F Street reopening bill among vetoes issued by Gibbons as legislative session winds down

One of the vetoes was the bill that would require the city of Las Vegas and the Nevada Department of Transportation to reopen F Street, which was closed as part of the Interstate 15 widening project.

In issuing his veto, Gibbons noted that the cost of the project could approach $70 million. He said language in the Assembly Bill 304, which passed by wide margins in both the Senate and Assembly, could result in additional tax levies to fund the reopening.

Neighbors in the historically black neighborhood had complained the closing of F Street walled them off from the community. Transportation officials maintained they properly notified affected residents about the closure.

Another measure that Gibbons vetoed was Assembly Bill 463, aimed at blocking unwarranted use of high-priced consultants by state agencies.

AB463 would restrict hiring of some consultants, require detailed reports on the use of consultants by agencies, and impose a one-year cooling-off period before former state employees could be hired as a consultants.

Gibbons also rejected Assembly Bill 147, requiring local governments to give preferences to local bidders.

Also vetoed were:

• AB22, which spells out the way in which civil and criminal penalties can be imposed for deceptive trade practices.

• AB141, which sets up a special recovery fund for people defrauded by mortgage brokers or bankers.

• AB135, which requires the state treasurer to review and the state Finance Board to approve certain state financial obligations.

• AB319, ensuring certain rights for school employees when meeting with administrators on issues that could lead to disciplinary actions.

• AB25, which limits waivers from some Department of Motor Vehicles examinations; and imposes a $25 fee for a noncommercial driver’s license test.

• AB467, which provides that prevailing wage requirements apply to certain lease-purchase and installment-purchase agreements by local governments.

• AB381, requiring that certain disclosures about arbitration costs be included in consumer contracts.

The Review-Journal contributed to this report.