Monday, Dec. 13, 2004 | 9:32 a.m.
Assemblyman Rod Sherer, R-Pahrump, said he doesn't think he lost his prestigious morning committee assignment because he campaigned against Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson.
Sherer became the only Assembly member not to hold a morning committee assignment when Perkins pulled him from the Judiciary Committee last week.
Sherer now sits on several less-influential afternoon committees but said he sees this as an opportunity to have time to watch what's going on in all of the morning committees.
"I look at it that he's in charge of that position," Sherer said. "I think there are opportunities to get more done."
Perkins denied he was retaliating against Sherer, saying he was trying to create geographic and gender balance among the committees when he switched up a few members. Besides, he said, Sherer didn't really hurt him when he campaigned for his Republican challenger, Steve Grierson.
"I hardly even remembered that had happened," Perkins said. "It's not like it was that big a deal or had any real effect."
Perkins replaced Sherer with Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, R-Reno, on the Judiciary Committee.
Angle said she was upset that Perkins gave Republicans just 15 seats on the morning committees. He said he cut the morning committee assignments because Democrats gained three seats in the election.
"He was the one who decided to do what I felt was very punitive action and give us 16 seats, which has never been done on our morning committees," Angle said.
Plus, constituents who don't have a legislator on a morning committee miss out, said Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville.
"To me, we're denying access to the system to those constituents who aren't represented on the morning committees," he said. "The fact is that you've got room for everybody to serve on a morning committee. The tradition is that everybody does that."
Hettrick said he also is upset that Perkins changed his recommendations for committee assignments.
"Normal practice as long as I've been there is the speaker allows the minority leader to choose who will serve on the various committees," Hettrick said.
Perkins said he received several upset calls from Republican Assemblymen who weren't happy with the committee assignments Hettrick gave them.
One Republican who called him for help was Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, one of the Assembly's most senior members. Hettrick said he didn't put Carpenter on the Transportation Committee because he wants freshman and sophomore legislators to get the experience.
Carpenter said he usually sits on the Transportation Committee because road issues are especially important to his constituents in Northern Nevada.
"Interstate 80 is going right through my district, and you know we need to make sure we are able to keep them repaired and everything," he said.
Carpenter will serve on the Judiciary Committee and the Natural Resources Committee.
Perkins moved freshman Assemblyman Scott Sibley, R-Henderson, from the Transportation Committee to the Growth and Infrastructure Committee to make room for Carpenter.
And he moved Angle from the Growth and Infrastructure Committee to make room for Sibley.
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