Last Minute Clusterf--k

Whoops. I can't believe this just happened...

MT @AnjeanetteDamon: @tsegerblom tells me he's unaware of trading involving medical pot. Last minute shenanigans. #nvleg/D on D violence.

Except that it didn't. Assembly Member Lucy Flores (D-North Las Vegas) quickly reminded the Twitterverse...

No #SB374 medical marijuana shenanigans. No votes were procedural. #nvleg

And finally, this happened.

So far: Assembly voted to reconsider pot bill because of glitch and violated Constitution by forgetting to pass Education First. #nvleg

And like that, Ralston's latest drama laced conspiracy theory died. Oh, and the SB 374 medical marijuana dispensary bill was suddenly back on track for easy passage. Yes, today is really turning out to be an insane one in Carson City. And especially considering Assembly Member Peggy Pierce (D-Las Vegas, & she's battling cancer again) managed to return to Carson City today, #NVLeg leaders probably won't want to pull some shady shit on her.

Medical marijuana passes the Assembly with exactly two-thirds -- 28-14 -- with ailing Peggy Pierce there to cast deciding vote. It originally passed but the tally board erroneously said it had failed, so both William Horne and Maggie Carlton quickly changed their votes to be on the prevailing side to ask for reconsideration. Conspiracy theories ensued, Tick Segerblom had a near-heart attack, but all was quickly fixed.

Then, as if to make a comedy show worse, the Assembly then broke the constitutional mandate to pass education first (thanks, Dawn and Jim Gibbons!) by passing the authorization bill first. That, too, had to be rescinded before the Assembly took a break for a few hours. It appears the members need it.

The state Senate has passed the sunrise on the expiring sunsets, allowing those taxes ($633 million worth) to continue. What kills me about this -- still, after all these years -- is that three Republicans who voted for the budget then voted against money to fund it. How do Barbara Cegavske, James Settelmeyer and Don Gustavson justify that intellectual dishonesty? I guess they don't have to as they brag to their constituents that they support education. Sickening.

And speaking of intellectual dishonesty, the speeches to pass Washoe schools bill in the Senate were something else. This has gone from a mandate to enabling purely because of Gov. Brian Sandoval's tax pledge and legislative timorousness. Either the schools need more money or they don't. I love hearing about how this is a "local problem," too. As if they don't deal with "local problems" when they fund education every session. Instead, they are voting to enable a GOP-dominated board to raise taxes and imposing a supermajority requirement. Since when does a County Commission get charged with school responsibilites? How do they say this stuff with straight faces? It passed, 16-4.

So what now? Senator Kelvin Atkinson (D-North Las Vegas) and Assembly Member Michele Fiore (R-Las Vegas) just embraced each other. Who would have expected this in February?

.@katkinson702 greets @VoteFiore in hallway w/hug and says, "First gay marriage, now weed!" #crossovervoting #newdayinNevada #nvleg

Soon after, #NVLeg returned to its regularly scheduled program of passing its "Sunset Tax" laden clusterfuck of a Franken-budget.

And now, we can get back to watching #NVLeg searching for loopholes in arcane rules and agreeing to more failed fiscal status quo. Yes, what I said earlier today still stands.