Sen. Rhoads proposes two new Senate seats

Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000 | 4:24 a.m.

One of the new Senate districts would stretch across the northern top of Nevada all the way from California to Utah.

Much of that area currently is represented by Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, a member of the reapportionment committee and one of two key sponsors of the plan to add two rural seats.

Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, the other sponsor, currently has the area across central Nevada that would be covered by the second new seat.

Huge population increases the past decade in the Las Vegas area and to a lesser degree around Reno and Carson City have the potential to cause major changes in the drawing of new legislative districts as well as the make up of regional representation at the statehouse in 2002.

"Every 10 years we have to go through reapportionment. This is the third one I've been through," Rhoads said in a speech over the weekend to the Nevada Mining Association.

"Every time, we lose seats that go south," he said.

"I know there is some opposition, but I hope we can prevail and save these two rural seats."

Assemblyman Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, said he expects the size of the Legislature will be increased.

Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, also said he hopes there can be an increase in Senate seats so there is "some kind of representation in the rural areas," but he said he didn't like Rhoads' "math" for the new districts.

Nevada's Legislature is made up of 41 seats in the General Assembly and 21 in the Senate.

Thirteen of the Senate seats currently represent the Las Vegas area, while six are combined from Washoe County and the Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville and Lake Tahoe areas, Rhoads said.

Of the rural districts, the one covered by McGinness is the largest in the nation, while Rhoads' district is second largest.

Rhoads said that with the population surge in the state to more than 2 million, researchers are estimating each Nevada Senate district would have 92,000 people, if two seats are added, or 96,000 if no more districts are added.

Each Senate district established in 1991 had a population minimum of 57,342, and Rhoads said his current district has 79,500 people "so I've got to pick up about 13,000 people, McGinness, 4,000."