In their words, lawmakers leaving with pride, regrets

By J. Patrick Coolican, David McGrath Schwartz

Sunday, May 31, 2009 | 2 a.m.

The Nevada Legislature will witness unprecedented turnover when it convenes again in two years. Term limits, approved by voters in 1996, will force from office 17 lawmakers — more than a quarter of the 63-member body.

Some of them plan to run for other offices, or the other house of the Legislature. Others will fade into political history.

The Las Vegas Sun asked the legislators who are possibly serving the final days of their final session to look back on their time in Carson City and share a memorable story, accomplishment or regret.

Not all of the termed-out lawmakers responded. The comments of those who did have been edited for clarity and space.

Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas

My first session, in 1999, was contentious, with energy deregulation and the proposed privatization of workers compensation leading to heated debates.

After the session I returned to my job as a coffee shop waitress in a casino. During my regular morning shift I remember taking breakfast to a businessman who sent back the toast because it was too dark.

Part of me wanted to say ‘Do you realize what I’ve been through these past few months, and you’re saying your toast is too dark?’ But then I realized I have two lives — one foot in each life — and this guy just wanted his toast.

After all these years I’m proudest that people come up to me and say I’m still normal, still nice.

Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City

During the 2007 Legislature I was president pro tem of the Senate. (The position is second in the line of succession to the governor.)

At one point, Gov. Jim Gibbons and Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki left the state, leaving me in charge. My mother told me not to screw anything up and not to rearrange the furniture.

I’m proudest, though, of my work in the 2003 Legislature, during the last big tax debate. It was a tough fight, but we raised a lot of money and tried to do it in a fair way.

This session, I wish the rank-and-file state employees hadn’t been battered by the current fiscal crisis.

Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas

The 1989 Legislature was my best and worst. I had a bill that would have lowered auto insurance costs substantially. It was rockin’ and rollin’ when my position on legislation to increase pensions for legislators by 300 percent brought it to a halt.

The bill to line legislators’ pockets was revolting to me. I was the only Democrat in the Legislature to vote against it. I was warned that day, if I spoke out, my bills would be killed.

All my bills were killed, but I’m proud I stood up and spoke out. However, I went over the top in my criticism of fellow legislators. My feelings were so deep, so uncompromising, that I hurt some feelings. I regret that.

Assemblyman Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks

When I first joined the Legislature in 1991 there was no glass barrier between the gallery and floor. Lawmakers used to chat with visitors. And before I became a legislator I used to visit, and smoking was allowed on the floor. Some people smoked like chimneys.

We had our 500th drug-free baby on the Assembly floor here recently, and I think the creation of the specialty courts, the drug court, is an accomplishment. That has saved the taxpayers money and had a major influence on people’s lives. I didn’t do it myself. It was judges, treatment providers, patients, a small army of people.

When I got here lawmakers had just commissioned the PriceWaterhouse study on broadening Nevada’s tax base. We’re still fighting that battle.

Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas

In 1997, I sponsored a patient’s bill of rights. The insurance lobbyists laughed at me. They told me that there wasn’t a chance. Bill Raggio sat on the board of a prominent insurance company.

At the first hearing on the bill, people came out of the woodwork. Everyone had an HMO horror story. Momentum grew for the bill, like a train going down the tracks at 300 mph. It passed.

The next session I sponsored a bill to create an ombudsman for health insurance issues, but it stalled in the Senate. Gov. Kenny Guinn had a major bill to privatize worker’s compensation. I submitted an amendment to create the ombudsman in that bill. They said I couldn’t get it. I stood firm.

They ended up calling it the Governor’s Office for Consumer Health Assistance. I learned an important lesson: Never forget to nail down the title!

Assemblyman Jerry Claborn, D-Las Vegas

My time here has been great. I will miss my buddy Assemblyman John Carpenter. And I’m going to miss a mentor of mine, Assemblyman Bernie Anderson. I’m gonna miss him a lot.

I think I’ve done a bit of good for labor and the people. I’ve had a number of labor bills, and wildlife bills for the north.

My biggest regret is that we have never had sufficient funds to help the people. Everything we do is a Band-Aid.

Assemblywoman Ellen Koivisto, D-Las Vegas

In 1997, the Legislature was still in session on the Fourth of July. I remember the entire Assembly standing at the back windows, watching fireworks.

We were waiting for the Senate, as usual — the house of bombast. If they would stop talking so much, they could get more done.

My biggest accomplishment and biggest regret are rolled into one. I worked hard to give retired teachers retirement health benefit subsidies. Now, that’s going away. There’s just not the money to fund it.

I don’t know what the answer is. I guess having Wal-Mart pay more in taxes than $100 to the state would be something. I mean, Wal-Mart pays as much as someone pushing a hot dog cart. That’s just not right.

Assemblyman Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas

My work in regards to public safety and victim rights is second to none. From passing a 0.08 blood alcohol content standard for DUIs, to a 12-hour hold of DUI offenders, to my work with the Victims of Crime Program. Establishing Nevada’s first veterans home in Boulder City (and) keeping our two veterans cemeteries green with natural grass. Consumer protections laws, and doubling the minimum sentences on people who abuse and neglect children and seniors to name a few.

One regret all of the lawmakers facing term limits should have is not having enough time to hear everyone who would like to testify on legislation.

There is preference given to the public in Northern Nevada over those from Las Vegas, where I reside. This must change and with new leadership, it will.

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno

My most memorable hours at the Legislature were a night I spent in a tent city we created over Presidents’ Day weekend during the 2007 session. People pitched tents, slept in cardboard boxes or out in the open in support of a bill to fund transitional housing for the homeless. Carson City churches fed us and snow started falling before the 11 o’clock live newscast.

I slept in a refrigerator box and woke to the smell of wet cardboard. When I crawled out into a misty morning, I found the tent city still populated with eight or nine other legislators, advocates from Las Vegas and homeless people from Carson City.

Many attended a hearing that afternoon on the bill, which was one of the most compelling in my legislative experience.

Assemblyman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas

I remember Marvin Sedway, he was the chair of Ways and Means, and he was making a big speech on a tax bill, and in those days, you could smoke on the floor, and he lit his beard on fire. He was trying put it out as he’s making this speech.

I’m proud of my role in creating the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. I’m proud that speakers had confidence in me that I would offer a balanced budget, take care of people and hopefully not have to raise taxes.

This session has been like Armageddon. The recession has affected everyone. Hopefully we can come out of the quicksand, and future legislators can figure out what we need to do to come out of this, and that’s broaden the base.

Assemblyman Harry Mortenson, D-Las Vegas

A bunch of us were sitting at Adele’s, around the bar. I was feeling social and started talking to the guy next to me. He told me he was a businessman from California and asked what I did. I said, “I’m a state assemblyman.” He said, “You’re a state assemblyman! In California, you can’t get near legislators because they’re surrounded by an entourage.” I said to him, “Oh yeah, well I want you to meet this guy. This is our governor!” It was Kenny Guinn, sitting at the bar with us. I thought that was great.

I’m proud that we created committees to write the pro and con arguments for initiative petitions, so voters were better informed when they looked at the ballot.

This state has great paleontological treasures. I’m proud to have passed a bill that will protect them, and created an Office of State Paleontology.

Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko

(Carpenter, a rancher and small businessman who has served more than two decades in the Assembly, doesn’t say much, but his colleagues always listened when he spoke.)

I guess I’ll remember all the good friends I’ve made.

(Yelling to Assemblywoman Peggy Pierce: ”Is that a hot dog you’re eating?”)

I guess I started the Cowboy Hall of Fame here. I try to make sure the bills don’t hurt rural Nevada.

Every session offers some regrets, but none stick in my mind.

Assemblywoman Kathy McClain, D-Las Vegas

I’m proudest of all the senior issues I’ve worked on, from elder abuse, working on guardianship issues to keeping seniors in their homes and not institutionalized.

This year, I’m going to finally get a standing interim committee to look at issues related to seniors, veterans and adults with special needs.

My biggest regret is I never lost weight up here. Every time I come up here, I promise I’m going to diet, and I wind up putting on 10 pounds.

Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Reno

I remember in my first session there was the mystique of Joe Neal.

(Neal was Nevada’s first black senator.)

He was a great orator and well versed in the statutes. He asked probing questions, fiery. I had a welfare-to-work bill — this is 1995 — and he made a big speech against it. I knew I had to respond. I was terrified. It was the best speech I ever gave, some people thought. I got a standing ovation.

(The bill passed the Senate but died in the Assembly.)

I’m proud of helping the charter school movement. But I hope of any policy or legislation, the constituents of my district believe I took their concerns to heart and worked on their behalf.

The vote I regret is the 2003 tax package.

(He voted yea.)

I don’t think we had enough foresight. Here we are in 2009 looking at another $780 million in taxes.

Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno

I brought together a big group to testify on mental health services. They were all there at the table testifying in the Finance Committee. Sen. Bill Raggio didn’t usually allow a large group to testify. But we had providers and family members, the sheriff and the business community. We brought people together to solve a problem. We should remember things can be accomplished when you’re inclusive and when you listen.

I’m proud of what we did on mental health, energy, workers’ compensation and worker safety.

I don’t think I had the impact on education I wanted to. It’s sad because it would be wonderful to see law, medical and business schools having to compete with the education schools for the best and brightest. Maybe that’s my next life.

Did not participate

Sens. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, and Bernice Mathews, D-Reno, declined to be interviewed for this story.