Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

What I will and won’t miss from the Legislature

Now that the Could Have Been Worse Session has ended in Carson City, a look at what makes me misty and what makes me testy from the 76th Legislature.

What I won’t miss

• The debate over whether lifting sunsets on taxes is a tax increase. It is. Or it isn’t. But it was needed to balance a budget put in jeopardy by the state Supreme Court and 80 percent of lawmakers agreed with the governor. Argument endeth.

• The demonization of public employees and teachers. Most are hardworking and productive, like most Nevadans. Yet in an economic cataclysm caused by forces on Wall Street and elsewhere, they were vilified as overpaid sloths for political benefit. Stop.

• Self-righteousness by the left and dismissive arrogance on the right. Some Democratic lawmakers — you know who you are — acted as if anyone who didn’t agree with their view of the budget hated the poor and less fortunate. Some Republican legislators — need I name names? — caricatured everyone who wanted to increase funding for education and the social safety net as profligate spenders who wanted to destroy jobs. Go home and shut up.

• The South losing to the North — again. Take the end-of-session shenanigans: Reno baseball and Reno casinos get a special bill passed to help them in the last seconds of the session. But did one Las Vegas arena get help? No. They don’t even need Bill Raggio, those scheming northerners.

• Lawmakers not standing up for their positions. Until the Senate voted to extend the sunsets, and a handful of senators spoke up, lawmakers were mute on voting for the bills to fund the state. Not a comment was made when the authorization, appropriations, capital improvement budget and pay bills were considered. Those voting “no,” especially, owed an explanation, don’t you think?

• The games with numbers. Before you listen to the wailing about how the budget wasn’t cut enough, consider: The 2009 Legislature approved a general fund at $6.9 billion; the 2011 session came in at $6.2 billion. The main operating fund for state government is $700 million less than what was approved two years ago. That’s a 10 percent decrease. Not enough?

• Any talk about mining. The overheated rhetoric about the industry’s greed and hubris was only matched by … the industry’s greed and hubris. Mining doesn’t pay what it should, but the focus should be more on broadening the base than narrowing the focus. Déjà vu.

• Northern Nevada weather. Snow in June? Really?

What I will miss

• Freshman Assembly lawmakers who took it seriously and have bright futures. There were 20 of them and nary a one was a disaster. Republican Ira Hansen may have been my favorite, but many others, including some of the quieter ones (Democrat Jason Frierson comes to mind), also did yeoman’s work.

• The legislative Twitterverse. Observations and news broken on Twitter affected the trajectory of bills and decision-making. It was fascinating and exhilarating to experience. As one veteran put it, “Social media deserves lobbyist of the year.”

• Marilyn Kirkpatrick. A chimney-smoking, no-nonsense, tireless (she chaired two important committees!) assemblywoman who doesn’t let anyone get away with anything.

• Right-wing apoplexy: It was positively sidesplitting at times to see the Americans for Prosperity-Nevada-Policy-Research-Institute-Review-Journal-Chuck-Muth-Keystone crowd have a vein bulging in their collective forehead with every late-session, postcourt-decision development. Thank goodness they had Sens. Michael Roberson and Barbara Cegavske to give voice to their frustration about the dreaded thing called “compromise.”

• The Democratic tax plan. Oh, what might have been. A plan that broadens the base, eventually lowers sales tax rates and eradicates the dreaded payroll tax should appeal to lawmakers of both parties and a rainbow of special interests, too. But it arrived too late and then, poof, it quickly disappeared. It may be reanimated on the ballot in 2012, but the chance to have a real debate over taxing and spending once more was lost in Carson City.

• The governor’s staff. Heidi Gansert, Dale Erquiaga and Andrew Clinger were about as talented a triumvirate as this state has seen, perfectly meshing to sell the governor’s point of view, calculate the numbers and spin the rest. Lawmakers were lucky the high court intervened — with some prodding by them, that is — or this would have been a chess vs. checkers matchup in the endgame.

• Susan Furlong and David Byerman. Veteran Assembly Chief Clerk Furlong and rookie Senate Secretary Byerman — and their staffs — held the place together. They are overworked and underappreciated. So, too, does Legislative Counsel Bureau Director Lorne Malkiewich and his troops deserve a shout-out for their long hours and quality work.

• Adele’s: As sublime as ever. Spectacular food, wonderful service folks and unmatched atmosphere. And it’s still where the best stories are …

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