Friday, March 14, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- In this corner, Dina Titus. In the other corner, Bill Raggio.
The two Senate leaders clashed Thursday when Titus, D-Las Vegas, criticized a measure sponsored by Raggio, R-Reno, to limit legislative sessions to 120 days. Legislators in Nevada meet every two years for an unspecified time but are only paid $130 a day for the first 60 days.
Titus and Raggio have sparred often in recent years. This session, they've battled over Gov. Bob Miller's plan to reduce the student-teacher ratio in early elementary school. Also, Raggio is booting Titus out of her first-floor office to make room for Republican leaders. Republicans hold a 12-9 advantage in the Senate, giving Raggio the authority to make those decisions.
Thursday's ruckus touched off another spark in the long-running feud.
"If the Legislature is muzzled, executive officers, the judiciary, and worse of all, unelected faceless bureaucrats will step in to fill the power vacuum," Titus said during floor debate.
Titus voted for the measure anyway.
This is not the first time she has spoken against something and voted for it. Last month, she criticized construction overruns at the legislative building, then voted to spend $3 million more, saying it would be irresponsible to leave the job unfinished.
Titus said she voted for shortened sessions so the public can make the final decision.
The measure, approved last session, requires passage this year and then a public vote in 1998 to amend the Nevada Constitution. Titus voted against it in 1995.
Titus challenged Raggio to end the session this year in 120 days. He did not respond.
In the hallway afterwards, Raggio brushed off Titus' criticisms.
"There were a lot of speeches, but when it came time to vote, they didn't vote against it," he said.
Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, cast the only no vote. He said that as a homebuilder he's learned it's difficult to set artificial completion dates. Thirty-two states limit sessions.
Raggio argues that long sessions cost too much. The 1995 session was the longest ever, at 169 days and $9.3 million.
Legislators constantly come under fire for squandering time early in the session and then ramming through crucial legislation at the end without public testimony.
On Thursday, some of the 1 1/2-hour floor session was consumed by legislators introducing guests, including Kiwanis members, high-school students and San Francisco 49ers lineman Ray Brown. A singer is scheduled to provide entertainment Monday in honor of St. Patrick's Day.
Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, summed up the frustration when he introduced his guest, Walchli Lauren, a junior at Galena High School south of Reno.
"She said if you didn't talk so much, you'd get out a little sooner," Townsend joked.
Later, he said that although he attributed the remark to Lauren, it was really his own.
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