Saturday, Feb. 3, 2001 | 11:05 a.m.
The vanilla scent wafting from a burning candle and the sounds of Sarah McLachlan cooing from a tape deck seem out of place in Henderson Police's homicide office.
But then, Richard Perkins belies both his job as deputy police chief and his 6-foot-5-inch frame with a New Age sensitivity and soft-spoken manner.
Newly named Assembly Speaker Perkins plans to use both the size of the bully pulpit and the polite tenor of his voice to draw more attention to Southern Nevada's needs, even as he subtly positions himself for higher office.
"My way has always been to do things very quietly and very low key," Perkins said.
Yet when the discussion turns to the Nevada State College at Henderson -- which he has championed despite initial reports Gov. Kenny Guinn would not fund the project -- Perkins says confidently: "Everything's got to come through my House."
In fact, Guinn surprised quite a few people during his State of the State address Jan. 22 when he announced he would fund the college's construction and its first-year enrollment.
"He never called me once," Guinn said of Perkins. "He never sent anybody to see me about it. He never lobbied. I think that says a lot about his character."
When Guinn was deciding whether to build a $32 million state office building in Carson City, he scrutinized a report suggesting the Henderson college could help churn out enough teachers to put a dent in the critical statewide classroom-instructor shortage.
"At the time I said it was not in my budget," Guinn said of the college. "It's something I guess he worked on, but had it been lower on the Board of Regents' priority list, it wouldn't have been in my budget."
Immediately the buzz began in Carson City, with some suggesting the college money was a way to draw Democrats nearer before a closely divided Legislature begins its 120-day session Monday.
"People can say that," Perkins said as he sipped a soft drink in his legislative office after Guinn's speech. "But I believe he decided based on the merits of the project."
Funding for the state office building is still pending.
Perkins, 38, has had time to practice both humility and leadership. In 1993, during his first session, Perkins looked to Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, for advice.
Dini, whom Perkins replaced as the Assembly's top official, was lauded by both parties for being tough but always fair-minded and gentlemanly.
Perkins quickly commanded similar respect, becoming floorleader during his second term in an Assembly that was evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans.
Pushing party agenda
Legislators remember Perkins moving issues forward and counting up votes, with Democrats believing he was pushing the party's agenda and Republicans thinking he had carefully formed coalitions.
Assembly Majority Floor Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said many lawmakers talk idly about the need to help their parties' newer legislators.
"He's done it," said Buckley, who owes her current leadership position to Perkins. "A lot of people say we need to train the younger folks. He does it."
Henderson Police Chief Mike Mayberry said Perkins has always looked out for younger officers as he worked his way up the ranks during his 17 years on the force. For example, at one point he required detectives to wear uniforms like their street-officer counterparts once a month.
"He brings people together," Mayberry said. "I think that he has the unique ability to find ways for people to work together on issues that they don't necessarily agree on.
"He has a really unbelievable ability to keep track of all kinds of competing interests at the same time and be able to prioritize and get things done," Mayberry said.
Police work was a natural for Perkins, who grew up with two siblings and his police officer father. Perkins said he was drawn to the profession by his dad, Ken, whom he occasionally joined on patrol.
Right place, right time
Perkins attributes much of his political rise to simply being in the right place at the right time.
"Politics is an animal of opportunity," he said.
When Mayberry was sergeant in May 1988 and needed a few days off, it seemed fitting to make Perkins the officer in charge.
But on Perkins' first day in that post Henderson literally blew up.
Pacific Engineering and Production Co. of Nevada exploded that day, triggering enough ground movement to register 3.5 on the Richter scale.
"It's his first day of being in charge, and he did a remarkably good job in the early minutes of what was total chaos in this city," Mayberry recalls. "I think we knew back then that he was going to be a very capable supervisor."
Perkins was elected to lead the Henderson Police Officers' Association -- a job he used to get his colleagues good contracts and develop relationships with city officials.
With crime being a national story in 1992, Perkins was prodded to run for a newly created Assembly district in Henderson.
Ever since, he's been balancing both jobs, helping pass a huge criminal-reform bill in 1995 and fighting against a graduated license proposal that would have allowed certain teenage drivers to operate vehicles with only notes from their parents.
"I wrote my own notes when I skipped school," Perkins said. "It just wouldn't have worked."
Police work is the "best training I could ever have for politics. You learn to negotiate, de-escalate situations and check people out," he said.
Assembly Minority Floor Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, thinks Perkins has proven his abilities.
"He's an intelligent young guy with a lot of energy and drive and interest," Hettrick said. "Politically, I think he's very astute."
Perkins' success this session will ride primarily on the back of the state college and reapportionment, Hettrick said.
"The economy looks like it's softening," Hettrick said before Guinn's speech. "We need to be very, very careful. They're going to need to show me first that we can afford it, and second that we need it."
With Guinn clearly on board, the state college already seems a win for Perkins.
But reapportionment, which will create new boundaries for congressional, legislative, university regent and state Board of Education seats, will be "a tough battle."
"There's so many inside games within reapportionment that it can be its own game," Perkins said.
And with some Democrats, such as Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, proclaiming Guinn's honeymoon over, Perkins could be facing the most partisan session in recent memory.
Perkins said he just concentrates on the issues, naming electricity deregulation the state's most pressing concern.
Personal concerns
His personal concern will be visiting his family as often as possible.
During Perkins' first session, his wife, Terri, daughter of Mormon Bishop Robert Campbell, used to mail letters from his then-6-year-old daughter.
"It got to the point where I said, 'Would you please stop sending the letters?' " Perkins said. "Save them for when I come home on weekends because at least then I can hug her when I cry."
There are five children in the Perkins family, ranging in age from 12 to 23, including three stepchildren from his wife's previous marriage.
Weekly roller-hockey sessions help Perkins unwind. Pictures of traveling, hiking, rafting and hunting trips with his family share office space in Henderson with a shot of him meeting former President Clinton.
In his Carson City office, the walls display framed prints of wolves -- the animals' yellow eyes suggesting both power and a protective nature.
Frequently at his side in Carson City are Buckley and Titus, forming a solid triumvirate ready to comment on any Guinn plan or legislative issue or help with a dose of Democratic spin.
Hours before Guinn's State of the State address, the three invited reporters into Perkins' office to talk about "what they hoped" would be in the speech. Minutes after sounding the closing gavel, Perkins was back with the others for a post-game analysis.
After calling roll and introducing the guests at the speech, Perkins stepped down from his first official duty as the Assembly's top official and was immediately greeted by "Nice job, Speaker" as he maneuvered through the clogged hallways outside its chambers.
Well traveled
Perkins enjoys the limelight almost as much as he loves Nevada -- he often mentions his various travels statewide and calls Lake Tahoe the most beautiful place on Earth.
So it isn't much of a stretch to envision him campaigning in Elko or Tonopah for the state's top job. Clearly, a state Senate seat would be a lateral move, and he says Washington doesn't interest him.
"There have been folks who have suggested to me a run for governor at some point in time," Perkins said.
He thinks of former Sen. Richard Bryan's storybook political career, which included stints in the Clark County District Attorney's office, the state attorney general office and the Governor Mansion and ended in the U.S. Senate.
"Richard Bryan's career is a fairy-tale career," Perkins said. "I think that you really do the best that you can where you're at during a particular time."
And this session, with reapportionment, teacher salaries, electricity deregulation and Internet taxes up for battle, Perkins could easily emerge as a front-runner.
Inspiring others
"I think he inspires other people to do their best," Buckley said. "Leadership quality is sometimes hard to describe. But he has it."
Guinn said he judges people by their demeanor, honesty and character.
"Richard Perkins has all of that," Guinn said. "I think he's low-keyed, but he can be as tough as he has to be.
"I think he has the character to do more things for the state of Nevada," Guinn said.
Buckley said she thinks Perkins would be frustrated by the political gridlock in Washington, but believes he can become the state's top executive.
"I think he would be an excellent governor," Buckley said.
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