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StumbleCounty denies court system’s request to hire ex-lawmaker as lobbyist
Published Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010 | 1:08 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010 | 6:10 p.m.
Morse Arberry
Sun Archives
Clark County commissioners voted 5-2 on Tuesday to deny the Clark County court system's request to hire former state Assemblyman Morse Arberry as a lobbyist.
Some commissioners said they opposed the courts or anyone else using public funds to hire a lobbyist for the state Legislature.
Other commissioners said they didn't mind the court system having a lobbyist but opposed hiring a former assemblyman without a "cooling-off" period. Arberry resigned his post in the Assembly last week.
In the end, only commissioners Tom Collins and Lawrence Weekly voted in favor of the court's request.
Arberry, the longtime chairman of the powerful Assembly Ways and Means Committee, resigned from elected office to pursue a lobbying career, including a $10,000-a-month contract representing the court system in Clark County.
Arberry, a Las Vegas Democrat first elected to the Assembly in 1984, said he stepped down last week to avoid a conflict of interest between his elected position and his lobbying work.
His sudden entry into the lobbying corps underscores the fact that Nevada has no law to prevent legislators from immediately peddling their influence with former colleagues after they leave office. Other states and the federal government have one- or two-year “cooling off” periods to slow the spin of the revolving door between government and special interests that have business before the government.
Arberry, who formed Titan Partners on June 21, has said he doesn’t believe in cooling-off periods.
Commission Chairman Rory Reid, who also is the Democratic nominee for governor, said the rejection of the contract was because of commissioners’ support for a cooling-off period.
“The reason this is controversial is because a legislator was hired during his term to lobby. … If you came here with a proposed lobbyist that you didn’t hire while they were working in the Legislature, I think you would have a different reception,” Reid said.
District Court Chief Judge Arthur Ritchie told commissioners they needed to approve the contract because of the separation of powers between different branches of government in the state constitution.
“It’s not a focus on a few bills that the county and the courts may or may not work together on, it’s about a recognition of the autonomy and sovereignty of the judicial branch of government in our state,” Ritchie said in his opening comments to the commissioners.
But Reid and other commissioners dismissed that argument, saying commissioners retain control over the court system’s budget and have an obligation to protect taxpayers.
“I don’t see our questioning where funding comes from or what the practices are as an issue of interference, I consider it prudent,” Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said.
Reid specifically attacked Ritchie and Chief Judge Ann Zimmerman of the Las Vegas Township Justice Court for their answers to the commissioners' questions.
“You stand in front of us today making a constitutional argument, that you’re the third branch of government, therefore, we should accede to your wishes, period,” he said. “We’ve asked reasonable questions … and your answer has been ‘Because I can.’ That’s your answer; you’re doing this because you can. That’s a bad argument.”
Commissioner Steve Sisolak said it wasn’t about the choice of Arberry, but about the use of scarce money in the current budget situation.
“I just don’t think it’s right for the city, for the county or the courts, or anybody to pay a lobbyist to go up there,” he said.
Former state Sen. Joe Neal came to the meeting to speak in support of Arberry, but was told by Reid that he wouldn't be allowed to speak until the public comment period.
“I have tremendous respect for you, but I can’t offer a senator a special privilege. This isn’t a public hearing,” Reid said.
When the time for public comment arrived nearly two hours later, Neal got up and condemned the commissioners, saying they neglected to consider all of the facts involved in the decision and discriminated against Arberry, who is black, because of his race.
“You didn’t take it into consideration because he was a black person, and you did not allow me to come up and speak because I sit there as a black person,” Neal said.
Neal said he would file a complaint against the commission for violating the open meeting law.
The commission routinely denies people the opportunity to speak before a vote, telling them that unless the item is listed as a public hearing, they have to wait for the public comment period.
Discussion: 4 comments so far…
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How much longer til we can show Collins the door?
That would probably be a good idea-don't know when his term is up.
Lobbyist = money hungry slime who will do or say anything for a buck. I thought Obama was going to get rid of these cockroaches?
sevenhills -- what does Obama have to do with lobbying the Nevada legislature? Do try to think it through next time.
Otherwise the People won this round!
Obama is the model for corruption.
Lobbyists should be outlawed.
And speaking of Obama, he is doing things with lobbyists that even Bush didn't do.
Remember when Bush didn't want to release the WH logs over who was visiting? Well Obama has solved that problem by having his staff meet lobbyists at Washington area restaurants in private rooms. No oversight there.
Hope and change, yea right.
its about time someone put a halt to this insider corruption. morse is gaming the system by selling his connections. the court system is already corrupt enough without rubbing this charade in our face. good some commissioners saw the light. morse is an embarrassment to nevada for even attempting this scam.
$5 BUCKS SAYS THE GUY RUNS TO HIS JUDGE 'PALS' AND FILES A LAWSUIT (WITH THEIR 'HELP').
Don't put anything past these Politico types.
Until the Law is changed, all the Legislative crumbs who want a fat and juicy government triple-dipper gig will keep trying to get back onto the government dole at every chance.
HEY SUN, why don't you re-print that pic of Mr. Collins up in the hallways at Carson City (allegedly) lobbying for his water 'pals'. Oops. That's right, didn't Mr. Collins say he had 'permission' from the District Attorney (the one that let cocaine-holding Paris Hilton out of jail-free?)
See it for yourself (pic #8 of 16)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb...
Art Ritchie might want to see if he can buy Elizabeth Halverson's scooter. That is one big fat dude. Man, when Liz Halverson was mentioned in the paper, her weight was the main topic of conversation.
Let's not be sexists. Art Ritchie is a couple of chicken dinners away from Halversonian proportions.
Fat Art Ritchie. By attempting to hire the loser Morse Arberry, it shows me these judges, like Fat Art Ritchie, and Ann "Always Looks Sleepy" Zimmerman have extremely bad judgment.
Here is a pending constitutional issue: Why do the judges, like Fat Art Ritchie, get to spend the money they reap from fining defendants? That is one HUGE conflict of interest. So, a judge has the discretion to fine a defendant or not, but if they DO fine the defendant, they increase their coffers? To pay for lobbyists to get the judges pay increases, greater pensions, etc.....
The judiciary is such a joke in my opinion.
Why does the court system need a lobbyist?
tvegas, they want a lobbyist to get their pay increased by the legislature, to get a better pension, get more money for longevity pay. money, money, money.
Vote all these incumbent judges Out. Virtually all of these judges could not hack it in private practice. So, they run for judges positions that pay roughly $140,000 a year.
Send them packing people. Especially Art Ritchie and Ann Zimmerman. They showed their poor judgment by hiring that dolt Morse Arberry, and doing so while he was still in the legislature I believe. Great sound judgment.
Not every Judge had the opportunity to weigh in on the decision to hire Arberr as a lobbyist and some even asked the candidates name be withdrawn prior to the County Commissions vote.
And with this vote, it looks to me like both union hacks on the county commission, Collins & Weekly, have been marginalized and rendered ineffective.. Will wonders never cease ?
And surprise surprise, Rory Reid is starting to look more and more like a representative of the people and for the people instead of just another union hack like Collins..
Maybe I will pull the lever for Rory Come November if he keeps up the good work.
Why do the Courts and the Judges need lobbyists? We should outlaw ALL of them and stop all this! They bribe, corrupt and slant everything based on who can pay more.... Definitely NOT the way business or Courts should be run.
They talk of "transparency", well, let's see it! Show this Arberry the door before he finds some other "scheme", and make him pay his taxes before he leaves too.