Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

politics:

Assembly Republicans choose Hansen, not Hickey, as speaker-designate

Tesla Special Session Sept. 11, 2014

Cathleen Allison / AP

Nevada Assemblyman Ira Hansen, R-Sparks, speaks on the Assembly floor during the second day of a special session at the Nevada Legislature on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014, in Carson City.

Click to enlarge photo

Nevada Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey, R-Reno, left, talks with lobbyist Rocky Finseth at the Legislative Building Carson City on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.

Nevada's Republican Assembly caucus voted Ira Hansen as its new leader on Friday, electing him as the speaker-designate and thwarting power from going to the chamber's current party leader, Pat Hickey.

The move is a coup-like measure that signals Assembly Republicans want to bolster their wave of Election Day victories with conservative policies that steer to the right of the party's moderates.

Hansen is a staunch conservative and was unanimously elected to the position by the 25-member GOP Assembly caucus, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. His rise follows an unprecedented Republican takeover of the Legislature in which constituents elected lawmakers who promised to commit to a steadfast conservative agenda. As the Assembly minority leader, Hickey was next in line to take the speaker's gavel during the upcoming Legislative session. He is known as a moderate Republican who's close with the Sandoval administration.

Hansen has held his seat since 2010 after coming into power during the Tea Party's rise in that year's midterms. He represents Sparks and owns a plumbing company based in the community.

Hansen's leadership position may cause intra-party problems for Gov. Brian Sandoval. The governor and other Republicans are promising to tackle funding gaps in the state's public education system and other areas. The governor has yet to release his budget, but many are wondering how his administration plans to tackle the issues and whether it would raise taxes to do so.

Hansen, who will officially become speaker once the Legislature is in session, replaces the current Assembly leader, Democrat Marilyn Kirkpatrick.

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