Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Orientation set for new members of Nevada Legislature

CARSON CITY – There were 21 “true” freshmen elected to the Nevada Legislature on Tuesday and orientation sessions to teach them the ropes are set for three days, starting Nov. 17.

Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, said there are three in the Senate and 18 in the Assembly who have never served. There are 42 members of the Assembly and 21 in the Senate.

The orientation sessions will explain how the Legislature works, then there will be an “issues” session Nov. 30 and another in January to explain such things as health care, reapportionment and the budget.

Malkiewich said three incumbents in the Legislature who ran for re-election were defeated. They were Sen. Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas, who was defeated in the primary election; Sen. Joyce Woodhouse, D-Las Vegas, who lost to Republican Michael Robertson, and Assemblywoman Ellen Spiegel, D-Henderson, who was defeated by Republican Mark Sherwood.

The 21 freshmen do not include Republican Pat Hickey, of Reno, who served in the 1997 Assembly and then had a gap in service.

There were eight legislators who changed houses. They included Maggie Carlton, who moved from the Senate to the Assembly. The Assembly members who moved to the Senate were Joe Hardy, Mark Manendo, Mo Denis and Ruben Kihuen, all of Clark County; Sheila Leslie and Don Gustavson of Washoe County, and James Settelmeyer of Douglas County.

Democrats hold an 11-10 margin in the Senate, losing one seat they had in the 2009 Legislature. Democrats also control the Assembly, 26-16, which is two less than they had in the 2009 session.

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