ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 23

Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 | 12:56 p.m.

Henderson's deputy police chief, who could face a hearing in November to determine if he violated the U.S. Hatch Act, will square off against a Republican county analyst in the battle for Assembly District 23.

Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, 42, a Democrat, has held the seat since 1992. He is also chairman of the Legislative Committee on Education. Perkins began his career with the Henderson Police Department in 1984.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Perkins became a member of the Legislature's Task Force on Protecting Democracy, where he helped develop homeland security recommendations and guidelines for the state. He serves on the Executive Committee of the National Speakers Conference and is a recipient of the Council of State Governments Toll Fellowship Award.

Perkins was accused of violating the 65-year-old act by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which claims his full-time job as deputy police chief in Henderson puts him in violation of the act, which bans federal and some state and local government employees who oversee federal funds from participating in partisan politics.

Perkins has argued his contact with federal money is minimal.

Republican Steven Grierson, a management analyst for Clark County, has touted his seven years in county government as a qualification for the office.

Grierson, 35, is running on a platform of "fiscal restraint" and is an active opponent to what he calls excessive taxation. He has vowed to resist spending and to hold agencies asking for money accountable for their requests.

Grierson's tenure in county government has also provided him experience in budget development, capital improvements and strategic planning, he said.

He also supports results-based schools and allowing parents the choice of where their children go to school and champions parental involvement in education, Grierson said.

Grierson was appointed in 1999 the state Board of Examiners for Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Counselors, and has spent the last five years working to develop laws aimed to protect citizens from unethical practices. This experience, he says, helps him understand issues that directly affect those living in his district and has help his develop his "tough, fair and balance approach" to governing.

He has not addressed the Hatch Act complaint against Perkins during the campaign.