One Nevada lawmaker on Capitol Hill is pushing for the Senate to act fast on a bill focused on development in Lyon County.
The 'Yerington Lands Bill' which is co-sponsored by Republican Congressmen Mark Amodei and Joe Heck, and Democrat Shelley Berkley passed the House of Representatives earlier this week.
Then on Thursday, Republican Senator Dean Heller sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee in charge asking to expedite its hearing.
If approved in the Senate, the bill would give about 10,000 of acres of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management to the City of Yerington.
Local officials say taking over this land -- near an old copper mine -- would let them tap into infrastructure improvements made by the mining company and spur development in a county battling 15.1% unemployment.
More specifically -- they estimate the bill would create 500 jobs by 2013 - and nearly 800 by 2016.
Written by Allie Williams
