON CITY -- Two bills to outlaw discrimination against transgender people in housing and public accommodations won final legislative approval and were sent to Gov. Brian Sandoval on Monday.

The Assembly passed Senate Bill 331, which would prohibit places of public accommodations, such as hotels, restaurants and bars, from discriminating against transgender people.

The other bill, Senate Bill 368, would outlaw discrimination against transgenders in the rental or purchase of housing.

Both bills passed 29-13 with all 26 Democrats and three Republicans -- Richard McArthur of Las Vegas, Ed Goedhart of Amargosa Valley and Kelly Kite of Minden -- voting in favor.

Assemblyman Paul Aizley, D-Las Vegas, who has sponsored or co-sponsored these two measures and another bill that would prohibit job discrimination against transgender people, said he was told Sandoval will approve the bills.

As of Monday afternoon, Assembly Bill 211, the job discrimination bill, had not been signed or vetoed. But a source said Sandoval plans to sign AB211 today . As a policy, the governor's staff does not state whether bills will be signed or vetoed until they reach the governor's desk.

Transgender people make up an estimated 1 percent of the state's population.

The votes came on a day when 80 bills were passed in the Senate and Assembly as legislators rushed to adjourn by June 6.

Hardly anyone spoke or discussed any of these bills before the votes.

One reflection of the rush was a resolution approved by the Assembly to extend until Monday a self-imposed deadline to pass bills out of either the Assembly or Senate. The deadline was going to be Friday.

Assembly Majority Leader Marcus Conklin, D-Las Vegas, said the deadline was extended to give bill drafters more time to finish writing amendments passed last week in committee.

In other votes Monday:

■ The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 206, which would require legislative lobbyists to file public reports every three months showing what they spent on legislators. Now lobbying reports are filed each month during the 120-day regular legislative sessions that are held every other year.

■ The Assembly on a 38-3 vote backed Senate Bill 495, which would create an alternative ballot question for the November 2012 election. Caesars Entertainment wants voters to approve a 0.9 percentage point increase in the sales tax rate in part of Clark County to construct a $500 million sports arena near the Imperial Palace. The tax rate, now 8.1 percent, would be higher only in a three-mile radius of the arena site. SB495 would ask voters whether they want to keep a uniform and equal tax rate in all of Clark County, in essence, asking them to reject the arena tax. Whichever question receives the most votes would pass.

■ The Assembly on a unanimous vote approved Assembly Bill 455, which would require school districts and the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association to set up policies to handle head injuries by student athletes. The policies would have to specify that the athletes be removed from competition when they suffer from suspected head injuries. They could not return without a doctor's letter stating that they are healthy.

■ The Assembly voted 42-0 to approve Senate Bill 96, which would "encourage" but not require students who receive Millennium Scholarships to perform at least 20 hours of community services a year.

■ The Assembly on a unanimous vote approved Senate Bill 441, which would allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to contract with private businesses to set up terminals or kiosks in public places. Drivers could transact DMV business at the kiosks for an additional service fee paid to the companies.

■ The Senate on a 20-1 vote approved Assembly Bill 138, which would require schools to set up policies allowing students to anonymously report criminal activity at the schools.

■ The Senate unanimously approved Assembly Bill 227, which would allow nonprofit organizations to use school athletic fields when the fields are not being used for school competitions.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.