Hettrick to support Bob Beers
Inside Liberty Watch Today - Jul. 29, 2005

Assemblyman Hettrick to support Beers' bid for Governor Contemplates own Legislative future.

Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick will be supporting Senator Bob Beers' effort to win the upcoming race to replace Governor Kenny Guinn.
Speaking at the July 19, 2005 meeting of the Carson City Republican Women's Club, Hettrick said Beers is the right person for the job; however, he will support whichever candidate emerges from the 2006 Republican Primary contest.

"I think we are really fortunate that we have some really fine people running for Governor. I will be supporting Bob Beers in the Primary. It is not that I have anything against Jim Gibbons or any other candidate. I will support whoever wins," Hettrick told attendees. "However, I think Bob is the right guy at the right time."

Hettrick noted Beers' efforts in leading the fight against the 2003 record setting tax increase, his being the first to propose a tax rebate, his sponsorship of a bill that lowered the tax on businesses and his vote to cap property taxes as some of the factors causing him to lean toward supporting Beers over others.

"The one thing I care about as much as anything else is, Bob has already absolutely written an oath in blood that if he is elected Governor he will not sign a gerrymandered redistricting plan. He will veto it a hundred times if needed until we get one that is fair."

Hettrick pointed out Republicans have won the popular vote for Assembly races statewide for the last eight years, but remain the minority party in the Nevada Assembly - in 2005 by a count of 16 to 26. He said if redistricting had been done on a fair basis, Republicans would have a majority or close to it.

Hettrick also took some shots at the Democratic leadership.

"Unfortunately our Legislature, in my opinion, is becoming more like Washington, DC. People enjoy going out and throwing bombs instead of trying to work together. People come in with agendas rather than trying to do the business of the state. It's a shame things are going that way."

He said if the Democrats had not been playing games for the benefit of their own agenda there probably would not have been a need for a special session this year. (To complete necessary business, the Legislature met in Special Session for approximately 12 hours following the close of the 2005 session.)

Hettrick also expressed unhappiness with the Legislative tradition of holding bills "hostage" to the end of a session and with some of the other entrenched traditions that he feels are an unnecessarily waste legislator's time. He said he has already submitted some suggested changes.

Regarding holding some bills until the end of a session, Hettrick suggested an agreement be made between the Senate and Assembly limiting the number of bills that can be held. (10 for example) If an additional bill comes along that the majority party wishes to be held, than it must be "exchanged" for one already being held and the removed bill must be voted on.

"I also think there must be a rule on the number of bills the Senate and Assembly must process every day. And with anything that is going to a conference committee, there must be a rule you must deal with a set number of bills a day. Instead what we do is fight and fight. We are not passing anything. There were days at the end of this session in the Assembly where we were passing only four or five bills a day and adjourning. That set us up for a disaster and why it ended up being only 12 hour special session and not longer is beyond me."

Hettrick said Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins would not be looking to return to the Legislature for another term. It has been widely speculated Perkins, along with Senator Dina Titus, will enter the race for Governor from the Democrat side.

"I am hopeful things will change. Perkins is definitely not coming back. I would say the odds are 99 to 1 that Barbara Buckley will be the Assembly Speaker - the first woman Assembly Speaker in the history of the State of Nevada. She will definitely have an agenda next time."

When asked about rumors that he will not run again for his Assembly District 39 seat, Hettrick indicated he would like to spend more time with his family and attend to changes within his business interests.

"I do not know yet. I will decide when filing time comes."

Nancy Dallas, NewsDesk 7/20/05