Perkins will lead Assembly

Cy Ryan and Jace Radke

Thursday, Nov. 9, 2000 | 10:53 a.m.

The members of the Assembly's Democratic majority huddled in a suite on the 22nd floor of the Luxor Wednesday night and chose Assemblyman Richard Perkins of Henderson as their new speaker.

Perkins was chosen unanimously by his fellow Democrats, including former Speaker Joe Dini of Yerington.

"What else can you say except that I'm honored by the support of these folks," said Perkins, who previously served as majority leader. "To get this support, especially from Joe Dini, who is such a historic person, is just a complete honor."

Meanwhile, at a closed-door caucus of Senate Democrats held about a mile away, Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, was re-elected minority leader, a post she has held since 1993.

Dini, a casino owner, has established records no other legislators can touch. He served as speaker for eight regular sessions of the Legislature, more than anybody in history. When he completes this term, he will have served 36 years in the Assembly, far longer than anybody else.

The records will stand, since a constitutional amendment now limits Assembly members to six terms and senators to three -- 12 years apiece. The limits do not apply to legislators who were in office by 1996, when the amendment was passed.

While Dini came from a small rural county, he was able to gain the confidence of most Assembly members from Las Vegas. Each election, he collected large campaign contributions and filtered part of that war chest to Democratic candidates to help them get elected. They repaid the favor by electing him speaker.

Dini was always wise enough to select a lawmaker from Southern Nevada to be majority leader, the second in command, to give geographical balance to the Assembly leadership. In 1995 he chose Perkins, then an untested sophomore, to be majority leader and keep the Democrats in line.

Republicans and Democrats were tied 21-21 in that session, and Perkins worked with Republican Majority Leader Pete Ernaut, who later became Gov. Kenny Guinn's chief of staff. The two developed a friendship and a good working relationship.

When the Democrats took back full control of the Assembly in 1997, Dini again named Perkins as majority leader, a post he also held in the 1999 session. Last session Perkins emerged as Democratic spokesman in the Assembly to question and criticize the Republican administration of Guinn.

With Perkins taking over as speaker, Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, could move up to majority leader, becoming the first woman to hold the job in the recent history of the Assembly.

A majority leader was not chosen at Wednesday night's meeting, and neither were any of the 11 Assembly committee chairs, eight of which were headed by Clark County Democrats last session.

"It would be safe to say that we'll have a majority leader soon," Perkins said.

At the Senate caucus, Titus also did not name an assistant leader or a party whip, and the group decided to make committee assignments later. But Titus said she did not anticipate any change in the committee makeups.

The Senate caucus decided it will hire a consultant to advise it on reapportionment. Titus, after the two-hour meeting, said she wants the Democrats to go into the 2001 session united on the issue.

But there was no discussion on whether the Senate and the House should be enlarged to allow some lawmakers from rural Nevada to retain their seats.

Titus has been one of the Democratic leaders in criticizing some of the programs of the Guinn administration.

Assembly Republicans were scheduled to meet today in Las Vegas to select their leadership. Lynn Hettrick of Gardnerville, who has been the party leader in the Assembly since 1995, doesn't see many changes for the 2001 session.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, hasn't set a time for the Republicans in the upper house to meet. He is odds-on favorite to be re-elected as majority leader, a position he has held since 1993.