Lawmaker changes stance, uses vacation time during Legislature

Kirsten Searer

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 | 10:55 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, is opposing a bill that would require public employees to take unpaid leave while serving in the Legislature, contradicting comments he made while under scrutiny after the last legislative session.

Perkins also confirmed that he is exhausting his vacation time as a deputy chief for the Henderson Police Department, even though he said in 2004 that he would take an unpaid leave.

His remarks were printed in several articles and were in response to questions about the controversy surrounding public employees who were paid while they served in the Legislature. Perkins typically billed the Henderson Police Department for 19 hours a week that he said he worked while in Carson City or when he returned home on weekends.

But some questioned whether he really put in the time, leading Perkins to say he wouldn't open himself up for questions in this session.

"The majority of my city pay in past sessions has come from vacation time, but it is my intent not to do so again," Perkins said in a Jan. 18, 2004, article in the Sun. "My reputation is worth more to me than anything else. My reputation has been maligned by people who have suggested I didn't put in the time at work."

And, in an Oct. 31, 2003, article, Perkins said he would lead the charge for a law that would require government employees to take unpaid leave when they serve in the Legislature.

"I think the state needs a policy so we have consistency statewide," he said. "What worked in Henderson didn't work in other local governments."

On Tuesday, Perkins said he changed his position on the issue after listening to groups representing public employees. They argued public employees couldn't afford to run for a citizen legislature if they had to take unpaid time off.

The groups approached him after the articles appeared, he said.

"They asked me to reconsider that position because they thought it would preclude many of them from having any opportunity of serving in the Legislature," he said. "In deference to us having a citizen legislature and certainly after hearing from the voters it doesn't seem to be as big of a problem as it was once thought to be.

"I'd much rather take my vacation time and go to some tropical island or someplace else but instead I'll use that to serve the state in Carson City."

Senate Bill 129, which would require government employees to take an unpaid leave, is sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas.

Titus declined to comment on Perkins' situation but said she thinks it's important to clear up the perception that public employees earn public dollars at their full-time job while earning a legislative salary.

"I agree it's not fair that public employees have to do things that private employees don't," she said. "When you're talking about taxpayer dollars that's just the way it is."

At least one other legislator, Assemblyman John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, said he is continuing to take vacation time as well as work during the weekends as a fire captain at the North Las Vegas Fire Department.

Oceguera said the failure of an initiative petition last fall that would stop public employees from serving in the Legislature shows that the public isn't as concerned about public employees cheating the system as once thought.

He said he sees no problem with taking vacation time while serving in the Legislature.

"As far as I'm concerned, that's called working two jobs," he said.

Perkins said he wants to ensure that nobody is paid for an hour they don't work. But he said he also wants to recruit people who might have experience as public employees, and that likely means they need to take pay in the form of vacation time while serving in Carson City, he said.

"I don't know if it's an inconsistent position as much as there was a feeling back then," he said. "I've just been persuaded by folks."