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Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
Freshman Sen. Elizabeth Halseth talks with veteran Sen. Michael Schneider after a meeting of the Senate Revenue Committee on the second day of the 2011 legislative session Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, in Carson City.
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Democrats on Wednesday asked where state Sen. Elizabeth Halseth, R-Las Vegas, has been in recent months, raising a question that could help decide which party will control the state Senate.
Halseth has not returned calls from lawmakers seeking to schedule meetings, legislators said. On Wednesday, she was absent from a Legislative Commission meeting.
Halseth is divorcing her husband, who was arrested in October on charges of “open and gross lewdness.” She is seeking custody of their children.
The freshman state senator has not responded to media inquiries about her plans regarding the Legislature as her absence has fueled speculation she might not complete her term.
Both parties are studying the ballot implications if she doesn’t.
Highlighting the sensitivity of the issue, state Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, said during Wednesday’s Legislative Commission meeting that he wanted to pull from the agenda a discussion of Halseth’s whereabouts.
“One of our colleagues has things going on in her life that have necessitated her missing a lot of meetings,” Roberson said. “There’s no need to have this on the agenda today.”
Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, said she was struggling to schedule an interim committee meeting on how taxes are distributed among local governments because Halseth, who was appointed by her caucus to sit on the committee, has not returned calls.
“We’ve had a hard time reaching Ms. Halseth to determine her role,” Kirkpatrick said. “The last thing I’d want is for a Senate Republican not to be represented on the committee.”
While the tax distribution issue — the consolidated tax — is important in the world of local government finances, Halseth’s absence raises a larger question that could have big political ramifications: Will she return to the Legislature in 2013?
If Halseth moves out of her district or resigns ahead of the June 12 primary, it would put her seat on the ballot. Because of redistricting, her seat has a significant Democratic voter registration edge.
If she stays, however, Halseth is in the middle of a four-year term and her seat would not be open until 2014. She was elected in 2010 and became the youngest elected state senator.
Before Wednesday, Republican state Senate leadership was confident it would be able take the state Senate, which it held for most of the past two decades before Democrats took control in 2008.
Republicans believed control would come down to two races — Senate District 5 and Senate District 6. While both seats slightly favored Democrats, both incumbent Democratic state senators decided not to run for reelection. Republican challengers significantly out-raised the Democratic candidates.
But state Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, announced Wednesday her resignation from her Senate seat to challenge District 15 Sen. Greg Brower, R-Reno, and it instantly made that district competitive.
Whether Halseth’s seat will be on the ballot is unknown. She did not return requests for comment made through her website, her attorney or her political consultant from the 2010 election, when she beat an incumbent Republican in the primary and a highly touted Democrat based on a campaign that questioned her opponent’s values. Halseth’s cellphone has been disconnected.
State law provides a number of reasons to remove elected officials, including:
• “The neglect or refusal of the incumbent to discharge the duties of the incumbent’s office for a period of 30 days.”
• The person no longer lives in the district they represent.
State law requires the district attorney or attorney general to remove the person from office if the person will not give up the office.
Roberson said during the Legislative Commission meeting that the interim tax committee does not immediately need to name a replacement.
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, said he understands that with a citizen Legislature, personal and work obligations can interfere with legislative duties.
But, he said, the interim committee was struggling to form a quorum for meetings.
“I’d ask for some explanation if you have that,” he said. “Do you know why there’s a lack of response or availability?”
Roberson noted that Horsford has been absent from meetings.
“You have missed a couple of meetings,” Roberson told Horsford. “This is not the forum to debate this, unless we’re going to discuss why every member of commission misses meetings.”
Kirkpatrick then said, “This is not a battle we should have in a public forum.”
The next meeting of her committee is March 15, and Roberson said he hoped to have more information by then.
Maybe Heidi Hariss right wing ranter on KDWN radio knows where she is. She hangs out on her show all the time.
Seems to me that Ms Halseth at least owes her party and her constituents an explanation as to what her political plans are for the future. A simple phone call would suffice.
The same 'blind eye' employed by the electorate that allowed Halseth, an inept and unworthy politician, to be elected in the first place should not persist in the light of her current antics. The mistake made by getting her elected can only be remedied by an equal and opposite force...get her out! She already has her bags packed, (Alaska, is it?) so let's help her on her way! Good riddance.
look at the pathetic legislators protecting her...
DISGUSTING!!!
ethics charges???
This reminds me of that old PBS show, "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" We have a whole bunch of clues, but we have to find Elizabeth Halseth before Michael Roberson tries to cheat SD 9 voters out of a special election. Everyone knows she left. Why must we keep this charade game going?
Mr. Schwartz,
You know, the Democrats know, and we all know you know where Senator Halseth is. I am sure the good people of the State of Nevada can do without a freshman Senator.
Also, we know Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick's statement is a lie -- "The last thing I'd want is for a Senate Republican not to be represented on the committee."
What passes for news reporting in this Town is reprehensible. Please know, Mr. Schwartz, that political posturing is not news.
Purgatory
She should resign immediately.
"You know, the Democrats know, and we all know you know where Senator Halseth is. I am sure the good people of the State of Nevada can do without a freshman Senator."
What the hell kinda statement is this? There are approriate ways for elected-officials to handle sensitive personal business... pulling a disappearing act isn't one of them.
Plus, Sen. Roberson is starting to show his lack of leadership skills. How far we've fallin' in just a few short years... Raggio to Roberson!
Republican's you're making this way too easy on the Dems!
Purgatory Are you capable of understanding an article? It appears not.There are issues with tax distributions that have to be dealt with. Halseth has not just called in sick for a day she has made herself unavailable to everyone,meanwhile the business of Nevada needs to be dealt with. Perhaps you and Halseth can join the bridge club where the requiremnets for attendance and participation are not as stringent. Get over yourself, this is important business and calling someone a liar who has the respect of a committee member is tasteless on your part. Makes one wonder how you deal with others.
Heidi Harris Now there is a lost cause.
Smartone & Homer,
Ask yourselves this question -- do the appropriate officials know where Senator Halseth is?
Now, when you realize and understand that the only possible answer is yes, what is the story? The answer to that question is politics.
Weirdos.
Purgatory
Sen Roberson is practically a bed mate with Halseth. Their offices are right next to each other, they constantly are going back & forth between them, while excluding the public from setting up appointments to visit with them. He does the smoke screen thing by pointing the finger back at those asking the right questions. Power hungry Roberson will do anything to build or maintain his power base to fulfill his agenda to destroy public employee benefits & collective bargaining.
So apparently ONE person's personal problem is justification to disenfranchise an entire constituency?
When your personal problems prevent you from doing your job - the best thing to do is do what is right for your constituents - resign! - after all - the person's job required her to undertake a duty to represent her constituents and she is NOT undertaking that duty.
We are talking about serious public issues here - things that affect thousands of people and their livelihood - is someone so inconsiderate of so many others that they are willing to put everything on hold because of personal problems?
The residents of both the current and future Senate District 9 deserve to know where their State Senator is and what her plans are. If Sen. Halseth has no intention of finishing out her term, she should do the right thing and resign, not run out the clock so the residents of SD9 are saddled with an appointed State Senator they had no voice in choosing.
A pathetic disgrace. Her actions show a lack of respect for the senate office, the Nevada legislature and the people of Nevada. Just another Vegas dip-sh*t with the pervasive "me, me, me" track playing in her head.
Having an affair with the golf pro and going through a divorce is no excuse to ignore the duties of a United States Senator. Shame on you.
Having an affair with the golf pro and going through a divorce is no excuse to ignore the duties of a United States Senator. Shame on you.
------------------------------------------------
Is being a state senator enough to be able to ignore the duties of a United States Senator?
She's making Michael Schneider blush. Party of family values indeed.
A tracking collar?
She deserves all of the criticism that she receives. The way she attacked her opponent in the elections was sleazy. I can't believe the voters elected her. She actually bragged about the fact that she filed for bankruptcy, claiming she was just like the average citizen. She criticized Yerushalmi, who has accomplished a lot, and posted some photo of he and his wife at a party, insinuating that they were bad people because they were dressed up.
She's a joke. The voters that elected her are suckers. This is what you get when you fall for those stupid attacks.
Doesn't she belong to the party who believes a wife must be submissive to her husband?
Maybe she has come to realization that this doesn't always work out in the woman's favor.
I am one of Sen. Halseth's constituents and she is a public servant elected to represent me. Currently she is not doing that and so I would argue that this is most certainly an issue that needs to be addressed in short order -- so the people of our district are appropriately represented.
I don't believe the assertion in this story regarding state law provisions governing removal of officers is accurate, at least as applied to state legislators.
The very same statute, NRS 283.040, provides that the provisions of the section do not apply "to the extent that they conflict or are otherwise inconsistent with any provision of the Constitution of the State of Nevada regarding the power to judge of the qualifications, elections and returns of or to punish, ... expel or remove from office ... State Legislators."
Other procedures set out in chapter 283 regarding removal specifically exempt the legislature from coverage because there are only two constitutionally permissible ways to remove a legislator from office during the term to which the legislator was elected.
Constitutionally, there are two ways to remove a legislator from office: recall or expulsion by the house to which the legislator belong (Nev. Const. art. IV, sec. 6; art. II, sec. 9).
Check mountain's edge. She's still at her house. Her kids are still in school there. She's dodging her responsibilities and using her whacko personal life as an excuse. The chair of the committee should have authority to send state troopers to pick her up and compel her to appear.
Sounds to me like Elizabeth has simply become bored with the novelty of her part time gig. Hopefully she'll be replaced with a legitimate representative of the people sooner than later
In the minds of some elected officeholders, everything becomes a republican vs democrat issue. EVERYTHING!!. When does the public interest come first???????
michael roberson...
wanted to pull from the agenda a discussion of Halseth's whereabouts."...
didn't even want to talk about it...
shame on you...
CLOWN!!!
rumor has it...
the republican party...
is going to suggest...
that the best way to solve this problem is...
TAX CUTS FOR THE TOP 1%!!!
screw our kids in their pathetic schools...
TAX CUTS FOR THE TOP 1%!!!
ImproveLV - you are 100% correct. The constituents should be blamed for being such suckers and allowing themselves to be duped into voting for this charlatan.
What, somehow she thinks people will be sympathetic because she is having personal problems? Guess what! We all have personal problems but we don't stop fulfilling our responsibilities!
The blatant hypocrisy - this woman comes from a party that advances the notion that women should be submissive to their husbands!
Fellow Sane Commenters and Assorted Ignorant MisFits,
I refer you to the Nevada Legislature web site - http://leg.state.nv.us/
On that side you will read the following...
"The 77th Regular Session of the Nevada Legislature will begin on February 4, 2013. We are now in the interim period between legislative sessions."
Mr. Schwartz knows this fact. As such, Senator Halseth is neither absent without leave nor is she shirking important official duties. I assumed most people understood the process, and understood that what Mr. Schwartz is attempting to convey is totally without merit. However, by the logic and reason of the comments above mine, I clearly underestimated the gullibility and stupidity of the readers.
Weirdos.
Purgatory
She needs to show respect and at the very least answer the phone calls. Its not fair to leave her people hanging.
Ok Purgatory, I've been watching your postings all morning and have had just about enough.
First, I am a constituent of Senator Halseth. I don't care if (as you believe) the "appropriate officials" know Ms. Halseth's whereabouts. I have a right to have representation and, thereby, access to my legislative representative. During the legislative session, Ms. Halseth ignored e-mails and requests for constituent meetings, with the excuse (relayed to me by a 3rd party) that she was "too busy" to respond while in session.
Now, the legislature is out of session, yet I've still received a response. Ms. Halseth is still apparently "too busy" -- just with other things. Now you (incorrectly) claim that because of that she has no obligation attend important interim committee hearings. Exactly when DO you think Ms. Halseth's obligations to her constituents begin and end? The business of this state continues and EVERY legislator knows that interim committee assignments are part of the job description.
While I certainly understand her need to tend to her family during a crises, she cannot abrogate the commitment she made to her constituents when she decided to run for office. If she can no longer fulfill those responsibilities, then she needs to step aside.
What part of her not participating in her duties don't you understand? This part?
"Halseth has not returned calls from lawmakers seeking to schedule meetings, legislators said. On Wednesday, she was absent from a Legislative Commission meeting."
How about legitimate inquiries? Did you miss that part?
"The freshman state senator has not responded to media inquiries about her plans regarding the Legislature as her absence has fueled speculation she might not complete her term."
She is NOT participating in her role as an elected official.
You don't run for office, undertaking a duty to represent the best interest of your constituents, only to set aside their interest for your personal problems. When your personal problems prevent you from undertaking your duties as an elected official - it is time to step aside!
Or she can heed to her Party's position: Wives should be submissive to their husbands.
Do as I say not as I do.
Grotheer,
You are free to ask her to "step aside" and I suggest you do just that if you so desire. However, it does not change the facts that she is fully exercising her duties, and that the sole purpose Mr. Schwartz wrote his story is to make a political statement.
Furthermore, you have no "right to...access your legislative representative." A Right? Pahleezzzeee. Please tell me you don't actually believe that. And, an "interim committee meeting" is of little to no value in the legislative process. They are designed to make you feel good. I am certain you realize the fault in your logic. You and your fellow constituents -- who feel so poorly represented in Carson City -- should find something more productive to do with your time.
Purgatory
Heck, I don't know about the rest of you, but if I don't show up for work for that long - I've no longer got a job. Things happen in life. I got divorced once too - but still had to go to work.
Now you can just imagine if this situation were reversed that the baggers would have their heads exploding right off their necks. We need to start the process of removing this woman from the government so the people's business can be attended to.
Going to work with some folks in her district to start a recall. That should get the ball rolling.
Just because the legislature is not in session doesn't mean that elected officials are not supposed to be accountable to their constituents. Does anyone really believe that we only expect an elected to represent us for eight months out of a four year term?
Additionally, everyone misses meetings. But to miss meetings and not return phone calls or have their whereabouts known to others is not normal. I think Ms. Halseth either has some explaining to do or some resigning to do.
Purgatory:
The Nevada Legislative Manual is produced each biennium (as required by NRS 218F.400) by the Legislative Counsel Bureau. Although designed primarily as a reference tool for legislators, it is also intended for use by members of the Executive and Judicial Branches of government, representatives of private interest groups, and interested citizens.
The 2011 Manual outlines the duties and obligations of state legislators during the interim period as follows:
"When the session ends, legislators continue to make speeches, assist constituents, serve on special legislative committees, and compile information in preparation for the next session. Often, legislators serve as facilitators among various groups. For example, a legislator might contact a government agency on behalf of a constituent or bring opposing factions together to solve a problem.
In addition, legislators monitor the implementation of certain bills passed during the preceding session. In this capacity, a legislator might attend a hearing conducted by a State agency formulating pertinent regulations.
Between sessions, a legislator may serve on one or more interim committees. Some of these committees study a specific subject, provide oversight of ongoing issues, or are part of national organizations that bring together legislators from the various states to discuss similar problems. Permanent committees of the Legislature are created through statute. Temporary committees usually originate in concurrent resolutions passed in one session and are dissolved by the beginning of the next."
Clearly the legislators who drafted & adopted the 2011 manual didn't contemplate that a representative's responsibilities end at the conclusion of the legislative session. My expectation that Ms. Halseth meet those responsibilities is certainly not unanticipated or worthy of your level of derision.
Does anyone not see the calculated steps of the democrats from the events of yesterday that the media has run with today?
Senator Sheila Leslie (D) resigns because she purchased a home, over a year ago, that is in a new senate district (redistricting) versus living in her current home, in her current safe district, so she can take one for the team and be a formidable opponent against Senator Greg Brower (R)in hopes of adding to or maintaining the state senate democratic majority.
The legislative commission just happens to meet on the same day and Senator Steven Horsford uses it as a political vehicle to call out the republicans to make them look bad because Senator Elizabeth Halseth is absent and people then may call for a resignation.
Message: Our party does the right thing by resigning.
Marilyn Kirkpatrick (D) makes a statement about republican representation but not only was Senator Leslie absent from that meeting (due to her resignation,) but I believe Johnny O.(D) may have been absent too.
Yesterday was pure political posturing for the next election cycle to maintain the democratic majority. Possibly forcing Senator Halseth to resign opens up that seat for the next election.
What has happened to the concept of a public servant? Both parties need step up and take that seriously without playing these games on the taxpayers dime. Nevada and Nevadans are what is important right now. Not playground bullying.
Grotheer...I know how it works...so do you...ask her to resign...do whatever your heart desires...but please, please, please, endeavor to understand the difference between the law and politics...when you and your ilk blend the two, just as Mr. Sun blends opinions with news, we all suffer...I have made my point...ignore it if you wish...I will return to my own Purgatory...
Purgatory,
I actually have no idea where Sen. Halseth is. And I'm not sure what you think the "political statement" I'm trying to make is. It sounds like generic pushback from someone that doesn't like a question being asked.
As for whether people expect their citizen lawmakers to be available and serve in the interim, that's open for debate. Hence, the comment section.
Dave
Pwned.
Dave Schwartz FTW! Purgatory, I have no idea where the State Senator is either. As an elected official, though, you have duties to fulfill. Answering to the voices of your constituants are part of those obligations that you accepted when becoming a publicly elected official. If you don't like that, then don't get into this field. I'm divorced and went through my divorce while taking care of my newborn, working in excess of 40 hours a week, and going to UNLV full time. No one cried for me. This lady needs to get her affairs in order and perform her role.
IT's about time the people are waking up to the
incredible truth about Sen. Halseth.
From the get go, this nut has decieved the voters, the police, anyone and everyone who she walks over.
She shouldn't be in politics or Alaska. She should
be serving time for a myriad of lies and deception.
OMG I am shocked! The Dems are agin her and the REPUBS are a fore her.....this is a new thing, nasty partisan politics in Nevada!
PS the original intent of a "part time" legislature was that politicians NOT be full time political workers. I know this is hard to grasp for those who see it as ok for their part timers (D and R both) to use their time "off" to actually campaign full time. The government is there if you need something when the Senate is not in session. Senators should be working their day jobs now. Politicians are SUPPOSED to be off now, as designed, duh.
According to a source Sen Halseth has resigned as of today .