(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – A bill that would impose fines of $1,000 to $10,000 on businesses that failed to obtain a state business license after being notified by the secretary of state’s office has been pulled from a scheduled committee hearing.
Assembly Bill 78, sought by Secretary of State Ross Miller, had been set for a hearing on Wednesday in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
Pam duPré, public information officer for the secretary of state’s office, said today Miller wants to clarify some of the language in the bill, and expects it to be rescheduled for a hearing before the Judiciary committee next week.
Freshman GOP Assemblyman Mark Sherwood last week criticized the bill, saying it would hurt Nevada’s business climate. Sherwood sent an email to Miller on Wednesday raising concerns about the bill but did not get a response. He then issued a press release saying the bill as written “would kill jobs and destroy businesses.”
Current law allows for fines for willful failure to obtain a state business license. AB 78 as currently written would remove the requirement for willfulness before such fines could be imposed.
Sherwood’s concerns were reported Friday by the Nevada News Bureau.
(See “Sherwood Sides with Small Businesses” posted on February 12. – Ed.)