VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
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BILLs, From page 1 FAST FOOD MENUS, FACEBOOK PASSWORDS AND ONLINE GAMING Lawmakers will tackle a variety of issues this session, big and small From restrictions on how pharmacies sell cold medicine to a measure that would block employers' access to job applicants' social networking passwords, there are a bevy of bills expected to move through the Legislature this session that sit on the outskirts of the major debates but are nevertheless important. Some of the measures already have been written. Others remain in draft form. Still more are in the conception stage, having yet to make it into writing. The legislative session begins Feb. 4. Here is a look at some of the smaller measures — those unlikely to carry front-page headlines — that could have a large impact on business and are worth keeping an eye on: Nutritional information It's pretty easy to walk into a fast food joint and not think twice about downing a burger, fries and shake. But what if the foods' fat, calorie and sodium counts were staring you in the face? Assemblywoman Lucy Flores, D-Las Vegas, argues that if more nutritional information were available, consumers might make wiser choices when ordering from chain restaurants' menus. So she has introduced legislation that would require restaurants with 10 or more locations to post nutritional information. The federal Affordable Care Act imposes a similar requirement, a fact Flores said she was unaware of when she introduced her bill, which still is in draft form. BDR 81 would mirror the federal legislation, she said. "Obesity is at epidemic levels, and the fiscal and social impacts are enormous," Flores said. "Also, in my own experience, I found that you could better manage your food choices when you had nutritional information available." Flores isn't the only lawmaker trying to craft public policy aimed at swaying people's food choices. Assemblyman Harvey Munford, D-Las Vegas, is reviving failed legislation from last session that would impose a tax on junk food bought at fast food restaurants or convenience stores. BDR 57 still is in draft form, so details weren't immediately available. But last session, Munford sought as much as a 5 percent sales tax on junk food. The 2011 bill never received so much as a committee hearing. shutterstock.com PHOTOS 14 20130128_VI01_F.indd 14 | 28 JANUARY 2013 | 1/24/13 2:23:43 PM