Special session agenda is set

Wednesday, June 13, 2001 | 10:58 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The size of the Nevada Legislature will remain the same under the latest plan being negotiated before a special session Thursday, Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said this morning.

And the reapportionment plan probably won't sit well with rural representatives.

Perkins confirmed today the tentative proposal calls for continuing the 42-member Assembly and the 21-member Senate, shifting more power to Clark County.

The preliminary plan also calls for the newly created 3rd Congressional District seat in Clark County to be evenly divided between Republican and Democratic voters.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said there has been no final deal.

As of this morning, Perkins said, the final lines for the legislative districts had not been drawn, but he added some incumbents will have to run against one another in 2002.

Assemblyman Joe Dini, D-Yerington, said rural Nevada loses under the plan, which was pushed by Clark County Democrats. The rural counties wanted to enlarge the Legislature so they could retain their present seats.

Under the realignment keeping the present size, Clark County's Assembly delegation would expand from 26 to 29 members. There would be 14 Senate districts in Clark County, one of which would include a portion of rural Nevada. Clark County currently has 13 senators.

The rural districts, which are already larger than some states, will be expanded. Dini said there won't be "communities of interest" because of the size.

Perkins said his negotiators are Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, and Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, all D-Las Vegas. Giunchigliani was chairwoman of the Assembly Committee on Elections, Procedures and Ethics, which considered reapportionment during the regular session.

Raggio and Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, are bargaining for the Republicans.

Perkins agreed that the lines have not been drawn for the districts, but that will be done today in hopes of presenting the plan to the lawmakers Thursday. Some rural legislators might see part of their districts include a portion of Clark or Washoe counties.

Giunchigliani said the negotiators worked until close to midnight Tuesday, but the final lines were not drawn.

Clark County incumbents could find themselves facing off, she said. For instance, Democrats Doug Bache and Vonne Chowning may have to square off, Guinchigliani said. Democrats Morse Arberry and Bob Price could end up in the same district. And Democrat David Parks could face Republican Kathy Von Tobel in a Clark County District.

Dini said the eastern and central parts of the state would take the biggest hit. Senior Republican Assemblyman John Marvel of Battle Mountain could be one of the casualties.

Lander and Humboldt counties, which Marvel represents, have lost population, Dini said. One plan calls for Marvel to take a portion of Washoe County or perhaps for his district to move into Elko County, which currently is included in Republican John Carpenter's district.

In Washoe County, Dini said it could pit Democrat Sheila Leslie against Republican Sharron Angle for an Assembly seat. Another district could pit Democrat Debbie Smith against Republican Don Gustavson.

In one of the Democratic plans, Dini said he would have had to take part of Washoe County that included the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

One of the stumbling blocks in the regular session was the breakdown of the new congressional seat in Clark County. Republicans wanted an even split on voters, while Democrats sought to have an advantage of 6,500.

The GOP is seeking to carve out a district in which Sen. Jon Porter, R-Henderson, would have a better chance of winning. He challenged incumbent U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., last November in a heavily Democratic district and lost.