Tribute planned for Neal, 32-year veteran of Legislature

Kirsten Searer

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 8:52 a.m.

The Black Elected Officials of Southern Nevada will hold a dinner tonight to honor former Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, for his 32 years in the Legislature.

Neal was the first black man elected to the state Senate in 1972 and is the second-longest serving senator in state history. Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, is entering his 33rd year in the Legislature.

Neal's self-proclaimed mantra was "Unbought and Unbossed."

That was obvious as Neal led a long crusade to raise taxes on gaming, arguing that millions of tourists come to Nevada each year to use state roads, hospitals, police services and more.

He also raised eyebrows when he argued that the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository was inevitable and the state should negotiate for benefits for hosting the waste.

He fought deregulation of utilities and was a civil rights and consumer protection watchdog. One of his most famous pieces of legislation came after the 1980 MGM Grand fire, when 84 people died. Neal pushed a bill requiring all buildings used by the public that could hold more than 150 people to have sprinkler systems.

Neal fought for the "little guy," said Sen. Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, who took Neal's seat after Neal decided not to run for re-election.

Horsford, who is hosting tonight's dinner at the Nevada Partners Academy Events Center, said it has been "very humbling" to research Neal's path as a pioneer in the Legislature.

"They tried to silence him, but all the while he was standing up for the truth," Horsford said. "I hope I can just pull a little bit out of his rule book."

Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, served his first year in the Senate in 1993. He said he'll miss Neal, who he said was smart, saavy and always stuck to his word.

"He was the conscience of the Senate," Schneider said. "He often took stances that he knew wouldn't pass, but he made everybody stop and think about it. It was the right thing to do.

"Whenever I went to Joe Neal and asked him for a vote, when he committed to you, that was it. I don't care if the governor called and tried to flip him around, he wouldn't if he had committed to you. He was very honorable that way."

Neal made his first failed run for governor in 1998. When he initially failed to receive support from top state Democrats, he told the Associated Press he would appeal to Nevadans' "independent and individualistic streak."

He lost in the primary to former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones.

He ran again in 2002, becoming the Democratic nominee, but lost to Gov. Kenny Guinn by 46 points.

After he decided not to run for re-election, Neal took on County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates in the fall but lost in the primary by about 40 percent.

The 69-year-old Neal said it "feels good" to be sitting out the upcoming legislative session so he can spend more time with his family in Las Vegas.

Neal's wife, Estelle, died of breast cancer in 1997, and he said in 2004 that making trips to Carson City was "a little bit lonesome" after her death.

"To spend those winters in Carson City there trying to do people's business for 32 years, I thought that was enough," he said.

When asked this week if he would run for another elected position, Neal said, "oh no, no, no, no."

But he said he hopes others in his family, including his daughter, Dina Neal, who has a law degree, will follow in his footsteps of public service.