STEVE SEBELIUS: Two-minute limit hurts lawmaking process

FILE - Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union Nevada, speaks to the Review-Journal about the lack of authorities reform accomplished during the most recent legal session at the ACLU workplaces in Las Vegas Wednesday, May 19, 2021. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
CARSON CITY

The Senate Health and Human Services hearing room sat in rapt attention last month as R.J. Erickson tearfully recounted the death of his dad, Reno doctor John Marshall Erickson.

Detected with stage IV lung cancer, the senior Erickson experienced moments of hysteria and misconceptions as his son, in charge of his end-of-life care, distributed the drugs that were gradually killing his daddy.

R.J. Erickson was about to end his testimony on a bill to enable physicians to recommend life-ending drugs to terminally ill clients when it happened. "My final remark," he started, just to be interrupted by the committee's chairman, state Sen. Fabian Doññ consumed, D-Las Vegas.

" Thank you for your comment," Doññ consumed said." We have to move on to the next one, so if you could please send that in writing we would significantly value it. Thank you for sharing that."

Doññ ate wasn't being rude, cruel or callous, although it might seem that way to an outsider. Rather, he was implementing a legislative guideline that limits committee testimony to one or two minutes per person.

It's a rule that started throughout the pandemic, when in-person sees to the legal structure were forbidden and people affirming on legislation needed to hire to be heard. But it's continued long after COVID masks have been shed, and numerous say it's taking away from the legislative process.

State Sen. Ira Hansen, R-Sparks, took to the Senate flooring on Tuesday to complain about a recent hearing on gun bills, noting that proponents of weapon control legislation got nearly 2 hours to make their case, while those in opposition were limited to simply 60 seconds each.

" Everybody in the state of Nevada must understand that at the Nevada Legislature, both sides will be granted an equal opportunity to provide their views prior to those of us that are going to pass laws affecting over 3 million human beings," Hansen stated. "And that is not at all unreasonable and definitely is not something that we as legislators must turn away from. We should welcome that."

Many lobbyists are disappointed about the limits on testament, particularly those who have to oppose in some cases intricate legislation. Two minutes can't possibly counter a long discussion from a costs's sponsor, which brings no time at all limit. It's even worse when committee chairs top the total amount of testament on a provided costs, leading some to conclude the procedure is unreasonable.

" The argument comes that we were silenced," states Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada. "Anyone who wishes to comment ought to be provided the chance to do so."

And while the U.S. and Nevada constitutions approve the right to petition the government for the redress of grievances, there's absolutely nothing in statute that says the Legislature can't limit witnesses at committee hearings. It requires supporters to truncate their discussions, often overlooking essential points in an effort to come in under time, lobbyists state.

" We can't give the presentation we wish to offer," stated Haseebullah.

And it's not just lobbyists who are at pains to handle the limits. As Hansen noted in his Senate speech, legislators do not get as full an image of the concern as they would if the guidelines were unwinded, or at least waived for particular questionable or complicated expenses. (Certainly, the legislators waive other guidelines that obstruct of their procedures.).

Some argue the 120-day limit on sessions forces lawmakers to rush through hearings in order to get hundreds of costs through the procedure. More than one has confessed they 'd choose yearly sessions, with more time to hear issues. The pattern in Nevada in the past 30 years has actually been to limit federal government rather than expand it.

Still, if an individual made $1 for every single time she or he heard, "Your two minutes are up; please submit your remarks in composing," he or she would have adequate cash to hire a quality lobbyist, one who could arrange a conference with legislators behind closed doors with no time frame.

When it comes to everybody else? Well, the Bard composed that brevity is the soul of wit.

Contact Steve Sebelius at SSebelius@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253. Follow @SteveSebelius on Twitter.