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Four Monday nuggets about the Ira Era, which officially begins in 84 days:
Nugget No. 1: New Speaker Ira Hansen told me something that no elected official has ever said to me when I have asked about coming on my program: “I have a confidentiality agreement until our organizational structure and policy positions are more formalized.”
What? So the new speaker has some kind of no-speak agreement with his own caucus? Um, he's the leader. And what kind of elected official has such an agreement? (My...
On March 5, 2013, legislative Democrats killed themselves.
But that was not enough for these experts at political hara kiri: They also ensured that the coming red wave would be wide and deep, that Gov. Brian Sandoval would go unchallenged and that the Republican brand in Nevada would glisten.
I have long argued that on that day had the Democrats embraced then-Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson's plan to tax mining and collaborated with him to force the governor’s hand and put the...
UPDATE II: I have confirmed Hickey turned down Ways and Means, told Hansen it would not be smart to have a northern chair of the money committee. Hickey had offered Hansen a place in leadership months ago, I'm reliably told, but then decided to make his move during the meeting, prodded by Michele Fiore and Jim Wheeler. Although some may speculate Hickey may quit after being shunted aside, I'm told that's not true.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, apologies to Bette: Buckle up...
UPDATED, NOON, 11/8:
I got some intel from some GOP insiders, who filled me in on exactly what happened during Friday's marathon session:
It appears that Pat Hickey never had much of a chance to be elected as speaker after serving as minority leader. "It went downhill quick," one source told me.
Most of the night was a negotiation, with Ira Hansen eventually agreeing to give the majority leader slot to southerner Paul Anderson.
Fact was Hansen started with, as one put it, "all the new members...
This will be a running blog on what kind of strange stuff could happen in the brave, new and red world of Carson City, where the 22-11-1 math means the Republicans can pretty much do what they want.
First speculation: Redistricting.
In 1985, the GOP had 25 seats in the Assembly. They proceeded to lose control the next election. And how: It became 29-13, Democrats.
Many of the current crop of 25 assemblymen are sitting in Democratic seats and a handful of the 11 GOP senators could be at risk. So...
UNLV is runnin’ from its credibility even faster after the margin tax failed by canceling a request for the Brookings Institution to review a university study on the initiative that the institution’s major gaming patrons did not like.
That aborted Brookings review has now been exposed for the ruse that it is and confirmed UNLV’s status as a second-tier (generous) center of academic thought.
This also may/should have an impact on Provost John White’s presidential aspirations. White, one of three...