Rawson resigns teaching position

Kirsten Searer

Wednesday, March 3, 2004 | 11:25 a.m.

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, announced this morning he has quit his teaching job at the Community College of Southern Nevada in the wake of the state attorney general's ruling that said state employees couldn't serve in the Legislature.

"If service as a state senator conflicts with my position within the university system, then that conflict exists immediately -- not next week, not next month, not next election," Rawson said in a news conference this morning.

Rawson, a dentist who teaches in the college dental hygiene program, said he felt "ethically forced" to leave his CCSN job, which pays up to $187,879 a year, after Attorney General Brian Sandoval's opinion on Monday.

Sandoval decided state employees serving in the Legislature was a violation of the separation of powers doctrine.

The attorney general's opinion is not a court ruling and the other five legislators who hold full-time state jobs have said they will continue to run for office and hold their jobs until a court makes a final decision on the issue.

Rawson would not comment on the route taken by those lawmakers and said he would not participate in any legal challenge of Sandoval's opinion.

"I respect the opinion," Rawson said. "He's the attorney general and that's simple enough."

Rawson called the double-dipping scandal of the last year that prompted the opinion "inexcusable" violations of taxpayers' trust and said he was frustrated that state employees who were not implicated are now bearing the brunt of the fallout. The controversy erupted over revelations that several lawmakers had collected pay from their local government jobs while the Legislature was in session.

"Ironically the attorney general's opinion will not affect those who violated that trust but will affect many who would not and did not," Rawson said.

Rawson said he will miss teaching and when he announced his decision to his students this morning they gave him a standing ovation.

Rawson will finish his duties at the college on a volunteer basis, but he said he felt compelled to immediately stop drawing a salary.

"Those who would suggest that I could remain in both positions and continue to draw my salary from the Community College while this issue is litigated, as I am sure it will be, do not know the real Ray Rawson," he said this morning. "I truly believe that character counts."

Rawson pointed out that he serves on 13 interim legislative committees that meet when the Legislature is not in session.

"Rather than jeopardize my ability to serve in an interim capacity, I have made my choice now," he said.

He called the decision to leave the college a difficult one, saying it was one of many financial sacrifices he has made as a legislator.

Because public employees must take leaves of absence during the Legislative session, they lose out on retirement benefits and salary while they are in Carson City.

Rawson said he has "refinanced my home and depleted my savings so that I could report for work on the first day of every legislative session."

Rawson said he will be able to draw some retirement benefits from his 25 years with CCSN, but he will also look to work in private practice dentistry.

He said given the pressing issues facing the Legislature, now is not the time for him to quit his part-time job as a lawmaker.

"Parents don't walk away from their children during troubled times, soldiers don't walk away from the battle, and this legislator doesn't walk away from this great state's most critical challenges," Rawson said.

Rawson, 63, is facing a tough challenger in this year's Republican primary from Assemblyman Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, who gained name recognition last year when he was one of the most outspoken critics of the tax increases.

Rawson said quitting his CCSN job "gives me new time in the afternoons to walk the neighborhoods" as part of his campaign.

Beers this morning said he doesn't see Rawson's announcement as having any "tremendous impact" on the race.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said Rawson's decision to give up his teaching paycheck "shows a deep commitment to legislative service. It is a huge sacrifice for him. ... I commend his dedication and resolve."

Rawson is one of Raggio's allies and Rawson's re-election could help Raggio retain his position as majority leader and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, where Rawson is vice chairman. Raggio said this morning that he had not yet talked to Rawson about his decision.

Rawson was first elected in 1984 and has been assistant majority floor leader to Raggio. He is chairman of the Senate Human Resources & Facillities Committee, and is a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Legislative Affairs and Operations Committee. He was the founder of the UNLV dental school and was formerly president of the American Board of Forensic Odontology. And he is used as an expert in jury trials to identify remains of victims through their teeth marks.