Governor shifts his policy on gaming appointment

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 | 9:42 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Shifting directions, Gov. Kenny Guinn says he will name an attorney from Clark County as the new chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, upsetting the longtime north-south balance.

The governor on Aug. 7 said he planned to appoint an attorney from Northern Nevada to maintain the 3-2 geographical balance with Clark County, which holds the majority. In commission history, there have never been four members from one county on the five-member commission.

"Once some of the people (from Northern Nevada) dropped out, I had to start looking at it a little differently," Guinn said Monday. "I've kind of changed my direction by actions taken outside my control."

He said he has interviewed two finalists and may talk to one more possible candidate. "I'm trying to decide right now if I have the time to do another one. I'm looking at whether I should or I shouldn't. I don't want to interview everybody if they don't have the experience the other two have."

Being mentioned as possible candidates are lawyers Peter Bernhard, who is chairman of the state Ethics Commission, and John Bailey. Both are in private practice in Las Vegas.

"I hope to get this done as quickly as I can," the governor said. "It's hard when you do it yourself (the interviews). It's not something you give the staff to do. It takes more time."

Brian Sandoval, a Reno lawyer, announced his resignation as commission chairman July 26 to prepare for a possible bid for state attorney general. The commission operated at its August meeting with only four members; former Lt. Gov. Sue Wagner of Reno presided.

The other three members are Arthur Marshall, Augie Gurrola and Radha Chanderraj, all from Las Vegas.

The law states that there cannot be more than three people from one political party on the commission. In this case Guinn is free to name anybody. Wagner and Chanderraj are Republican, Marshall is a Democrat and Gurrola is an independent.

The job pays $55,000 a year. But the chairman, who has been a lawyer, has traditionally been able to continue his private practice, as long as he doesn't have gaming clients.

"I believe it has to be somebody with a lawyer's background who has some experience in relationship to gaming. Not that they worked in a hotel or anything, but they had some understanding or exposure to the complexity of gaming and what it means to us in the state."