Friday, June 13, 2003 | 5:28 a.m.
From veteran observers in the hallways, the superlatives of disgust and amazement reverberated. The common refrain echoed: "I've never seen anything like it."
And most were not speaking of the lawmakers' abject failure to accomplish in 130 days what they should have achieved in 120 days. No matter how you stand on the tax/budget questions, that was not the story of the final days of this abomination. Instead, what captivated the attention of lobbyists, Fourth Estaters and others was "The Process" -- a series of almost indescribable train wrecks that unfolded in slow motion as ghastly public spectacles.
If voters had any clue what really transpired in the state capital the last couple of weeks, they would not just be outraged; they would burn down the house, as Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio once did to Joe Conforte's brothel. They would thus rid the state of a house of ill repute, replete with sweet-talking whores made up to look pretty and too many men caught with their pants down.
The bordello comparison is perhaps too kind. At least prostitutes provide a service. So far, the Gang of 63 has provided none, while perverting The Process beyond recognition.
We have a bunch of scared, scapegoating folks who will do anything to avoid doing something, while showing a complete lack of honor and honesty. To wit:
After Amodei preached about ensuring the openness of said process, the bill emerged from the committee by a 15-6 vote, thus surmounting the two-thirds requirement. In less than a half-hour, senators would go to the floor and, presumably, ratify the vote.
But presume nothing this year. When they returned to the floor, the real travesty began.
As Amodei presented the final legislation, Minority Leader Dina Titus questioned how a non-germane provision sought by fellow Democrat Mike Schneider -- a time-share amendment by a man who has had time-share interests -- had serendipitously appeared in the bill. She clearly implied that Amodei, Mr. Open Process, had purchased Schneider's vote by inserting the provision.
After the Amodei-Schneider time-share trinket was excised in no time, the Senate voted. The tally was 13-8 this time, though, thus failing by one vote to achieve the necessary two-thirds. Democrats Valerie Wiener and Bob Coffin switched the votes they had made just a short time earlier in committee and ensured the bill's defeat.
Why? They didn't say. But what happened was that in the intervening 30 minutes or so, they were pounded by core constituencies -- gaming and labor -- and thus voted their lack of consciences.
So within an hour, those in the gallery had witnessed a blatant quid pro quo for a vote and a couple of senators who voted differently on the same bill only because they were frightened of political consequences. It was a sickening emblem of the session(s) so far.
Lawmakers have a chance to redeem themselves in Special Session II, no matter how the final tax/budget battle is resolved. But before they find redemption, they have another task, if there is any shame left in the capital.
Let's hope the first order of business on June 25 in both houses is a simple one:
A collective apology.
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