Legislative leadership sees challenge

Cy Ryan and Erin Neff

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002 | 11:25 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Democrats failed to make any headway in their drive to take over the state Senate in Tuesday's election, and there's some unrest with Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus of Las Vegas.

Republicans held their 12-9 edge, meaning Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, should continue as majority leader.

But at least one Democrat wants to dethrone Titus.

"It's time to move on with another leader," said Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, who in the past has made some moves to replace Titus. "We've been in the minority for a full decade and she hasn't moved the party forward."

Republicans have held the majority in the Senate since 1993.

Titus could not be reached for comment. But she has scheduled the first caucus of Senate Democrats for this afternoon in Las Vegas to talk about leadership.

"Dina is a very talented person," Schneider said. "But her message may not be what the people of Nevada want."

Titus had targeted Republican Sen. Maurice Washington of Sparks for defeat and had banked on Democrat Terry Lamuraglia winning in an open seat previously held by a Republican in Clark County.

Neither Lamuraglia nor Democrat Joe Carter succeeded.

Sen. Ray Shaffer, D-North Las Vegas, also wants new leadership but said, "I would be surprised if we could get the numbers." Five votes are needed and those who oppose Titus have three -- himself, Schneider and Sen. Joe Neal of Las Vegas, he said. Those three have tried and failed in the past to replace Titus.

"After 10 years of her (Titus) running the show, it has not been very healthy," he said.

But Sens. Bob Coffin of Las Vegas and Bernice Mathews of Reno said they have not been contacted by anybody who wants to reorganize the leadership.

"I don't have any problem with Dina," Mathews said.

Raggio has called a GOP caucus for Thursday in Reno to choose leadership. There does not appear to be any challenge to his continuing as majority leader.

Assemblyman Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas, who beat Lamuraglia, said he expected the meeting to be cordial and there would probably not be anybody from Southern Nevada taking on Raggio.

Nolan had previously suggested the leadership should move to Clark County. But the two patched up their differences after the primary election.

Republicans in the other house, however, might oust Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, as minority leader.

Sources tell the Sun that newly elected freshman assemblyman Josh Griffin, R-Henderson, has support to wrest the minority leader position from Hettrick during Thursday's caucus meeting in Reno.

A power struggle is also under way for control of Democratic committees in the Assembly, as three incumbent committee chairs lost re-election bids this year.

There are three open chairmanships in the Senate with Judiciary, Legislative Affairs and Operations and Transportation committees all open. There are two open seats on the powerful Senate Finance Committee, which is headed by Raggio.

Raggio said no decisions have been made on replacements.