Many professions make Legislature work

Monday, March 15, 1999 | 1:52 a.m.

Business people make up the largest single bloc - 18 legislators list their primary job as business owner or executive.

Fifteen lawmakers have worked for some tax-funded entity - a city, county, school or university - creating the second largest bloc.

Nine are retirees. Eight describe themselves as consultants. Seven are attorneys.

Four claim ranching as their profession, even if they are retired or lease the ranch to others.

So who does the jobs at home when this diverse group of people is serving in the Legislature?

Sometimes they try to do both jobs by working on weekends and at night. Sometimes family members or fellow employees carry the burden. Sometimes people are hired to fill in. Sometimes nobody does their work.

Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, is believed to be the first waitress elected to the state Senate. Since Treasure Island opened six years ago, the member of the Culinary Union Local 226 has worked at the Lookout Cafe.

"A legislator makes about what a waitress makes," Carlton said.

The legislative salary is $130 a day for the first 60 days, or $7,800. With per diem payments, their compensation rises to $15,720.

Among the other one-of-a-kind lawmakers, the police officer is Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins, D-Henderson. The retired nuclear physicist is Assemblyman Harry Mortenson, D-Las Vegas, the pastor is Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, and the book dealer is Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas.

Each of the 63 lawmakers has different ways of juggling job demands, and sometimes the loss of pay, with their four months at the Legislature.

For northern Nevadans, it's a little easier to get in a few hours of regular work at the end of each legislative day. But a number of southern Nevadans use their weekends for working.

For many of the self-employed, family members take up the slack. Sons, daughters and in-laws pitch in.

For lawmakers who are educators, the school districts, universities and community colleges hire someone, often with less experience, to fill in. Because the lawmakers take unpaid leaves, the educational entities usually end up saving some money.

A few lawmakers walk away from their jobs and don't try to work on weekends when they are home.

"I fully expect to devote all my time to the legislative session," said Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, a freshman lawmaker and a Las Vegas attorney. "From what the veterans tell me, the second half of the session we'll be working Saturdays and Sundays."

For the educators, any movement toward annual sessions would be likely to force at least some of them out of the Legislature.

While their bosses accommodate them when they are out one semester every other year, being out every year would be a greater hardship, many said.

"I'm not sure I could still serve with annual sessions," said Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Titus and the other public employees in education take longer to qualify for retirement benefits because of their legislative service. In Titus' case, she gives up half her $62,000-a-year annual salary, as well as postpones her retirement.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, has lost four full years that would count toward his retirement from the community college where he teaches dentistry because of his eight sessions in the Legislature.

Some people find they can't handle both their job at home and the Legislature.

Assemblyman Kelly Thomas, D-Las Vegas, resigned as a planning assistant for North Las Vegas on Dec. 18 after city officials told him it would be a hardship to do without him for four months.