Editorial: Issue isn’t going to be a snoozer

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2000 | 9:38 a.m.

Some might believe the topic of reapportionment is a cure for insomnia. But before the yawning starts, the fact is that reapportionment is a critical issue. The redrawing of political boundaries every 10 years can play a decisive role in deciding which party -- or in Nevada, more importantly, which region -- maintains power for a decade. Who wields the levers of power can determine whether fast-growing regions, such as Southern Nevada, get the necessary funding to provide adequate government services.

The explosive growth in Southern Nevada since the 1990 census means Northern Nevada will lose seats once the population figures are finalized. So Northern Nevadan legislators say they will seek to expand the size of the Legislature in order to keep the seats. But a convincing argument still hasn't been presented that adding a few seats would result in legislators providing significantly better representation for their constituents.

Expanding the Legislature instead looks more like insurance for a few incumbents from Northern Nevada so they don't have to run against each other in the next general election. And it doesn't help their cause that the projected costs for adding legislators is huge -- and certainly will only increase as more time passes. The head of the Legislature's staff reported last week that adding just one member to the Senate or the Assembly would cost $315,000 over two years, once the legislator's salary and additional staff costs are factored in.

Even though the Legislature won't meet until February, there already is intense jockeying as to how lawmakers will tackle the contentious issue. Last week Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, fired one of the first salvos, pushing for a firm deadline for passage of the reapportionment bill. But Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, opposes a time limit.

Of course, Raggio, the master of the endgame in Nevada state politics, would love for this to be decided as the legislative session gets closer to shutting down. Raggio's legendary ability to get even the most recalcitrant Southern Nevada politician to do whatever he wants is especially potent at the end of a legislative session, especially when there is horse trading going on. A firm deadline that precludes a late-session decision, then, would rob Raggio of his bargaining power. Gamesmanship is part of politics, but the Legislature shouldn't increase the possibility of even more more shenanigans by needlessly delaying reapportionment until late in the session.