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Democracy in Peril

COUP DE VILLE?: Even as the irrepressible press corps was preparing its annual Legislature spoof, "Third House," a real-life joke was apparently taking place in the Assembly's Republican caucus. Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Gardnerville, apparently tried unsuccessfully to strip Assemblyman Josh Griffin, R-Henderson, of his "assistant minority leader" title because of Griffin's stance in supporting taxes, multiple sources confirmed.

According to those sources, the vote to retain Griffin was 10-9, a bare majority. Griffin was supported by mostly freshmen and a couple of senior members. The Hettrick move came after that Assembly Ways and Means Committee meeting Wednesday in which Griffin once again sided with majority Democrats in voting to approve a $930 million tax and spending plan.

Hettrick never did return a phone call for comment on his failed coup. Recall that, at one point, the personable Griffin, son of the former Reno mayor, had been mentioned as a candidate for Hettrick's post as minority leader. Ultimately, however, Griffin decided not to challenge Hettrick for the top spot.

Griffin's been heard to say that getting re-elected comes second to fixing the state's budget woes, and that it's his job to find a solution to the problem and then sell his constituents on it. We're not 100 percent positive, but we think we read somewhere that this approach constitutes the definition of "leadership."

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: Democracy in Peril hadn't been to Carson City for two years, but some things never change. There was state Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, arguing for an increase in the gaming tax, with industry lobbyists in grim-faced opposition.

This year, of course, is different. There will be a gambling tax increase, with the full support of Casino Inc., as part of the final tax package. But it's not enough to suit Neal, who has campaigned relentlessly in the past to raise the levy 10 percent or more.

"This process has been hijacked by not allowing gaming to pay its fair share," Neal said. "There's a tremendous cost when we don't reach into the coffers of gaming and extract what's necessary" to pay for roads and schools and the like.

Ironically, Neal cast the lone dissenting vote on the package in the Senate's Taxation Committee, the first chance in years that the gambling tax actually will be increased. Now that is different.

Steve Sebelius writes a daily e-mail newsletter, the E-Briefing, from which "Democracy in Peril" is excerpted. Reach him at 383-0283 or by e-mail at ssebelius@reviewjournal.com. To subscribe to the E-Briefing at a Mercury reader special price of $20 per year, go to www.lasvegasmercury.com/ebriefing.