The Biggest Little Legislature Race in the World

Every so often, we are reminded of perhaps "The Most Important Race You Don't (Often) Hear About". Today just happens to be one of those days. Yes, there was another debate.

And last night in Reno, Greg Brower (R) and Sheila Leslie (D) traded barbs on a number of topics, such as mining taxes and overall tax fairness.

Leslie painted Brower as a conservative Republican beholden to tea party interests. She said he was against extending taxes that were set to expire in 2011 to balance the budget and now supports extending them.

“When he went to the session in 2011 and started running for Congress, that’s when he became a tea party Republican,” Leslie said.

Leslie repeated her call for a form of corporate tax throughout the debate and advocated for getting rid of the modified business tax and lowering the sales tax. She added the state’s mining industry is not paying its fair share.

“Even Sarah Palin in Alaska knew better, she taxed oil,” Leslie said. “We need to tax the natural resources we have, and that’s mining.”

Brower said the state’s mining industry is paying its fair share and that any corporate tax could be bad for job creation. He agreed there should be tax reform that should be bipartisan.

“The last thing we need to do as a state is do anything that would jeopardize job creation and investment,” Brower said.

He noted Leslie voted for the modified business tax in 2003. Leslie, in turn, said she voted for the 2003 tax because it was a bipartisan solution at the time of a major financial crisis for the state.

Notice something strange here? I do. First, Greg Brower slammed the idea of progressive tax reform. Then, he said any tax reform should be done in a bipartisan manner. Yet from there, he criticized Sheila Leslie for voting for the bipartisan 2003 tax deal that was crafted by a group of REPUBLICAN legislators as an alternative to REPUBLICAN Governor Kenny Guinn's original tax plan! Wait, how does this even make sense? How can Greg Brower claim he wants "bipartisan solutions" on tax reform, claim he wants "balance" in the Legislature, then castigate Sheila Leslie for agreeing to compromise with the Republicans who had to compromise with each other (!!!) in order to reach a deal on taxes and the state budget?

This is a big reminder for voters in Reno's SD 15 that they indeed have an extremely important choice to make. Even though this may be Bill Raggio's old seat, Greg Brower isn't actually playing by Raggio's playbook of consensus building. Rather, he's pretty much doing what Michael Roberson tells him to do... Which is more or less a slightly modified version of the typical G-O-TEA agenda of attacking workers' rights, privatizing everything in sight, and pumping out more bailouts for billionaires (while sticking working class taxpayers with the bill).

This is why Roberson and his G-O-TEA buddies have spent so much on Brower's behalf. And this is why they fear a Leslie victory here. This is something voters in SD 15 should keep in mind. The decision they make may truly have a strong and lasting impact on our state.

Greg Brower Flips... & Flops.

On "Nevada Newsmakers" yesterday, State Senator Greg Brower (R-Weathervane) tried his hand at attacking Sheila Leslie for moving into the new SD 15... But he only made himself look foolish. Why? Here's a hint.

Brower was appointed to the Senate seat to replace the late Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, who resigned before the start of the 2011 session. Brower refused to speculate on his political future beyond 2012 when asked if he was considering a run for Nevada attorney general. Democrat Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto will be termed out of office in 2014.

“I am 100 percent focused on getting elected to this Senate seat,” he said.

When asked by host Sam Shad if he would commit to a full four-year term in the Senate, Brower said: “I can’t predict the future, Sam, I just don’t know what is going to happen. I’m just not even going to think beyond 2012.”

So Greg Brower is attacking Sheila Leslie for doing the proper paperwork to run in the district that she now lives in, but Brower himself won't commit to staying on the job and serving his local constituents! And remember, this isn't the first time Brower abandoned his constituents and the job he's supposed to be doing for them. As soon as Brian Sandoval appointed Dean Heller to the US Senate seat that John Ensign abandoned, Greg Brower was quick to announce his Congressional campaign... And abandon his duties as a State Senator representing Washoe County.

It might be understandable if Greg Brower is suffering from short-timer’s syndrome. He’s running to represent Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District and the Reno Republican’s state Senate seat will likely move to Clark County after redistricting.

Still, Brower’s symptoms have become so pronounced that his party’s legislative leaders recently sat him down for a talking-to about his notable absences from committee hearings and floor debates.

Brower has been present at roll call for nearly every floor session and committee meeting. He’s missed no floor votes. However, he’s developed a routine of taking extended breaks after being marked present or leaving early while his colleagues on the Education or Health and Human Services committees work late into the evening.

The practice has irritated some of his colleagues, Republican and Democrats. [...]

Brower missed large sections of the public schools hearing on April 20. Two days later, when he was absent from the higher education hearing before the Senate, Horsford, sent the sergeant-at-arms to fetch Brower from his office.

Four days later, Brower officially announced his congressional campaign.

When asked whether he has left committee or floor meetings to attend to campaign business, Brower dodged the question..

“My focus is on the session and representing my constituents,” he said. “That’s what I am here for.”

(This Sun article was written before the Nevada Supreme Court approved a new Legislature map that actually moved Brower and Leslie into the new SD 15 in western Washoe County.)

So when the NV-02 seat was wide open, Brower was quick to jump on that opportunity to run for Congress. But when that didn't work out, the game plan shifted to running for State Senate this year, only for Brower to set himself up for a run for Attorney General in 2014. Yet even as Brower's initial expectation of a smooth sail to election didn't quite pan out that way, he still won't commit to actually serving the full term!

And Greg Brower thinks he can legitimately attack Sheila Leslie for simply filing in the district she now lives in? Who's he kidding?

But wait, there's more. He also had the gall to say this on "Nevada Newsmakers" yesterday.

Brower also defended Sandoval for his announcement last week that he would continue a package of expiring tax increases into the 2013-15 budget to avoid any further budget cuts to education. Brower voted against continuing the 2009 taxes in the 2011 session even though Sandoval supported the decision as a compromise to finalize the current budget.

“I think what the governor is trying to do is move this state forward,” he said. “And that means leadership on real issues like the budget. And I think that’s what we saw last week and that’s what we’re going to continue to see. And to the extent this governor is going to take a leadership role in moving this state forward, I stand solidly behind him.”

Again, who's he kidding? Greg Brower voted AGAINST the final budget agreement that Brian Sandoval signed into law! But of course, that vote happened just as Brower was kicking his Congressional campaign into high gear. Shortly after sine die, Brower appeared at this NV-02 G-O-TEA candidate forum and professed his love for all things "tea party".

There was little disagreement voiced among the three, who Las Vegas Sun political reporter Jon Ralston has dubbed “the leading candidates.”

All said they were supportive of Ryan’s budget plan, and that they would have voted for the Pence Amendment to defund Planned Parenthood. Education, they all agreed, should be dealt with on a local level, and the role of the Department of Education should be highly diminished, or the Department should be gotten rid of all together. On energy, all called for more domestic sources of energy, whether it be green energy, offshore drilling, or nuclear energy.

Amodei disputed the use of the phrase “green energy” saying that term “is another way of saying politically correct energy.”

Asked about their feelings on the Tea Party movement, Lippold and Brower expressed hearty approval.

“Any time you have citizens getting involved directly in how their government is run, it is a good thing for the United States,” said Lippold.

“I couldn’t agree more,” said Brower. “Any movement that makes government more accountable is a movement I can get behind.” [Emphasis mine.]

Oh yes, Greg Brower loved him some "tea party" when he wanted teabaggers' votes in the NV-02 special election. But apparently now that he's simultaneously "pivoting himself to the center" in a more evenly split and increasingly Democratic leaning State Senate district and "angling" himself for a future statewide run, Brower is abandoning the "po' lil' teabaggers" and embracing Brian Sandoval's and Michael Roberson's newfound love of extending taxes and funding public education.

Hmmm... Who could have guessed this?

(Jump to 13:30 on the video below. Keep going to 9:50 for all the good stuff.)



At least give Sheila Leslie credit for refusing to morph on TV into something she's really not. She's always been consistent in stating what she believes in and who she wants to work for, and that doesn't look to be changing any time soon.

Greg Brower, on the other hand, is now trying to look "moderate" after spending the last year pandering to "tea party" extremists, voting against badly needed school funding that Brian Sandoval now admits we can't afford to take away next year, and even voting against basic civil rights, such as ensuring fair employment and creating a safe learning environment. Hell, Brower even voted against critical infrastructure improvement projects that invested in our state and put more Nevadans to work. Greg Brower may now want to talk a good "moderate" game, but his actual votes in the Legislature last year tell a totally different and rather "TEA" tinged story.

So perhaps before Greg Brower tries again to attack Sheila Leslie for moving into the district she now lives in, he should take a look at his own record and try to give SD 15 voters an honest answer as to who he really serves.

More from Sheila Leslie, Stonewall, & Our Adventures in Reno

In case you didn't get enough fun from our adventures in Reno last night, here's some more material that I couldn't fit into my SD 15 diary from this morning. Last night at the Northern Nevada Stonewall party in Reno, Sheila Leslie gave a powerful speech explaining why she's running.



And we had even more special guests come and rally the base in Reno last night. Clark County Democratic Party Chair Chris Miller, Washoe Democratic Party Chair Dorie Guy, State Treasurer Kate Marshall (D), Washoe County Commissioner Kitty Jung (D-Reno), and famed UNR economist Elliott Parker were among the very special events at the Stonewall party last night.





And by the way, the official count for last night's party is now just over 50!

I'm now in Carson City for the Nevada State Democratic Party Central Committee meeting. I'll have updates from that at my Twitter @atdleft this afternoon, and I'll have a fuller roundup here at the blog tomorrow morning.

Here's to lovely Northern Nevada!

Why Are Northern Nevada Democrats So "Fired Up & Ready to Go"?

Last night was interesting. In case you didn't my Twitter or Facebook feed yesterday, I made the 8 hour drive from Las Vegas to Reno with some great progressive friends. And once I arrived here, I got busy checking out the #nvp2 scene!

I first stopped at Sheila Leslie's campaign kickoff party in Downtown Reno. And let me tell you, the house was packed! I was really pleasantly surprised by so much Northern Nevada progressive energy packed into one room, as well as the huge outpouring of community support for Sheila Leslie.

I had a chance to talk with some locals there last night, and they gave some background on what to expect up north this year. They know Leslie faces new challenges in the new SD 15, but they also sounded quite confident of her ability to win this fall. Between her consistent record and Greg Brower constantly shifting between "moderation" and "tea party" crazy (depending on which election he's running in!), they sense West Reno voters will opt for the former. Let's hope they're right.







But wait, that's not all! After Sheila Leslie's kickoff, I headed over to Northern Nevada Stonewall Democrats' commnunity celebration in West Reno. We also saw Sheila Leslie and Assembly Member David Bobzien (D-Reno) here. Oh yes, and none other than Ross Miller, Nevada's Secretary of State, came by to give the group a full rundown of what his office has been up to. Believe it or not, he flew all the way (back) here from LA yesterday to make our party! He gave a rousing speech on the progress made on LGBTQ equality in the last 20 years, as well as what needs to be done to make Nevada a better place for all families.



David Bobzien also gave a wonderful speech on how the Legislature works and why Legislature elections this year are so important.



All in all, I was quote impressed with Washoe County Democrats and their astonishing energy. When media pundits like Jon Ralston ask how Nevada Democrats are supposed to conquer "the enthusiasm gap", this shows that Democrats probably already have. So far, 2012 really seems to be looking up for Nevada progressives hoping for a better 2013.

Why "Down Ballot" Should Be at the Top of Voters' Minds

Buried at the bottom of today's RGJ story on the high stakes SD 15 race between incumbent State Senators Greg Brower (R-Reno) and Sheila Leslie (D-Reno) now running in the same district that may determine control of the State Senate next year, I found this shiny nugget that may really change the dynamic of Legislature campaigns.

Leslie feels Brower hurt students and parents involved in public education by voting against the final budget deal of the 2011 session because it contained about $700 million in taxes that were scheduled to expire but were renewed with the budget deal.

“In the last session, after Sen. Brower was appointed to his position, he had a record that was very extreme,” Leslie said. “The constituents in this district are very unhappy with that, especially with education.”

Leslie said Brower will also have to answer for being among a handful of senators who voted against the final state budget deal endorsed by Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, because it contained revenue from a group of taxes that were scheduled to expire in 2011.

So why is this so important? And why is this a game changer? Let me explain. For once, taxes may finally be touched on as a legitimate policy issue worth discussing intelligently, not another forbidden "four letter word" (never mind it actually has five letters!).

Now of course, this situation is different. At the end of the 76th session, we only saw an agreement to extend the tax deal already put in place in 2009. And it's probably less scary for Democrats to embrace this as a campaign issue now that Brian Sandoval has to own it.

Still, this reflects what may be a big change in campaign strategy. Instead of trying to avoid the subject, as so many candidates did in 2010, we may see a real head-on collision.

And frankly, we may need it. As I hinted at last week, several states are considering legalizing some form of internet gambling. We can't always depend on the gaming industry as our only stable source of income. We also can't continue to underfund the critical public infrastructure that we need to attract more businesses here and diversify our economy. Something's got to give.

And perhaps, something will this year. Even the RAN poll done by Republican polling outfit Public Opinion Strategies found a willingness among Nevada voters to talk taxes. So it's likely that the other private polls in the field are showing similar results. And when considering that and the proposed ballot initiatives already making a mark on the tax talk, this may be the ideal time for Legislature candidates to actually talk about what happens in Carson City and why they want to go there.

And remember this. Even if one or more of the tax initiatives pass, there will still be important fiscal decisions made in the Legislature next year. And considering everything from mining taxes to funding public education are likely to be big issues looming over Carson City next year, this election may really be the most important Nevada has faced in a long time.

#NVLeg: Halseth's Gone & Leslie's Moved On... What's Next?

I'm quite sure I know what you're thinking. Now that Elizabeth Halseth is out, what happens next in Senate District 9 in Southern Nevada? Let me do my best to explain what's to come.

First, we have filing. And from what I've heard, it's too late for anyone currently living outside the new district boundaries to move in and campaign here. SD 9 has now been compacted to just the Southwest Vegas suburbs of Summerlin South (south of Red Rock Country Club), the western edge of Spring Valley, and the Enterprise communities of Mountain's Edge, Rhodes Ranch, and Southern Highlands. Sorry, aspiring carpetbaggers.

And so far, everything I heard Friday afternoon still stands. The new district boundaries will indeed be used in the special election, and the SD 9 special election will follow the same schedule as the other regularly scheduled Legislature elections. This means filing will be open until March 16, then the primary will occur on June 12. And of course, this also means SD 9 will ultimately be decided in the general election on November 6.

And so far, the same schedule looks to be in place for the Senate District 13 special election in Northern Nevada triggered by Sheila Leslie's big move to Senate District 15. The new SD 13 (formerly Washoe Senate 1) contains mostly the urban core of Reno and Sparks, while the new SD 15 (formerly Washoe Senate 3) takes in a large portion of Western Washoe County from White Lake to Sun Valley to Northwest Reno to Mount Rose.

Now that Sheila Leslie will be running in SD 15, Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Debbie Smith (D-Sparks) announced yesterday that she will run to fill the vacancy in SD 13.

“Northern Nevadans need strong representatives they can count on to get the job done,” Smith said in a statement. “While I believe there are some very promising signs that things are beginning to get better in our state, we have a long way to go. I am running for the state Senate to continue fighting for a better education system, a healthier economy, and a more efficient and effective government for Nevada. After spending the past few days talking with family, friends and community members, I feel this is the right decision at the right time.”

Leslie resigned her Senate Distrct 1 seat effective immediately Wednesday and plans to run against state Sen. Greg Brower, R-Reno, in Senate District 15.

District 1, which encompasses portions of Reno and Sparks, becomes District 13 in this election cycle after redistricting. The district has a solid Democratic edge in registered voters, about 18 percent. Leslie won election by 30 points in 2010, and former state Sen. Bernice Mathews, D-Reno, held the seat for 16 years before term limits ended her legislative career.

Now as the RGJ article quoted above states, not too much is really at stake in SD 13. It's still a heavily Democratic district. And as long as no other strong Democrat emerges to challenge Debbie Smith in the primary, then expect to see Senator Debbie Smith (D-Sparks) making waves in the next legislative session (next year).

No, the real battle will be farther west in SD 15. And down south, SD 9 will join SD 5 (Henderson-Green Valley), SD 6 (Las Vegas-Summerlin), and SD 18 (Northwest Las Vegas) in determining control of the Nevada State Senate. If Republicans win at least 4 of these 5 seats, then they take over the Senate. But if Democrats manage to sweep all 5 of these races, then Nevada Dems will finally reach the magic 2/3 number to secure a veto-proof supermajority and relegate Michael Roberson (and his extreme "tea party" agenda) to the sidelines.

This is why Roberson is so scared now. And this is why the "big bid'ness" establishment will be forking out big checks to the likes of Greg Brower and Steve Kirk (a GOP candidate in SD 5). Again, as we've been saying here for a while (and Jon Ralston has admitted on Twitter), Republican hopes of flipping the Senate have diminished greatly in the last 100 hours. However, they still intend to go all in for the #NVLeg campaign just for the sake of saving enough seats to obstruct any kind of progressive agenda in the 77th session.

So perhaps more so than ever before, the Legislature campaigns of 2012 will really matter. If one wants to fix the broken and outdated tax structure straight out of the 19th century, fully fund public education, improve our state's health care system, rebuild the rest of our state's public infrastructure, and properly invest in the kind of job creation that will benefit our economy for many generations to come, the choice will be crystal clear. And thanks to both redistricting last year and the major developments of the past week, we may actually have a unique and unprecedented opportunity to change the dynamics of Carson City for the better. So remember not to "stop at the top"... Keep going down that ballot and vote for progress.