Republican senator says Democrats being ‘rude’

By David McGrath Schwartz

Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011 | 10:17 a.m.

Just two days into legislative hearings on Gov. Brian Sandoval's budget, there's tension over the tone of Democrats' pushback.

Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, said she felt the Legislative committee was "rude" toward Sandoval Chief of Staff Heidi Gansert during Monday's budget hearings.

"I feel compelled to say that I felt this body was rude to Ms. Gansert," Cegavske said this morning. "I think we need to show the demeanor we were working together."

During Monday's budget hearings, Democrats pushed back strongly against Sandoval's budget, particularly cuts to health and human services, K-12 and higher education.

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, accused the administration of using "trickery" to downplay the level of cuts.

Horsford said during the committee meeting that he felt obliged to respond to Cegavske.

He called budget director Andrew Clinger "brilliant" and said Gansert, former Assembly Republican leader, was doing a "noble job." He also said he admired Sandoval.

But, he said, he would not stop asking pointed questions.

"I do not apologize to anyone for being an advocate for public education," Horsford said.

Sandoval's budget staff said the decreases to K-12 amounted to 9.29 percent and higher education was 17.66 percent compared to current spending.

Democrats said the comparison should be compared to spending approved by the 2009 Legislature, before those services were cut further. That would increase the size of the cuts, which helps frame the debate.

Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, and chair of the Ways and Means Committee, said districts will have a total of 14 percent less to spend than approved in 2009 and the state was decreasing funding by 27 percent under Sandoval's budget.

A Las Vegas Sun analysis that ran this morning found that the percentages being used by Sandoval's budget staff were mostly accurate.

The Legislature's joint Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees are meeting this week to get an overview of Sandoval's budget. The 2011 session starts Feb. 7 and is supposed to last 120 days.