Nevada Legislature: Week 5 features debate on equal pay, miniature horses

Protests over public lands and a push to close the gender pay gap promise to be among the highlights of the fifth week of the Nevada legislative session. But lawmakers are also throwing a bone to their four-legged friends with a measure to make peace between dogs and the police.

Here are stories to watch this week:

REPUBLICANS RACE TO EQUAL PAY

Democrats held a loud rally last week in Carson City promoting equal pay for men and women, but it’s the less-trumpeted Republican version of the measure that’s first up in the Legislature.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to review SB167 on Monday.

POLICE MAKE PEACE WITH DOGS

Bruno and Blue, who were shot dead during a search at a North Las Vegas home in 2008, are just two of the dogs killed by police in Nevada in recent years.

Lawmakers are moving forward on a bill aimed at preventing similar fatal encounters.

SB147, sponsored by three Democratic senators, would require training for police officers on differentiating between aggressive and nonthreatening dog behaviors. The bill calls for educating recruits on how to handle dangerous dogs and how to work with animal control officers.

It’s up for discussion Monday in the Senate Government Affairs Committee.

PUBLIC LANDS PROTEST

Conservationists and outdoorsmen are joining forces Monday to oppose state efforts to take over control of federally managed public lands.

Groups including the Sierra Club, Friends of Nevada Wilderness and the Nevada Conservation League plan to rally outside the legislative building on Monday afternoon, just before a hearing for Senate Joint Resolution 1. The measure urges the federal government to transfer at least 7.2 million acres of public land to Nevada.

The hearing is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in the Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee.

CORRALING MINIATURE HORSES

Most business owners are used to welcoming service dogs and their owners. But for some Republican lawmakers, bringing in a service horse is going too far. Federal regulations recognize trained miniature horses as service animals that help people with disabilities. AB157, which is up for debate Wednesday in the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee, would allow Nevada business owners to bar miniature horses if they feel it’s unreasonable to let them in.