Dual roles: Lawmakers juggle personal, political lives

Erin Neff

Monday, March 3, 2003 | 11:28 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A casino formerly called The Senator each night illuminates a symbol of political opulence appropos to a state capital -- a neon figure depicting a heavyset, suspender-wearing elected official complete with Nevada-style cowboy hat and a fist full of cash.

But several blocks south on Carson Street, the men and women trying to solve Nevada's current cash crunch and pending $704 million deficit belie the image that so many people have of lawmakers.

Most of the 63 lawmakers assembled in the capital not only lack fists full of cash, but also are distracted by the financial situation that serving has placed them in.

Personal finance isn't the only thing on legislators' minds. There are babies on the way, illnesses, business struggles and young families more than 400 miles away that distract them from their official duties.

Each says he or she is proud to serve and knew about the low pay and long hours before deciding to run.

But the reality for many is proving more difficult in practice than theory, now that legislators have three full weeks of the 102-day session behind them.

"When I thought of running, my wife and I sat down and said, 'How are we going to do this, on faith?' " recalls Assemblyman Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City, who makes his living as a family doctor. "It was a sanity test and I didn't pass."

While his patients are well cared for by Hardy's three partners, the office still has overhead that each week exceeds the $7,800 he will make over the next two years for serving as a legislator.

"Financially, it's a disaster," Hardy, a freshman lawmaker, said. "There's no question it's not worth it financially, but I did it because I need to be there for this session."

Those who follow the Legislature say that individual hardships are plentiful and provide plenty of distractions to lawmakers.

"It's a chronic problem of part-time legislators," said Eric Herzik, interim dean of the University of Nevada, Reno's College of Arts and Sciences. "They may say they're not distracted, but it's very hard to focus when you have individual problems.

"These are human beings we're talking about after all," Herzik added.

Freshman Assemblywoman Peggy Pierce, D-Las Vegas, is grappling with more than a blow to her income this session. She finished an initial round of chemotherapy for breast cancer four weeks ago and provides a daily reminder of her illness with the different wigs she wears each day.

"I told the voters when I was running," Pierce said. "I laid it all out for them in a letter, and they sent me here. I feel fine and I'm here to serve."

Freshman Assemblyman Bob McCleary, D-North Las Vegas, surprised many observers with his victory over veteran lawmaker Doug Bache in last year's election. He also surprised his boss at a car dealership, who promptly fired him, he said.

"There was just no way they could keep someone on who would have to be gone for four months and miss work for meetings all the time," McCleary said.

Now McCleary is supporting his wife and four children on his legislative paycheck -- and he's gambling that no one gets sick.

"I don't have any health insurance because I can't afford the COBRA payments," McCleary said.

Since lawmakers pay more out of pocket to serve than they receive, only the independently wealthy ones can survive the session without incurring debt. But a Legislature of 63 rich people was not what the state founders envisioned when they created a citizen legislature.

During a hearing on pay raises for county elected officials, Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson, D-North Las Vegas, said he sympathized with those who have gone without raises for eight years.

"When I was told my salary was $7,800, I thought that was per month," Atkinson, a freshman, joked.

Freshman Assemblyman Garn Mabey, R-Las Vegas, is a gynecologist who gave up his obstetrical work shortly after the election, more because of rising malpractice premiums than because of the workload.

In Carson City he has his hands full in a different way. After a full week of committee meetings, floor sessions and social events, Mabey flies home to his family and gynecological patients each weekend.

"I see patients every Saturday," Mabey said.

Two weekends ago he spent his entire Saturday with 27 patients, then much of Sunday with his family before flying back to Carson City.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said the average Nevadan does not realize the sacrifices lawmakers make in order to serve.

"I think some people have this image of us as politicians who are raking in the cash," Perkins said. "The reality is that it's very hard to juggle a job with serving."

Perkins, a deputy police chief in Henderson, uses most of his vacation and leave time during the session, works weekends when he is home and checks in with his office each day, he said.

Assemblymen Chad Christensen, R-Las Vegas, and William Horne, D-Las Vegas, both have wives expecting babies. Christensen's fourth is due in March and Horne's is due in April.

"The two weekends are tough because my wife is taking care of the kids and she's due in six weeks," Christensen said.

Freshman Assemblyman Josh Griffin's wife is caring for a 7-week-old and three other children.

"The part I've noticed more than any financial hit is just the hardship this puts on my wife," Griffin, R-Henderson, said.

Former Assemblyman Bob Price, who was beaten by Atkinson last year, said the distractions are only one of the reasons he continues to support a measure for annual sessions.

"I think there should be annual sessions and I think the Legislature should get a salary increase," said Price, who now lives in Sparks and continues to monitor the legislative process. "What they get now isn't even a salary, considering all the work they do.

"If the people want a group of legislators to be ready to tackle the state's problems when they arise -- not just every two years -- they're going to have to support annual sessions and, in turn, more money for them."