Monthly archive

Pathetic turnout (again) for muni elections
The final turnout numbers are in for early voting, and they are putrid. This is what happens when you have these elections in off years, a huge advantage for incumbents or the monied candidates. They don't have enough already? OVERALL: 22,257 early/7,006 mail/3.3 percent HENDERSON MAYOR: 9,110 early/2,437 mail/8 percent NORTH LAS VEGAS MAYOR: 4,779 early/948 mail/7.5 percent STEVE ROSS' COUNCIL SEAT: 2,570 early/626 mail/6.5 percent ANITA WOOD'S COUNCIL SEAT: 1,397 early/293 mail/7 percent Want...
Guthrie's sudden "resignation" was inevitable after alienation tour
  State Superintendent James Guthrie's sudden departure on Good Friday shows how far his stock has dropped with a governor who only a year ago gushed about the first schools overseer ever appointed by the chief executive. First, this almost certainly was not Guthrie's choice. Evidence: A news release at 3 PM on Good Friday. Translation: Please don't notice this. Evidence: The headline on the release: "Sandoval announces interim superintendent." Really? Evidence: Sandoval's statement -- or...
Brooks arrested again
ANOTHER UPDATE: BARSTOW POLICE HAVE RELEASED DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT. ATTACHED HERE.   UPDATED: Here is a story and hard-to-watch video of the arrest hat tip to the Sun's Anjeanette Damon, who found both.) On the day he became the first assemblyman in Nevada history to be expelled, Steven Brooks was arrested near Barstow, CA. According to San Bernardino County police records, Brooks was arrested by Barstow police at 6:57 PM on Thursday near Stoddard Wells and I-15. The charges listed are:...
Collins battles colleagues, staff over replacement for Brooks
UPDATED: I obtained more of the email chain that includes Tom Collins and Mary Miller having quite the testy exchange. Amazing stuff. Clark County Commissioner Tom Collins is insisting that the board consider a replacement for expelled Steven Brooks next week, but says he is meeting with resistance from colleagues and staffers. Collins acknowledged in an interview that he has yet to talk to Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick about the appointment -- there had been chatter in Carson City about asking...
Media outlets demand Brooks report be made public
In a letter from attorney Don Campbell citing the public records law, a variety of media outlets have asked the Legislature to release the independent counsel's report in the Steven Brooks matter. I've attached the letter here. I'd guess legislative lawyers will advise lawmakers not to release it. And then..... (Disclosure: Campbell is my lawyer.)  
Brooks: "I'm the assemblyman of sorrow"
In four brief, surreal conversations, alternately heart-wrenching and frightening, shortly after he was expelled from the Assembly, Steven Brooks said he is "the assemblyman of sorrow," wondered why his colleagues "hate me so much" and declared he was going to "break the state" with a lawsuit worth at least $10 million. Brooks was alternately angry, with expletive-filled rants directed at Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick and Majority Leader William Horne, despondent, weeping and saying he was...
Majestic letter to UNLV reflects surprise, latent anger
You may have read this story in the Las Vegas Sun about Majestic Realty and UNLV going separate ways on the stadium project. But UNLV only put out a news release late Wednesday after receiving a pretty brutal letter from Majestic's Craig Cavileer, which I have attached here, asking President Neal Smatresk to reconsider its decision. Hard to see how this project gets done now, but Don Snyder is the reverse David Copperfield of megaprojects: He seems to make them appear.  
Brooks will be expelled, but opaque process, human toll will be remembered
In the end, or at least near the end, the volatile, scary and sad story of Steven Brooks came to an all-too predictable conclusion. Late Tuesday evening, when a select committee voted to recommend the troubled assemblyman’s inevitable expulsion, no one was really surprised. No one who cares, that is – a very limited universe judging by those who attended the historic hearing, which was populated almost entirely by media folks. But despite the limited interest in (or is it simple exhaustion)...
Brooks: Arrest speaker, majority leader
  During a brief conversation this morning -- a follow-up to a 1:54 AM text -- Assemblyman Steven Brooks told me he wants Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick and Majority Leader William Horne not only barred from tonight's hearing on his fitness, but also arrested. Brooks said he is having a noon press conference at the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas. Bizarrely, he said the two Assembly leaders -- Horne chairs the select committee -- are guilty of the same crime as this man. Brooks, who could be...
What the election sports book might look like
So the scenery-chewing Tick Segerblom, the state senator not satisfied with pot expansion and portable legislating, also is considering legalizing bets on federal (and maybe state) elections. Segerblom's bill draft, which is attached here, is specific to federal election betting. But he told Politico that he may consider betting on state elections as well. Imagine what the sports book might look like: 2014 Rep. Joe Heck - 3 (percent) vs. Erin Bilbray Rep. Mark Amodei - 15 vs. any D Rep. Dina...

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