Columnist Jon Ralston: Democrats’ reapportionment plan pure politics

Wednesday, May 9, 2001 | 9:15 a.m.

Jon Ralston hosts the public affairs program "Face to Face" on Las Vegas ONE and also publishes the Ralston Report. His column for the Sun appears on Sundays and Wednesdays. Ralston can be reached at 870-7997 or through e-mail at ralston@ vegas.com

CARSON CITY -- Scenes from a Legislature, as the battle lines are drawn (literally), the Henderson taxman cometh (literally) and death doesn't take a holiday (figuratively):

* One big, unhappy family: Anyone who thinks the Democrats are serious with that reapportionment plan they presented Tuesday must be prematurely taking advantage of that medicinal marijuana bill. Here are three clues, folks: There are two solid Democratic congressional districts in Clark County, GOP Sens. Bill Raggio and Randolph Townsend were put in the same district and, best of all, the party's lead congressional contenders, Rep. Shelley Berkley and Clark County Commissioner Dario Herrera, were drawn into the same district.

So what's happening here? From the Democratic perspective, the message is: This is our starting point, we'll move from here. From the GOP standpoint, the message is: You must be joking, you clowns.

Ironically, Herrera should be the most upset with his own former colleagues' decision to draw him into Berkley's district instead of the new third one. Part of the problem is he lives relatively close to one of Berkley's residences; the other part is that he does not have a lot of friends up here while his possible primary contender, David Goldwater, does. Would Herrera move if he had to? My guess is yes. But my guess is he ultimately won't have to, although Berkley, who now owns property in the proposed third district, has sent mixed messages about where she wants to run now. My guess is she'll stick to the west part of the valley.

One more reapportionment note: GOP state Sen. Jon Porter, who has made noises about running for the third seat or against Berkley, was drawn into the incumbent's district, too. Actually, with Berkley's margin cut substantially to only 22,000 more Democrats than Republicans, she may be vulnerable to the right challenge. And even with an 18,000-voter advantage in the new district, the Democrats wouldn't be totally impregnable. Maybe the Republicans should consider adopting that plan.

* Will growth get paid for growth? Speaker Richard Perkins plans to testify Thursday in the state Senate on that bill he had drafted to shift part of that complex tax formula toward his hometown of Henderson. Perkins plans to testify not about the substance of the issue but to offer context -- he pulled a similar measure last session under the hope that the locals would work it out. They didn't, so he's back.

Perkins is likely to accept the suggestions of a technical committee that a Consumer Price Index adjustment for each of the cities and Clark County, not in his current bill, be restored. I think he sees that as the compromise. But the city of Las Vegas folks have been offering some money and formula changes to the Henderson folks, which may bear fruit and change his stance.

Perkins chatted with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman on Tuesday and will chat with His Honor today in Carson City. Goodman also is expected to meet with other legislators to talk about the state's attempt to take money from local government to solve a funding crisis. Perkins and Goodman are on the same page on state Sen. Bill Raggio's property tax reallocation move -- they're against it. But don't count Sir Bill out yet.

* Will the moratorium stay in? Sources report that the vote is very close in the Assembly Judiciary Committee on whether to keep a two-year moratorium in Mark James' state Senate version of that death penalty bill. It may actually get out of the committee over the strong objections of Perkins.

But once it gets to the floor -- if it gets to the floor -- Perkins may be able to get the requisite 22 votes to kill it. Why? Because he will have all or most of the 15 Republicans, who will want to show their death penalty bona fides. And that means Perkins needs to get six Democrats -- maybe seven or eight if a Republican or two goes with the James bill -- and I think he can get there. He has been passionate about the issue and my guess is he will twist a few arms if he has to for the moratorium to be excised.

James would be apoplectic and might want to hold hostages as retribution. But Raggio would be very pleased. And the great magnanimous King of the North might just set those prisoners free.