Nye on Carson, April 24

Business groups push back on minimum wage hike

Business groups that backed a bill changing Nevada’s overtime law balked Wednesday at a last-minute amendment added in the Senate to raise the minimum wage for some workers to $9 per hour.

Senate Bill 193 originally dealt only with Nevada’s overtime law, which currently requires employers to pay low-wage earners time-and-one-half for hours worked in excess of eight hours within a 24-hour period.

The overtime law does not apply to workers covered by collective bargaining agreements.

The measure would change the law to require overtime only after 40 hours worked in a week. Supporters said it would give employers more flexibility to adjust schedules and allow employees to work extra hours without additional costs to their employers.

But the bill was amended at the last minute in the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor to also raise Nevada’s minimum wage to $9 per hour, a 75-cent increase for workers who do not receive employer-paid health insurance. The minimum wage for those who are offered health coverage would remain at $7.25.

The bill was approved in the Senate on a party-line vote, with Democrats opposed.

The Democratic minority tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill on the floor and raise both minimum wage tiers to $10.10 and $9.10; $9.50 and $8.50; and $9 and $8, depending on whether insurance is offered. Each failed 11-9 along party lines.

State Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, had proposed a separate minimum wage constitutional amendment raising the rate to $15 per hour, but that died in committee.

In testimony Wednesday before the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee, representatives of chambers of commerce, the Nevada Restaurant Association and independent business groups spoke in favor of the overtime provision but expressed reservations about the minimum wage bump.

Democrats on the committee said the $9 rate wouldn’t provide workers with a living wage. Some suggested the minimum wage portion should be stripped from the bill altogether.

About 22,000 Nevadans working full time make the lower minimum wage, earning about $15,080 a year. Those workers qualify for Medicaid under the federal health care law. Many employers, to avoid having to provide insurance, have reduced low-wage earners to less than 30 hours a week.

– Sandra Chereb

Resolution urging transfer of federal land gets senate OK

The state Senate approved a resolution Tuesday urging Congress to transfer ownership of millions of acres of federal lands in Nevada to the state. Senate Joint Resolution 1 passed 11-10, with Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats against.

The bill now moves to the Assembly, where a more aggressive bill that seeks to give control of all public lands to the state was deemed unconstitutional by legislative lawyers.

A hearing on that bill challenging federal control of Nevada public lands earlier this session drew Bunkerville rancher Cliven Bundy and about 100 supporters to the state capital.

State Sen. Pete Goicoechea, a Republican whose district includes Nye County, said the resolution is different than the Assembly proposal because it only “urges” Congress to act. The resolution emerged from an interim study on Nevada public lands.

He said of the roughly 7 million aces sought in the first phase of the measure, more than 4 million are in “checkerboard” areas of public and private lands.

But conservationists and others opposed to the resolution noted that it ultimately seeks to bring roughly 55 million acres under state control.

Senate Minority Leader Aaron Ford, D-Las Vegas, said he opposed the measure because Nevada can’t afford to assume responsibility for the millions of acres now under federal management. The federal government owns more than 80 percent of Nevada’s lands.

He and others also said that outdoor recreation and use of public lands generates $15 billion for the state economy and supports 147,000 jobs.

– Sandra Chereb

Senate approves bills targeting PERS, collective bargaining

The Nevada Senate on Monday approved two bills targeting public employees and collective bargaining, taking school administrators out of collective bargaining if they make more than $120,000 a year.

It also makes principals “at will” employees for the first three years. Principals who are “reassigned” from their jobs are allowed to return to previous positions they might have held in the school district.

Additionally, principals who complete the probationary period are placed back on probation if within two successive years the school falters by one or more levels in statewide accountability tests and at least 50 percent of teachers request a transfer to another school.

Senate Bill 241 also requires administrators other than principals and those excluded from collective bargaining to reapply to the district superintendent for reappointment every five years. The bill passed 15-4 and now moves to the Assembly.

Another measure, Senate Bill 406, changes some eligibility criteria under the Public Employees Retirement System. The changes are believed to be able to save the PERS $1 billion every decade once fully implemented. It passed unanimously in the Senate and now moves to the Assembly.

It would strip PERS members of retirement benefits if they are convicted, plead guilty or no contest to a felony, though they would receive back any contributions they made, without interest.

Currently, a public employee other than law enforcement and firefighters are entitled to PERS benefits at age 65 if they have at least five years of service; at 62 with at least 10 years; and at any age with 30 years of service. SB406 allows retirement at any age if a person has 33.5 years of service, and at age 55 with 30 years.

The bill also reduces to 2.25 percent from 2.5 percent the multiplier used to calculate retirement allowance. A public employee’s benefit is currently determined by multiplying average compensation by 2.5 percent for every year of service.

Another provision in the bill makes purchased time ineligible when determining the number of years of service for determining benefits.

Changes in the bill, should it become law, would only apply to new PERS members after July 1.

– Sandra Chereb

Sandra Chereb covers Carson City for GateHouse Media, owner of the Pahrump Valley Times.