NAACP applauds move to remove Assembly speaker

CARSON CITY — The decision of Assembly Republicans to pick a new speaker designate on Tuesday has muted criticism about the caucus leadership, and the focus now is back on policy, from taxes and education funding to economic diversification, an official with the NAACP said Friday.

Jeffrey Blanck, president of the Reno-Sparks Branch of the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, said Assembly Republicans made the right decision in picking a new leader to replace Sparks Assemblyman Ira Hansen.

Blanck, who had called for the caucus to reconsider the election of Hansen because of racist and homophobic comments he has made over the years as a newspaper columnist, said he is satisfied with how the situation was resolved.

The GOP caucus on Tuesday picked Assemblyman John Hambrick, R-Las Vegas, to lead the group. Hansen had stepped down from the post under pressure from Gov. Brian Sandoval.

“I think they chose the better way,” Blanck said.

While not knowing a lot about Hambrick, Blanck said his NAACP branch can now refocus its legislative efforts on improving public education and ensuring there is adequate funding for necessary services.

Economic diversification is important but it won’t happen with a seriously under-performing school system, he said.

And an inadequate tax structure, which Sandoval acknowledged in a statement on Wednesday after new state revenue estimates were finalized, will mean ongoing under-funding of important programs, Blanck said.

“A lack of funding has a disparate impact on the black and brown communities,” he said.

For the 17-member Democratic minority in the Assembly, the concerns about the new majority have to do with its emphasis on “divisive social issues,” said Brendan Summers, caucus executive director.

“The views the Assembly Republican leadership have espoused since their election is not representative of Nevadans,” he said. “People care about how education will be properly funded in our state, and what we can do to make the lives of middle class Nevadans better; not social issues that don’t help a child learn any faster, or get a Nevadan back to work any sooner.”

For his part, Hambrick asks Nevadans to give his caucus a chance to show what it can do.

“I would hope your readers would give us the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “Our record should speak for itself and we’re going to go forward and do the best we possibly can.”

Hambrick, whose background includes a career in various federal law enforcement capacities, said the caucus will likely make some mistakes as it takes control of the Assembly for the first time since 1985.

“We all make mistakes, but its how you deal with them after the fact,” he said.

Hambrick, who signed a “no tax” pledge ahead of the session, nevertheless said he is supportive of generating more money for public education. While he might get some criticism from tax opponents for such a position, Hambrick said the state needs to make progress in improving student achievement.

Hambrick said he does want accountability with any new education funding, including merit pay for teachers.

“But we have to do something with education,” he said. “We have to increase the reading rate. We have to improve the graduation rate.”

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801.