Perversely, public-sector attorneys get to boast that they've saved taxpayers the cost of a trial by settling a completely baseless claim.

Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, sponsored a bill to double the damage cap for Nevada governments to $100,000. Although Sen. Care, an attorney, introduced Senate Bill 66 primarily out of inflationary concerns, the measure would no doubt make public agencies less eager to settle frivolous claims -- and more apt to hold the institutions or personnel responsible for the payout accountable.

The bill passed the Senate 14-7 and the Assembly 29-13, but on Wednesday, Gov. Jim Gibbons vetoed the legislation. Gov. Gibbons said "some type of increase is undoubtedly appropriate, (but) increasing the tort cap by 100 percent is unnecessarily burdensome and fiscally harmful to government entities."

Local governments lobbied hard against the bill, arguing that it had the net effect of doubling their liabilities. That argument, however, assumes that local governments would continue to cut maximum settlement checks ad nauseam without any consideration of the merits of each claim.

Sen. Care's proposal is far from dead, however. He inserted the same legislation, as an amendment, into a bill that would increase Nevada's homestead exemption. That bill awaits a signature or veto from Gov. Gibbons.

If Gov. Gibbons decides to veto the homestead measure because of Sen. Care's amendment, the Legislature should move to override the governor's first veto before Monday's adjournment.