2009 Legislative Blog

The week is off to a fast start.

My morning began in the Assembly Government Affairs Committee, where “fire-safe” cigarettes were discussed. AB 229 would mandate that all cigarettes sold in Nevada be tested to ensure that they are easily extinguishable and protect people and property from fire. There was no opposition to the bill, as cigarette manufacturers helped craft it and the Retail Association proposed an amendment to ensure that their members (and the Chamber’s) are properly notified of those brands that have been approved.

The afternoon found me in Assembly Commerce and Labor, where I went to the table in opposition to two bills.

The first was AB 365, sponsored by Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie. This is yet another insurance mandate bill. This one in particular would require all small employer insurance policies to cover treatment for eating disorders. Again, while each of these bills may seem to have merit, and the proponents always argue that the cost is minimal, it is the added effects of all of these insurance mandates that really drive up health care costs.

Nevada is something like 3rd in the nation with the amount of health insurance mandates on small employers. We have over 50 mandates! Large businesses covered under ERISA plans have only 6 or so mandates to deal with.

When you add all of the workers comp bills to this, the dollars really start to add up.

The second bill which brought me to the table was AB 381. This bill would do away with binding arbitration in various consumer contracts, thereby driving cases into already overcrowded courtrooms. Arbitration can save both sides in a dispute a lot of money. Obviously, any company that has to deal with a new wave of attorney fees and court costs will pass on those costs to the consumers.