Rifts start to develop among Democrats in state Legislature

By Anjeanette Damon

Friday, April 15, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

If Democrats want to raise taxes to offset Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed education cuts, all they have to do is persuade five Republicans to break ranks and join them for the constitutionally required two-thirds majorities to pass a tax increase. Right?

As it turns out, busting what appears to be a rock solid Republican caucus may not be the biggest of Democrats’ worries: Keeping their caucuses together may be a challenge on its own.

A number of fissures have developed in recent weeks in the Assembly and Senate Democratic caucuses, which could affect the majority party’s ability to pass an alternative to Sandoval’s budget.

In the Assembly, Democrats have split along ideological lines, with more progressive members dissenting against leadership’s education reform bills — an indication that a tax increase wouldn’t necessarily be a problem with that caucus.

But in the Senate, Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, is faced with two members in divided districts up for re-election next year — one of whom is involved in an emotional dispute with her caucus over her bills — and a third conservative member who has been courted to switch parties in the past.

The dynamic has the potential to force Horsford to win over as many as six Republicans to pass a tax increase, a daunting task.

“The question is whether he can count on his caucus, and he can’t,” one veteran lobbyist said Thursday.

Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, not only is well-known for his conservative views, he surprised many this month when he angrily denounced what he described as the bully tactics of leadership in both houses.

“There’s a climate of fear to go against leadership of both houses,” he said. “That is wrong.”

In the latest rift, Sen. Allison Copening, D-Las Vegas, feeling betrayed by her caucus, sent a scathing email to four colleagues denouncing them for refusing to move several of her bills dealing with homeowners associations out of committee Wednesday.

Her outburst had many in the building questioning whether she would remain a member of the Democratic caucus, a rumor she attempted to put to rest Thursday at Horsford’s request.

Asked about the conflict Thursday, Copening repeated: “Everything’s fine. Everything’s fine with the caucus. Everything’s great.”

When pressed about whether that meant she still considered herself a member of the caucus, she responded: “I wouldn’t say that.”

Copening has faced criticism for sponsoring the bills while being employed by an HOA, an ethical dilemma that has rankled some caucus members.

Later — at the request of Horsford, who acknowledged Copening was unhappy but said she remained a part of the caucus — Copening clarified her earlier statement to confirm she is still a fully participating member of the Democratic caucus.

She attributed her outburst to the stress of today’s committee deadline for bill passage. “Tensions run high on the kind of deadlines that we are up against this week, but everything is fine in the caucus,” she said.

Horsford also sought to minimize the disagreement’s long-term impact, using the same argument. “People are stressed right now,” he said.

But in addition to feeling betrayed by her caucus members, Copening also hails from a district where Republican voter registration nearly matches Democratic voter registration (a situation that may change under redistricting) and was once represented by anti-tax conservative Bob Beers.

Copening is up for re-election next year and Republicans have targeted her because of the registration advantage. That could make her loath to vote for a tax increase.

“She’s a lot less liberal than I think a lot of people had anticipated,” another lobbyist said.

In the Assembly, the Democratic caucus, known for its rigid discipline under former Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, is now led by first-time Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas.

Oceguera is dealing with a record number of freshman lawmakers in his caucus and a cadre of lieutenants who are vying to replace him next session.

Despite that, most say the caucus is working together and has been largely free of the divisions apparent in the Senate.

“Frankly, he’s more interested in seeing what we think about issues” than Buckley was, Assemblyman Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, said of Oceguera’s leadership style. “Barbara was such a machine.”

Still, a strong contingent of Oceguera’s caucus rebelled against his signature legislation to give school districts more flexibility to fire bad teachers. In a key vote last week, nine of the 26 Assembly Democrats voted against the bill, leaving it to the Republican caucus to get the bill to the Senate.

“We’re a big caucus and we all have our viewpoints,” said Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, who voted against the education bill. “Personally, I had concerns about getting rid of teachers’ due process.”

Oceguera noted each member is free to vote as he or she sees fit.

“Reform of the magnitude we are proposing here is never easy, even among people who generally agree,” he said.

Yet when asked if his caucus will hold if they eventually find a tax package to prevent the cuts sought by Sandoval, Oceguera answered: “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but I’m optimistic.”

Put more bluntly, if not more facetiously, by Carlton: “If not, then I think it’s time to start drinking.”