Wiener a good listener

Larry Henry

Monday, April 21, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Freshman state Sen. Valerie Wiener is earning respect by working hard and keeping a low profile, according to legislators and lobbyists asked to grade her performance.

With the 1997 Legislature now past the halfway mark, Wiener scored a B grade.

In a recent SUN survey of Assembly freshmen, three received B's, four were given C's and one received a D. Wiener is the only legislative freshman in the Senate. Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, is serving his first Senate term, but he has also been an assemblyman.

Two Republican senators and one Democrat took part in the Senate freshman survey, along with three lobbyists. They participated on the condition that their names would be withheld.

Most praised Wiener's work ethic and smarts.

"She's a very bright lady," said a Republican senator.

Wiener is known for showing up at committee hearings with bills underlined in yellow and for asking informed questions. "She gets good marks on researching the issues," said one lobbyist.

Another lobbyist said Wiener had a slight ego at the start of the session because she had just defeated former Sen. Sue Lowden, whom many Republicans thought of as a good bet for higher office.

"She had a head problem after beating the person who wanted to be governor," said the lobbyist, who added that Wiener since then has "adapted well."

Now Wiener is virtually invisible, sitting on the back row in the Senate chamber, and rarely speaking up.

She's such a quiet presence that one Democratic senator criticized her for it.

"She's so cautious that she doesn't circulate," the senator said. "She's too reclusive."

However, Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, who helped mobilize unions and other constituencies to beat Lowden, said Wiener's critics forget that a quiet, studious nature can be an asset for freshmen senators. The Assembly is more boisterous, Titus said, because members there run every two years and need media attention during each biennial session. Senators run every four years.

"She is super-conscientious," Titus said of Wiener. "She works harder than anyone, and she still has the idealism of a freshman."

A Democratic senator who graded Wiener said there was some concern early on that she would gravitate toward the media, especially since she was Sen. Harry Reid's press secretary and now makes a living in public relations, teaching others how to exploit news situations.

"There were expectations that Valerie would talk more than she listened and that her own ego would get in the way, but it hasn't," the Democrat said.

Wiener, 48, said she doesn't mind being thought of as low key.

"If you go too far forward too soon," she said, "you stop being a listener."

She said she has chosen to focus on only a few pet projects, namely, juvenile crime and charter schools.

"There's a big picture to see," she said, "and all the pieces are falling together."

One Republican said it's too early to tell where Wiener is on the political spectrum, but Wiener said she is reaching out to members of both parties, including the Senate's kingpin, Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno. Raggio, 70, was a law partner of Wiener's late father, Louis.

"I told Sen. Raggio that he and I have the same birthday, Oct. 30," Wiener said. "He said, 'Do we share the same year?' and I said, 'Not even close.'"