A bill allowing Nye County Commissioners to increase the county sales tax one-half percent is on a list of bill draft requests up for consideration for the upcoming session of the Nevada legislature.

The Senate Committee on Taxation introduced the measure, which barely passed by 16 votes as Nye County ballot question No. 2 on Nov. 7. It would earmark the money for fire and police services in Nye County.

Incoming Nevada District 36 Assemblyman Ed Goedhart, R-Amargosa Valley, introduced a request for a bill addressing what he called frivolous water protests filed by federal agencies, among a handful of legislative plans he's seeking.

The State of Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau lists 1,071 bill draft requests for the upcoming session which starts in February.

It's no wonder one bill draft request, from Sen. John Lee, D-Las Vegas, would limit the number of bill drafts and amendments that can be requested by legislators and legislative committees in the future.

The exhausting list includes a requirement for trucks to drive in the slow lane; banning juveniles from using cellular phones while driving; establishing a Chinese Workers Museum in Carson City; imposing regulations on martial arts and self-defense studios; changing rules on indoor tanning and the licensing of perfusionists (defined as medical technicians who are responsible for blood transfusions and operate the heart-lung machine during cardiopulmonary operations).

There's a proposal to eliminate requirements that drivers and passengers on certain motorcycles wear headgear; another authorizing an elective school course on the theory of creation design and a proposal prohibiting video voyeurism. There's at least 10 bill draft requests to combat the methamphetamine problem, seven to revise the Nevada Millenium Scholarship program, 10 addressing the issue of eminent domain and six concerning sex offenders.

Goedhart filed his five bill draft requests by the Dec. 15 deadline. Assemblymen have the ability to introduce two more bills after the start of the legislative session, senators have the ability to request four more, which could mean 488 more bill draft requests before the session begins.

Goedhart followed through on a campaign pledge to request a bill beefing up the Nevada Ethics Commission, giving the commission a year to launch an investigation instead of a 45 day limit.

Goedhart requested another bill to change Nevada water law to require the expeditious processing of protests over permitted water uses.

"Because the Nevada Division on Water Resources hasn't been dismissing the frivolous protests filed by federal agencies on a timely basis it's now going to be necessary to handle it from a legislative point of view," Goedhart said.

"Nevada water law will be changed so only a protest that has moved up through the rank and file out of Fish and Wildlife service or BLM or parks service has to come across the Secretary of the Interior's desk in order to be recognized as a valid protest," Goedhart said.

"By doing this we hope to cut down on the number of arbitrary and capricious protests that are hindering the rural counties' ability to lawfully and legally use the waters of the people of the state of Nevada," he said.

Another Goedhart bill draft request would revise reporting requirements on the ownership of foreign corporations doing business in the state of Nevada.

Another Goedhart bill draft would change the authority of the Transportation Services Agency formed in 1997.

Goedhart requested another bill allowing the use of impact fees for sewer and water improvements. Nye County officials have complained about narrow limits on the use of the impact fees charged for new construction.

Goedhart's campaign platform also included a pledge to tighten laws on reporting requirements for sex offenders, but the freshman assemblyman said there are other bill draft requests already filed to address that issue. He plans to work with the judiciary committee on getting that legislation passed.

State Senator Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, whose Central Nevada Senatorial District represents Nye County, as well as Esmeralda, Mineral, Lincoln and Churchill County, introduced a bill draft request on behalf of Valley Electric Cooperative that will allow the coop to continue using transmission lines over federally managed land without paying a fee. McGinness said that was filed at the request of Valley Electric, pending a Public Utilities Commission ruling.

McGinness has another request for a bill eliminating a special motor vehicle privilege tax in Churchill County that he said resulted in the wrong calculations.

McGinness requested a bill allowing a winery in Churchill County to distill brandy from some cantaloupe wine. Another McGinness bill draft request would free up certain counties to use gas tax money for other purposes, like roads.

McGinness would like a bill to reduce the number of partisan offices in an election, after a situation in Churchill County involving the recorder's office six years ago. He said under his bill offices like public administrator, recorder, county clerk and treasurer, would be non-partisan, meaning the top two candidates in the primary would proceed to the general election, not necessarily the top Democrat and top Republican.

Another McGinness bill would require trucks carrying certain material to be covered with tarps. Criminal defendants would be able to make a charitable donation in lieu of performing community service, under another bill draft request from our senator.

McGinness requested another bill allowing county commissioners in Lyon, Churchill and Carson City counties to levy a tax for a tri-county juvenile detention center.

There were bills the senator filed before the Aug. 15 deadline, but the assembly District 36 position was vacant following the early resignation of Rod Sherer, R-Pahrump, in July 2005.

Earlier, McGinness introduced requests for bill drafts prohibiting minors from possessing tobacco products; restricting zoning near military bases; funding an advisory council for organic agricultural products; revising the law on local code enforcement officers and allowing counties to use revenues from the tax on infrastructure for certain types of infrastructure projects.

Nye County earlier requested bill drafts on establishing a county water district and changing the distribution of federal money received by the state for the lease of federal lands, referring to the oil royalties in Railroad Valley.

Nye County School District earlier requested a bill creating an account for grants to certain school districts for the repair, replacement and renovation of school buildings and facilities.

The Legislative Commission on Public Lands already introduced a request for a bill establishing a state park at Monte Cristo's castle in Esmeralda County.

Some bills introduced by other Nevada assemblymen and senators address some issues raised in Nye County recently.

Assemblyman Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, wants a study on the effect of undocumented immigrants on the state of Nevada. Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, R-Reno, has a request to make English the official language of the State of Nevada.

Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, wants a program of economic diversification for counties dependent on mining.

Nye County Commissioners may rescind a county soil disclosure ordinance but Nevada Assemblyman Harry Mortenson, D-Las Vegas, has a proposal for a state law requiring soil sampling for certain construction.

It remains to be seen which of the many bills are passed into law by the 120-day deadline or which ones will be introduced unsuccessfully, like a request for tort reform, a perennial bill draft introduced every session on behalf of Assemblyman John Marvel, R-Battle Mountain.