Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Bill Raggio steps down from powerful Senate Finance Committee

Click to enlarge photo

Bill Raggio

CARSON CITY – Sen. Bill Raggio, a fixture on the committee that helps build the budget for Nevada’s state government, will be missing from the committee in the 2011 Legislature.

Raggio, who has been on the Senate Finance Committee every regular and special session except one since 1973, says he asked not to be appointed this coming session. Raggio, R-Reno, was dethroned as GOP minority leader because he supported Democrat Sen. Harry Reid in his race against Republican Sharron Angle.

“I took myself off Finance and off Revenue,” said Raggio, referring to the committee that used to be named Taxation. He said there needs to be new people who are dealing with a new governor, Brian Sandoval.

Senate Minority Leader Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, said he asked Raggio to stay on the Finance Committee. “But he was adamant he didn’t want to be on,” said McGinness who replaced Raggio as leader of the Republicans in the Senate.

McGinness said he never got a definite reason why Raggio didn’t want to serve on the Finance Committee. That committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee make decisions where money will be spent.

McGinness declined to name who the three members of the Finance Committee would be but said he wasn't one of them. He said he first wanted to talk with Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas. Horsford will be chairman of the Finance Committee.

Raggio, 84, served as Senate Majority Leader for 20 years and was minority leader for 14 years, but he drew the ire of fellow Republican senators when he backed Reid. He stepped down before he could be replaced.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy