Why "No Comment"?

Today, our big "H/T of the Day Award" goes to the one & only Gleaner himself, Hugh Jackson. What else are we supposed to add to this?

http://t.co/uPW6EQlry6 @beckyharrisnv campaign slogan: pic.twitter.com/e2MZvtKhYA

— Hugh Jackson (@JHughJackson) October 20, 2014

Well of course, we can always add this:



And now, ProgressNow Nevada Action and Progressive Kick are adding this. Becky Harris (R) has been trying her best to hide from the voters since June, along with her running mates Patricia Farley (R) and Michael Roberson (R). They're all running for State Senate (and in Roberson's case, running for reelection), yet none of them has spoken to anyone in the press since August and all of them have have been severely limiting public exposure since June. Why?

Perhaps ProgressNow is onto something. Who is Becky Harris? While we've been doing plenty of sleuthing ourselves to uncover her radical G-O-TEA allegiances, ProgressNow has uncovered even more damning evidence. She testified not only against marriage equality, but also domestic partnerships (??!!), at the Nevada Legislature in 2001. She even endorsed "conversion therapy", the horrifically dangerous practice of attempting to "pray the gay away" from LGBTQ people. So why are we now supposed to believe Becky Harris won't (again) pursue what she's already gone to Carson City to advocate?

But wait, there's more. Last week, we told you about Becky Harris' internship at the Utah Legislature during the early 1990s. Back then, she took part in crafting anti-choice legislation. Now we know she took part in creating the infamous Utah law that would have threatened 15 year prison sentences for doctors performing abortions... If the US Supreme Court hadn't overturned that and other severe state level abortion restrictions in 1992. But now that the religious right wrong is waging another War on Women, we're again at risk of seeing women's reproductive rights taken away. How do we know Becky Harris won't join in (again)?

And of course, we all remember Becky Harris' now infamous August interview with Steve Sebelius. Funny enough, this was her very last media appearance before "The Blackout". Perhaps that's because Becky Harris let it slip that she's vehemently against even modest legislation to close Nevada's background check loopholes that allow dangerous criminals to get their hands on very dangerous weapons. According to Harris, it's more important to argue over the definition of "transfer" than to keep dangerous firearms away from the next Jerad Miller and Christopher Dorner.

All this helps explain why Becky Harris' spokespeople (and their boss, Michael Roberson) are making "No Comment". They don't want you to know her real record. They don't want you to know what she really wants to do in Carson City. So Roberson is keeping Harris in hiding in hopes they can trick the voters of Senate District 9 into electing her.

Perhaps Roberson's operatives think they can enjoy some "political trick-or-treat-ing" here, but voters deserve better. They deserve to know what Becky Harris is actually running on. And they deserve far more than "No Comment".

"People's Branch of Government"

We found them! They're here! They really do exist!

And here's what they have to say: Nothing. No, really. They're still saying nothing.

When spotted exiting a high dollar fundraiser, State Senate candidate Patricia Farley (R) replied with a mere "thank you" when asked her positions on important issues like gun safety and women's health care.



But hey, at least she politely refused to answer any public policy questions from the hoi polloi. When Becky Harris was asked, she just had her "paid muscle" shout "NO!" at the camera, then put his hand on the camera, then swiftly escort her away. Keep it klassy, Becky!



But hey, at least top secret Nevada Republican candidates Patricia Farley and Becky Harris finally appeared in front of any camera. We're still awaiting the return of State Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R) to the public view. We know he has time to accept fake awards. Why doesn't he have time to debate Teresa Lowry on his favorite media pundit's TV show?



No wonder why even one "newspaper" columnist called Roberson and his hand-picked running mates "spineless". They refuse to debate. They refuse to answer any questions in public. They won't even come clean on what they actually stand for.

So why are they even running for office? Have they even looked at the job description for the office they're seeking? Right on top of the Nevada Legislature's web site is this slogan: "The People's Branch of Government". Roberson, Harris, and Farley are all running to serve in this "People's Branch of Government". Each of them is running to serve roughly 129,000 people in Carson City.

So why aren't they acting like it? Why are they hiding? If they want to represent people in state government, they need to stop hiding from the very people they're asking for votes.

Their Silence Says a Lot

"Not your typical Republicans." That's the meme Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) has been using in his quest to replace the "Minority" in his title with "Majority". And this meme isn't even true. It's all based on one dead horse he just can't stop beating.

But now, he's running scared. After Senator Michael Roberson pulled an outrageously misleading publicity stunt at local teachers' union headquarters, he's been pulling out of debates with Teresa Lowry, his general election opponent. And not only that, but he's encouraged his hand-picked G-O-TEA-in-disguise running mates, Patricia Farley & Becky Harris, to pull out of debates with their Democratic opponents as well.

So what are they hiding? And why are they hiding? Even Republicans like Former Nevada Republican Party Chair Amy Tarkanian are asking.



We don't often agree with Amy Tarkanian. But in this instance, she may be onto something.



Sure, we're now seeing our TVs light up (or darken down?) with misleading attack ads. And ironically enough, those attack ads are at least partially financed by the same person whose company's wrongdoing they want to tie to State Senator Justin Jones (D-Enterprise). Even Jon Ralston felt compelled to call BS on this.



Is it any coincidence that this ad dropped just as Senator Jones released his own TV ad touting the work he's been doing for his constituents? And is it any coincidence that this ad dropped just as criticism is mounting over Michael Roberson hiding himself, Becky Harris, and Patricia Farley from public view?



We've asked this before, but we must ask this again today: What are they hiding? And why are they hiding? These three Republicans want to represent a large portion Southern Nevada in Carson City. So why are they hiding from their voters?

Ironically, their silence says a whole lot about them.

Ready for Primetime

Earlier this week, we noted the absence of a once familiar presence from local media. Once upon a time, there was no way to peel State Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) away from the TV cameras. Whenever he felt the urge to go on his favorite media pundit's TV show, he just went ahead and jumped onto the show.

So why are Michael Roberson and his hand-picked running mates now avoiding the very cameras he once cherished? Why are they now running away from the very media spotlight he once adored? When did Senator Roberson become so reclusive?

Has Senator Roberson suddenly developed a shy personality? Or has he just developed a deep fear of his general election opponent, Teresa Lowry?



We can understand why Becky Harris (R) is avoiding debating State Senator Justin Jones (D-Enterprise). We can also understand why Patricia Farley (R) doesn't want to debate Assembly Member Marilyn Dondero Loop (D-Spring Valley). Clearly, Harris & Farley are not ready for primetime.

However, Senator Roberson should have been ready for primetime since 2010. Hell, he spent countless weeknights prancing onto primetime TV in 2013! Why won't he debate his opponent now?

We doubt this has anything to do with shyness. Oh looky here, someone isn't ready for primetime.

Chicken

Normally, we don't do this. Normally, we don't post this kind of material here. But today, we must make an exception.

So here goes.

(Images courtesy of the Nevada State Democratic Party.)







After he took a quick post-primary victory lap (as in not even reaching 60% against an underfunded opponent), State Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) suddenly clammed up. But why? He's become world renowned (well, among Carson City politicos) for his loquacious ways. What changed?

Now, we're hearing that he and his "hand picked candidates" are dropping out of debates. And not only that, but they're even avoiding debates hosted by Senator Roberson's favorite media pundit. What changed?

Is Senator Michael Roberson (R) too afraid to discuss his own record? Is Becky Harris (R) too afraid to explain where she stands on any issue (along with where she lives)? Is Patricia Farley too afraid to even reveal herself to local media?

What are they afraid of? Why are they now chickening away from any sort of public scrutiny? A while ago, the above mentioned media pundit claimed they were not hiding from media scrutiny, but rather taking time to be "groomed" before entering the media spotlight. So where are they now? And why are they even refusing to do his show?

"Not your typical Republican(s)"? No, this is very typical behavior. In fact, this is typical for any politician of any stripe who has something to hide.

And we know exactly why they're all in hiding. It's far easier to blanket the Las Vegas Valley with glossy mailers and glitzy A-frame signs than to meet the voters and face local media. And it's more convenient for them to continue beating their prized dead horse (via their campaign ads) than to actually explain their real policy plans.

We get what they're doing, but we won't let them get away with their ridiculous game of chicken.

Daring to Act

Last year, a bill emerged that seemed to upend the traditional balance of power in Carson City. It also offered to close loopholes that allow criminals to obtain lethal firearms. That bill was SB 221. And State Senator Justin Jones (D-Enterprise) authored that bill.

SB 221 passed the Legislature, but Governor Brian Sandoval (R) vetoed the bill despite its broad public support. And now, Nevada Republicans are targeting Senator Justin Jones as he runs for reelection to a full term. (He was first elected in 2012 to fill the remainder of Elizabeth Halseth's [R-Enterprise] term after she resigned from office.)

Even though polls have shown very strong public support for expanding background checks for gun purchases made at gun shows and online, the NRA and gun industry are pouring money into the campaign to defeat background checks initiatives meant to do what Congress refused to do on the federal level last year. And even though Nevada's own background checks initiative has just been cleared by a Carson City district court to begin collecting signatures soon, the gun lobby and G-O-TEA political operatives still want to "make an example" of Senator Jones for daring to even propose SB 221 last year.

This may prove to be a turning point for both the politics and policy of gun violence. For decades, the NRA and the rest of the gun lobby have demanded complete fealty from state and federal legislators. And for decades, that's exactly what they've received from state and federal legislators.

But last year, something changed. The reality of gun violence hit home hard. And that was even enough to convince US Senator Harry Reid (D), someone who had sported a "B" rating from the NRA, to reevaluate federal gun safety policies. But when Nevada's other US Senator joined the G-O-TEA led filibuster against a mere background checks bill, Nevadans then looked to the state government to see if we could at least fix this problem at the state level.

State Senator Jones and gun safety advocates rounded up enough votes for SB 221 to pass... Then Governor Sandoval vetoed it. Yet even as the background checks initiative goes to the people for consideration, the gun lobby still wants to "make an example" of Senator Jones for daring to act. The next few months will tell whether they can maintain a stranglehold over this state. The next few months will tell whether Nevadans may actually turn around and dare to act on gun violence despite the gun lobby's extensive and expensive political threats.

The Numbers Don't Lie.

It's been a while since the last time we examined the voter registration numbers. But with another big election looming, we figured it's time to take a look at what's been happening lately.

Back in July 2012, Nevada Democrats had a 4.43% voter registration advantage (or around 47,500 raw votes). In July 2014, Nevada Democrats closed the month with a 64,983 raw vote lead. That means Nevada Democrats now have a 5.49% voter registration advantage.

For Clark County overall, Democrats now have a 13.29% advantage and 106,742 raw vote lead. In NV-03, Democrats now have a 1.1% advantage and 3,520 raw vote lead. And in NV-04 (overall, not just Clark County), Democrats now enjoy an 11.38% advantage and 33,546 raw vote lead.

And in case you were wondering about the hottest Nevada Legislature races of the year, here are the numbers to keep a close eye on. In the Summerlin South based State Senate District (SD 8), Republicans now have a mere 16 raw vote lead, which is so tiny that we have to go all the way to the thousandths to reach a percentage (0.003%). But in nearby SD 9 in the Southwest Vegas Valley, Democrats have jumped to a 3,628 raw vote lead, or a 6.53% registration advantage. And in the Henderson based SD 20, Republicans now stand at a mere 468 raw vote lead, or a 0.01% voter registration advantage.

Of course, the numbers can change some more in the next 10 weeks. The voter registration numbers certainly experienced some change during the final weeks of the 2012 cycle.

Early this year, some were wondering how Nevada Democrats could get their act together in a midterm year with no top of the ticket fireworks. Now, we have a better sense of how they may just pull it off. The numbers don't lie.

Astroturf Follies in Politics

When I first heard that AFP was playing some more in Nevada Legislature races, I wasn't expecting this. I must admit, this was quite the interesting surprise. At first glance, this doesn't seem like much.



After all, this is the same anti-Obama/anti-Shelley Berkley doorhanger that we found in Henderson over two weeks ago. However, there was something different about this AFP doorhanger.

But before I make the big reveal, I must note something. This doorhanger was found in NV-03 and State Senate District 9 in the Southwest Vegas Valley. Just keep that in mind as I show you the back of this doorhanger.

So are you ready for the big reveal? Well, here it is. Ta da!



Again, remember that this was found in NV-03 and SD 9. Yet for some reason, this doorhanger attacks Steven Horsford (the Democrat running in NV-04) and Benny Yerushalmi (the Democrat running in SD 6)! For some reason, AFP dropped the wrong doorhanger in the wrong area.

Perhaps we really shouldn't be surprised by this. After all, we're talking about the same "charitable foundation" behind #BusWreck2012. And we're talking about the same organization that was hawking cheap gas in hopes of swaying the election. And we're talking about the same organization that's likely been violating state election law in hopes of electing state lawmakers it favors.

Can you detect a pattern here? I can. And I suspect it's one that the Nevada G-O-TEA won't like too much come next week. It's one thing to be shady... But shady and incompetent is quite the unique blend that I've never really seen before (until now).

Scenes from the Campaign Trail in NV-03

Late last night, we saw another Clark County update on early voting turnout here. Countywide, Democrats now have a 17.70% turnout advantage. In NV-03, Democrats have a 4.79% turnout advantage as of last night. In the Clark County portion of NV-04, Democrats so far have a 22.13% turnout advantage. And in the key State Debate Districts 5, 6, 9, and 18 which will determine control of the Nevada Legislature next year, Democrats so far have turnout advantages of 7.99% (SD 5), 10.83% (SD 6), 8.01% (SD 9), and 1.02% (SD 18). Overall and in most parts of Clark County, Democratic turnout continues to overperform voter registration.

So how is this happening? As we discussed last Sunday, it's all about the field now. We saw this on display again yesterday when local Sierra Club volunteers knocked doors in the Green Valley (aka SD 5) neighborhoods of NV-03 with John Oceguera. Everyone took part in turning out more Democrats to vote early...







And afterward, the candidate himself joined some volunteers in making "Get Out the Vote" (GOTV) phone calls!

And that's not all. Throughout last week, the local Nevada Democratic "Super Organizer" and local volunteers also canvassed the expansive and just recently developed Southwest part of the valley (aka SD 9). Since there were not as many early voting sites in the Southwest Vegas Valley as in other parts of the valley during the first week of early voting, it was imperative to reach these neighborhoods and turn out as many Democratic voters as possible.

And yes, John Oceguera himself also stopped by last Sunday to walk here himself. He's certainly taking his campaigning seriously.







There's clearly been plenty of work done by Nevada Democrats in the past week. But in the end, they're hoping all this work will be rewarded in President Obama and Shelley Berkley winning, along with the local Congressional and Legislature candidates. And so far, it looks like Nevada Democrats are laying the groundwork for just that. We'll just have to wait and see how Week 2 of early voting continues.

#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.

BREAKING: Elizabeth Halseth WILL Resign!

This just in!

State Sen. Elizabeth Halseth, R-Las Vegas, resigned her office today, citing personal reasons, according to the senate Republican caucus.

Her resignation will place on the ballot a seat that favors Democrats, putting another obstacle in the way of Republicans' goal of taking control of the state Senate, where Democrats have an 11-10 advantage.

Halseth's resignation comes after Democratic lawmakers complained she had not been attending meetings or returning phone calls.

Halseth and her husband, Daniel, are getting a divorce. Her husband was arrested last year on "gross and open lewdness" charges.

My, oh my. I guess Elizabeth Halseth (and Michael Roberson) couldn't keep this ridiculous charade going for any longer. And I guess they couldn't handle the heat heading their way on this.

And this isn't just a win for Nevada Democratic strategists. This is a win for Nevadans, period. No Nevadan deserves to go unrepresented. And yes, that's what was happening while Halseth was AWOL and avoiding her professional duties as a Nevada legislator.

Now, voters in Senate District 9 will have a chance to elect someone who's genuinely interested in doing the job. Congratulations.

UPDATE, 3:50 PM-

I just spoke with a knowledgeable source who explained to me the process going forward:

- Brian Sandoval will appoint a placeholder to fulfill the duties of District 9's Senator for the rest of the 2012 interim.

- And in November, a special election will be held for SD 9 under the NEW boundaries. This means SD 9 will be a more Democratic leaning seat and a prime pickup opportunity for Nevada Democrats.

Wow. Just wow. Nevada Republicans just blew it... Again.

UPDATE, 4:10 PM-

In case you missed it, the Secretary of the Nevada Senate was first in posting Halseth's resignation letter. You can read it here. I'm loving her line on blaming her apparently not-so-good "prospects for employment" here in Nevada on "selfish partisans and a handful of reckless bloggers".

You're welcome, soon-to-be-ex-Senator Halseth! No seriously, I was never out to hurt her "prospects for employment" or harm her quality of life in any way, shape, or form. I only wanted for her constituents to get the kind of representation and service that they deserve.

Oh, and her line attacking President Obama for her personal woes is so "Klassy". Keep it "Klassy", Elizabeth Halseth.

UPDATE, 4:35 PM-

I wonder if Ralston stands by his prediction made on Twitter yesterday:

If I'm right and Halseth resigns, entire state Senate dynamic has gone, IMHO, from lean GOP to lean Dem. Wouldn't that be something? #nvleg

Yes, it is! And again, this is Michael Roberson's worst nightmare come true. Between this and Sheila Leslie giving Greg Brower a real run for his money (literally!) in the new SD 15 in Reno, his chances of becoming Senate Majority Leader have greatly diminished... And Nevadans tired of "tea party" insanity wreaking havoc on Nevada's government rejoice.

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;-)

Finding (the Story Behind) Elizabeth Halseth (Gone Missing)

Yesterday, I was alerted to a dossier on the Elizabeth Halseth scandal penned by... None other than Chuck Muth. Yes, believe it or not, Chuck Muth wrote a surprisingly balanced and detailed history of Halseth's political rise, as well as the origin of her likely fall from power.

Frankly, it was bizarre to read a Muth document that sheds more light on the Halseth affair than everything I've read from "the mainstream media". Hey, I have to give credit where credit is due. Kudos to Muth for being willing to spill the beans on this situation.

After reading Muth's dossier, here are just a few of the many questions I have:

- Why didn't anyone from any of Nevada's major media outlets report on the presence of Halseth's boyfriend, Tiger Helgelien, at the arrest of her husband, Daniel?

- Why didn't anyone else notice that Tiger Helgelien has family in Alaska, where Halseth has been rumored to have relocated?

- Why hasn't anyone else noticed Tiger Helgelien's early efforts to set up a Legislature campaign for this cycle (with the help of none other than Daniel Halseth)?

- And why didn't anyone bother to talk to Daniel Halseth about this?

On October 21, Daniel Halseth was arrested for an alleged domestic dispute involving his wife. Eight hours after his arrest, he was charged with “open and gross lewdness”. In the police report, Daniel accused his wife of having an affair, while she acknowledged that they were having “marital problems”. The police arrested Daniel because Elizabeth accused him of touching her inappropriately during an argument about the affair. Daniel denies that allegation. Either way, their perfect little world was about to come crumbling down.

In a December report authored by Chuck Muth, a political blogger, he states, according to the Las Vegas Criminal Defense blog that open and gross lewdness is “one of the more frequently falsely-accused offenses because police don’t need physical proof to make an arrest, and people may play the victim card out of revenge.” In the same report, Muth accuses Sen. Halseth of making similar claims against other male victims over the past 10 years.

So, you see, it turns out Daniel Halseth was right. His wife was having an affair with former golf professional, now real estate salesman, Tiger Helgelien. To make matters worse, Helgelien, who grew up in Alaska, was involved with Elizabeth’s election campaign, and Daniel built Helgelien’s website. In addition, rumors have it that Daniel was helping Helgelien raise funds for his own political campaign. Needless to say, Daniel has been devastated.

Major kudos must go to whatever this site is for reporting a side of this story that no one else has really talked about.

Obviously, Elizabeth Halseth is leaving behind a messy personal life that Senate Republicans are trying to quietly sweep under the rug. And while I typically don't like probing into politicians' personal lives, I feel obligated to talk about something that hardly anyone else (with the notable exception of Chuck Muth) is willing to discuss.

In 2010, Elizabeth Halseth became a State Senator thanks to attacking others' personal lives. Her campaign attacked Dennis Nolan over being called to testify at someone else's criminal trial. And after the Republican primary, she then attacked Benny Yerushalmi in the general election over ridiculous material like his wife's outfits! So considering this context, I've come to accept that it's perfectly appropriate to note Halseth's total hypocrisy on making other's private lives public... Before she flees over her own private life.

And not only that, but Halseth is now using her private life as an excuse not to fulfill her public duties. Why won't she show up at interim committee hearings any more? Why won't she answer constituent emails? And why has her cell phone been shut off? Hello, Elizabeth Halseth is still listed as a Nevada State Senator for the 9th District! She has an obligation to her constituents to finish the job she was elected to do. And for Michael Roberson to try to shut down questions on her whereabouts just because of his own political ambition is downright reprehensible. He may be afraid of losing his shot at becoming Majority Leader, but fulfilling one's public duties should always come above fueling someone else's political ambition.

Is it really that hard for Roberson to ask Daniel Halseth and Tiger Helgelien if they know where Elizabeth Halseth, his fellow Senator, is? And is it really that hard for him to ask her to either fulfill her duties or prepare to resign?

I just find it funny that the party of legislating private morality can't practice what they preach. And they still don't seem to understand the meaning of public morality. Tiger Helgelien is not an elected official, so he has every right to drop his campaign and return quietly to private life. However Elizabeth Halseth was elected in 2010, so she needs to answer questions from her constituents, and she needs to either return to her job or resign from this office.