Raggio, Hettrick keep their top legislative posts

Friday, Nov. 8, 2002 | 10:01 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A threatened revolt by some Clark County legislators to take over the Republican leadership in the Senate and the Assembly has failed to materialize.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, was re-elected without opposition and Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Minden, was retained in that post for the 2003 Legislature.

There were rumblings during the election campaign by some candidates that Southern Nevada should claim the top party posts in the GOP. Among Democrats, Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, faces no opposition for another term and Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, was re-elected Wednesday.

There was already a potential controversy boiling involving committee assignments. Traditionally, the Democratic and Republican leaderships name whom they want on each committee.

But Republicans say that Perkins may decide what Republicans should be on each committee instead of allowing the GOP Assembly members to decide.

Perkins said Thursday he has not made that decision yet. But Raggio said that would set a "bad precedent" and would have a "ripple effect," meaning the same thing might happen to the Democrats in the Senate.

Raggio said he did not want to see the session start off in controversy.

Raggio has been the majority leader since 1995, Hettrick has been minority leader for the last three sessions.

Josh Griffin of Las Vegas, elected to his first term in the Assembly, was chosen assistant minority leader to Hettrick. Griffin, who operates a public relations firm and has an interest in an A-frame sign company, reportedly had been interested in leading a Southern takeover of the leadership.

Griffin beat out Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, and Sharron Angle, R-Reno, in a three-way race for the job.

State Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, was retained as assistant leader and state Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, was chosen president pro tem.

Amodei, elected to his second term, will succeed state Sen. Lawrence Jacobson, R-Minden, who lost his job to reapportionment. Amodei will preside over the Senate in the absence of Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt.

Committee assignments by the both parties in each house will be made later.