Friday, May 16, 2003 | 9:59 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- Speaker Pro Tem Wendell Williams' absence last Friday was noted when Barbara Buckley took his place.
But where was the North Las Vegas Democrat who chairs the Assembly's Education Committee?
At the Coronado Island Marriott Resort on the National Education Association's dime.
The NEA hosted the Conference on Funding Quality Schools from May 7 to 10 at the tony resort, where rooms run a bare minimum of $229 a night and up to $450 for suites overlooking the waterfront.
Williams said he sees nothing wrong with accepting the trip, on which the NEA spent $1,000, according to a Washington-based NEA official who attended the conference.
Williams said that since the national, and not the statewide Nevada State Education Association, paid for the trip, it was a justified way for him to renew his relationships with other states' education leaders he has met in his previous attendance at conferences.
"Most of the people I ran into there were national," Williams said. "As for the trip, it wasn't the state, it was the national and they're not lobbyists here."
Williams also said he found nothing wrong with missing a legislative day in the final weeks of the session.
"I knew we were going to do all resolutions, there were no bills to be voted on and I told the Speaker (Assemblyman Richard Perkins, D-Henderson,) ahead of time that I was going," Williams said.
Could it happen here?
When Texas Democrats went on the lam this week to prevent the Republican-controlled Legislature from approving a controversial redistricting plan, many chuckled in Carson City and wondered if Republicans could flee the Assembly here instead of voting on taxes.
Well, a 1999 legislative lesson could provide prologue for anything that could be tried here in the waning two weeks of the session.
"We don't really want to encourage Texas-like thought," Legislative Counsel Bureau Chief Lorne Malkiewich said.
Late in the 1999 session, a motion failed on the floor of the Senate that was attempting to suspend the rules in order for a bill to move expeditiously through the process.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, was so angered he ordered the Senate recessed until midnight. But when Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, used the midnight hour to filibuster, the GOP walked.
The problem was they didn't adjourn first, and when three of them were coerced back into the chamber by legislative police, the Democrats suddenly had a quorum.
"We started passing things just to make a statement," Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said.
Later that day during the regularly scheduled floor session, the Republicans asked to reconsider all of the bills passed during their walkout hours earlier, in part to keep Sen. Ann O'Connell's perfect voting record.
A heartbeat away
Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt waited until the room at the Paul Laxalt Building was filled with gaming executives, legislators and tourism officials before talking about the state's efforts to attract Asian visitors and businesses.
Her smile turned down when she sadly reported her upcoming trip to China was canceled due to the SARS virus.
"I'm told more people are killed in their bathtubs each year," she bemoaned.
Several guests looked around uncomfortably.
Later Hunt drew a few quizzical stares as she stealthfully removed an entire plate full of chocolate covered strawberries on her way out the door.
A lack of irony
Prison officials repeatedly faced questions from lawmakers this session about the proposed Southern Nevada transitional housing facility for recently released inmates.
But strangely, none questioned the facility's name, Casa Grande -- Spanish for "big house."
He just says no
Assemblyman Don Gustavson, R-Sun Valley, is known for nos. His nay votes are legion, and one in committee on Tuesday drew a few laughs.
After the Assembly Constitutional Amendments Committee unanimously voiced ayes, Gustavson said, almost apologetically: "I'm going to have to vote no, because, because ..."
Assemblyman William Horne, D-Las Vegas, finished his sentence: "'Cause, that's what you do."
Day of bliss
Clark County district attorney lobbyist Ben Graham is widely regarded throughout the Legislative Building for the cookies he hands out to lawmakers on key committees each session.
On Wednesday he and his four children continued a tradition to share the wealth with everyone in the process on the Day of 1,400 Cookies.
Graham shuffled between the Assembly and Senate caucus kitchens producing 38 batches of his super-sweet treats, for which he used 80 cups of walnuts and 120 cups of chocolate chips.
Here are the ingredients:
1 cup of cold, unsalted butter, cut into chunks 1 cup of firmly-packed brown sugar 3/4 cup of granulated sugar 1 tsp. salt (optional -- Graham doesn't use) 2 large eggs 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 2 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda 2 cups of coarsely-chopped walnuts 3 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
Graham chills the batter for six hours and cooks the cookies for eight minutes at 400 degrees.
Enjoy.
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