Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012 | 12:31 p.m.
Nevada lawmakers generally engaged in deficit-spending last year as they raised varying amounts of money and used it primarily to pay expenses, according to disclosures filed with the secretary of state's office.
About 60 percent of the reports are in -- they have to file annually after off-years -- and state Sen. Greg Brower so far leads the way with $86,000 raised -- about twice what anyone else has taken in. Brower is in a potentially competitive seat, but the Democrats have so far failed to recuit a candidate (Washoe Sheriff Mike Haley so far has declined their entreaties).
The forms indicate that state Sen. Shirley Breeden was indeed thinking of running for re-election until recently while state Sen. Ruben Kihuen remarkably did not raise any money before he decided to run for Congress.
Although it may be understandable why lawmakers deficit spend in off years -- they are paid a pittance and need to pay for expenses related to their jobs -- I have less sympathy with them blocking a change in the law that would mandate they report how much cash they have on hand. To find out, one would have to go through past reports and do some guesswork. This is the kind of non-transparency that should shame them, but....
One more note: Someone ought to tell future GOP leader Michael Roberson he needs to raise more money to scare people that he is a force. There's always 2012. (UPDATE: Roberson tells me he's "not trying" to raise money for his personal account, as other leaders have done. But he is happy the GOP senators, though several PACs, have raised $500,00 while the Democrats have only $200,00.)
Here is the list so far -- I will update as the reports come in.
ASSEMBLY
Paul Aizley: $4,800/$2,100
Elliot Anderson $20,000/$12,000
Teresa Benitez-Thompson: $16,000/$18,000
David Bobzien: $22,000/$17,000
Steven Brooks: $30,000/$40,000
Marilyn Dondero-Loop: $8,000/$11,000
John Ellison: $10,000/$5,000
Lucy Flores: $15,000/$23,000
Ed Goedhart: $12,500/$4,000
Pete Goicoechea: $33,00/$52,000
Tom Grady: $14,000/$29,000
John Hambrick: $23,000/$16,000
Ira Hansen: $20,000/$13,000
Cresent Hardy: $28,000/$25,000
Pat Hickey: $46,000/$16,000
Randy Kirner: $27,000/$6,000
Kelly Kite: $12,000/$4,000
Pete Livermore: $12,00/$9,000
April Mastroluca: $15,000/$14,000
Richard McArthur: $9,000/$3,000
Harvey Munford: $15,000/$14,000
James Ohrenschall: $12,000/$6,000
Mark Sherwood: $5,000/$12,000
Lynn Stewart: $22,000/$14,000
Melissa Woodbury: $17,000/$18,000
SENATE
Shirley Breeden: $37,000/$26,000
Greg Brower: $86,000/$5,000
Barbara Cegavske: $7,500/$65,000
Don Gustavson: 5,000/$27,000
Joe Hardy: $25,000/$27,000
Ben Kieckhefer: $17,000/$26,000
Ruben Kihuen: $0/$26,000
Sheila Leslie: $15,000/$25,000
Dean Rhoads: $0/$36,000
Michael Roberson: $30,000/$25,000
James Settelmeyer: $14,000/$28,000
Valerie Wiener: $33,000/$25,000
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