Key players in the 2003 Legislature

Friday, Jan. 31, 2003 | 5:33 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION: Feb. 2, 2003

Sixty-three lawmakers will begin work in Carson City Monday, and a handful will play critical roles in shaping the debate on the seminal issue of 2003 taxes.

Majority leaders

Senate Majority Leader

Bill Raggio, R-Reno

Raggio, who has served since 1973, is the Republican leader in Carson City, Gov. Kenny Guinn notwithstanding. Raggio chairs the Senate Finance committee and has been known to tear apart budgets and fight fiercely for Northern Nevada interests. He is walking a tenuous line this year with initial comments supporting part of an unpopular $1 billion tax hike. Raggio knows the budget better than most and says there is little room to cut. Thus, he will be a critical voice in how money is spent. But he also must control his caucus, fresh with four Southern Nevada newcomers and a former Democrat who joined him. The attorney loves the political game better than litigation, and at 76, may be looking at a signature parting blow before his rumored retirement.

Assembly Speaker

Richard Perkins,

D-Henderson

Perkins, who will serve his second session as speaker, is the leader most aligned with Guinn and the one with the most at stake. Perkins, 41, is a moderate Democrat planning to run for governor in 2006 and will likely use this, his sixth session, to carve a name for himself with frequent press availability and potentially more aggressive behavior than fits his style. In the weeks leading up to the session, Perkins declared that a broad-based business tax must be part of any plan. He will also have difficulty controlling his caucus as the more liberal voices criticize Guinn, five freshmen vie for attention and four committees have new chairmen. With Democratic control of the Assembly shrinking to 23-19, he will also have more formidable challenges from the GOP in his house.

Minority leaders

Senate Minority Leader

Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas

Titus is her party's true foil to Guinn and the Republicans. Always ready with a pithy comment, Titus will make news in her eighth session. She is also planning to run for governor in 2006 and could potentially have friction with Perkins.

Assembly Minority Leader

Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville

Hettrick comes from the conservative school of budget cutting. He has more power than in previous sessions, but also has 11 freshmen in his caucus, including his assistant leader Josh Griffin, R-Henderson, who could have successfully grabbed Hettrick's position this session had he tried.

Tax panel chairmen

Senator

Mike McGinness,

R-Fallon

McGinness is a radio station manager and a strong ally of Raggios and of northern interests. He has already stated opposition to some of the taxes in Guinns proposal, including the gross receipts tax. This is his eighth regular session.

Assemblyman

David Parks,

D-Las Vegas

Parks has served since 1997 in quiet fashion but is now chairing the committee to watch. A financial consultant, he is a budget wonk who understands tax policy better than most and has yet to tip his hand on particular taxes.

Emerging voices

Assemblyman

Bob Beers,

R-Las Vegas

Beers wanted to be a leader this session, and when that failed, he opted to lead the spending policy debate. Beers will continue to voice opposition to budget increases from his position on the Assembly Ways and Means committee.

Senator

Mark Amodei,

R-Carson City

Amodei thinks largely on his own and is more apt to side with Democrats on some issues than his own party. Now in his third session and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Amodei will use his position to talk tax policy and be creative in other areas.

Freshmen

Assemblyman

Josh Griffin,

R-Henderson

Griffin is already making himself known as assistant Assembly minority leader. A former lobbyist and son of former Reno Mayor Jeff Griffin, the 31-year-old understands the process and the politics better than most.

Assemblyman

William Horne,

D-Las Vegas

Horne brings years of mediation experience to the table, including his recent graduation from law school. He was backed in the election by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and is currently a law clerk. He will serve on Judiciary, Health and Human Services, Constitutional Amendments committees.

Assemblyman

Walter Andonov,

R-Henderson

Andonov already has quite a resume at 34. A former Army captain, Andonov has an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and is a former legislative aide to Sen. John Ensign R-Nev. He is a management consultant and will serve on Ways and Means and Education.

Assemblyman

Marcus Conklin,

D-Las Vegas

Conklin is a business manager who has a masters degree in political science. Conklin, 33, is the founding board member of the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and will probably emerge as a voice on the Elections, Procedures and Ethics; Judiciary; and Natural Resources, Agriculture and Mining committees.

Veterans

Senator

Joe Neal,

D-North Las Vegas

Neal is always making news. A maverick and true Populist now in his 16th regular session, Neal will use the budget discussion to raise his number- one issue raising the gaming tax. The only well-known candidate to challenge Guinn in last years election, Neal did it by bucking his own party.

Assemblywoman

Chris Giunchigliani,

D-Las Vegas

Giunchigliani wanted to chair Government Affairs but will continue to be a voice in the biggest debate as vice-chair of Ways and Means. A former teacher who now works in higher education, Giunchigliani supports the governors call for all-day kindergarten in at-risk schools and typically fights for education money.

Assemblyman

Morse Arberry Jr.,

D-Las Vegas

Arberry chairs Ways and Means and could use his position to bring other issues under his control by labeling them as having a fiscal impact. Arberry may enter the construction defect discussions as a result.

Senator

Ann OConnell,

R-Las Vegas

OConnell is the dominant voice for taxpayers in Carson City. As chair of the Government Affairs Committee, OConnell has jurisdiction over many issues critical to Southern Nevada municipalities. She is also one of the few southerners with Raggios ear.

Assembly Majority Leader

Barbara Buckley,

D-Las Vegas

Buckley was the Democrats leader on medical malpractice during last years special session. She helps Perkins hold things together and is not afraid to take on the powerful interests.

Lobbyists

Almost every bill that gets passed in Nevada has support from the big industries and players. Here are a handful who will be in thick of the tax debate.

Harvey Whittemore

Whittemore is the uber lobbyist, representing everything from big tobacco companies to the casino industry. He will lobby on behalf of the gaming companies that want a gross receipts tax on business and will certainly emerge on every other big issue from construction defects to Nevada Power Co.

Pete Ernaut

Ernaut, Gov. Kenny Guinns former chief of staff, is largely looking out for the governors interest. A former assemblyman, Ernaut knows the game and will do anything to make Guinn and, to a lesser extent, the Republican Party, come out on top. While taxes will be his top priority, Ernaut was also a key broker in the medical malpractice special session and will be tapped again if that issue comes up.

Sam McMullen

McMullen represents a variety of interests, most notably the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. At the end of the 2001 session McMullen promised the chamber would part of future tax solutions. McMullen will be one of the voices of business in a session where business will be heard from a lot.

Pat Shalmy

Shalmy, president of Nevada Power Co., will certainly make his company's case that the utility is not for sale. Power issues will vie for attention, especially since a bill prohibiting the sale of a private utility to a public company sunsets this summer.

Pat Mulroy

Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, will use passage of Question 14, an advisory question that asks the Legislature to allow a public electrical utility in Clark County to advise lawmakers that the public is interested in a public power company.

Aides

Marybel Batjer

Batjer is Gov. Kenny Guinns chief of staff and the taxpayers equivalent to Pete Ernaut. A fourth-generation Nevadan and political liaison to former Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger, Batjer will go to bat for Guinn. She also earned her reputation as someone who can bring different parties to the table. While serving on the National Security Council during the Ronald Reagan administration, Batjer organized three Reagan summits with Mikhail Gorbachev.

Joe Brezny

Brezny, director of the Senate Republican Caucus, will help Majority Leader Bill Raggio keep the GOP in line. A fresh political mind who helped Raggio raise money and win all open Senate seats for the Republicans last year, Brezny has instant credibility for his new job.

Lindsey Jydstrup

Jydstrup, chairwoman of the Democratic Legislative Caucus, shuffles between houses stumping for Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, Majority Leader Barbara Buckley and Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus. She tries to keep the Democrats unified and protected for future elections.

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