SPEAKER PERKINS QUESTIONS CUTS IN STATE DRUG INVESTIGATIONS BUDGET

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins said Friday he has problems with the
decision to cut the Nevada Division of Investigations staff nearly in half.

Investigations division chief Philip Brown told a subcommittee of the
Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees that the reductions
will save about $1.6 million a year.

"Overall, 39 positions were cut," he said. The division had 79 staff
positions.

"In this environment, we find ourselves in post 9/11, I have some
significant concerns this is the wrong area to cut," said Perkins. "The
first fundamental responsibility of government is to provide for public
safety."

A number of small communities and rural counties have complained about the
cuts, saying they hit hard at their ability to seek out and stop drugmakers
and traffickers in particular. The cutbacks included in Gov. Kenny Guinn's
proposed Public Safety budgets would eliminate state participation in
multi-county drug task forces, among other things.

Perkins said the state's two largest counties have more ability to cover
those losses.

"I'm worried more about our rural brothers and sisters in law enforcement,"
he said asking Brown to reconsider the cuts and try to help the state's
small sheriff's departments and police agencies.