Candidates square off in debate

Two Republican state senators fighting for their political lives decried the campaign tactics of their Democratic opponents in a pair of brief televised debates Thursday.

District 6 Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, described Democrat Allison Copening as a public-relations professional skilled at spin and not to be believed, while Copening claimed Beers is "notorious for making up statistics."

District 5 Sen. Joe Heck, R-Henderson, said Democrat Shirley Breeden was hiding behind "mailers full of accusations," while Breeden, who maintained she has nothing to do with the aggressive mail campaign her party is funding, said Heck must answer for his record.

The 15-minute question-and-answer sessions were recorded Thursday morning for later airing on Vegas PBS, also known as KLVX-TV, Channel 10. If just one of the Democratic challengers wins, the majority in the state Senate, currently held by Republicans, would change hands. That has led to intense scrutiny on these two legislative races.

Despite the limited time and format, the four candidates managed to make some differences clear.

Copening stressed the idea of a state lottery as a generator of revenue, calling it "a great alternative for the dire economic situation we are in."

Although a lottery is popular with the public, it is considered a political nonstarter. It has been proposed over decades of sessions to no avail, derailed mostly by the opposition of gaming interests and the fact that it would require a change in the state constitution.

Beers, for his part, didn't offer any proposed cuts to meet the shortfall, saying the answer is to fix the economy so that tax revenue once again flows into the state's coffers. As a small business owner, he said, he had the expertise to shape "a consistent, stable government that can attract business and create jobs."

And rather than answer a question about whether the state's tax structure should be re-examined, Beers held up a chart that he said showed the history of rat populations in the valley. Echoing a mailer business interests have sent to district residents on his behalf, Beers mocked a statement Copening made as spokeswoman for Pulte Homes in 2004 about a rat infestation of homes in Anthem.

"Animal life exists in the desert," she told the Las Vegas Mercury at the time. But according to Beers' chart, there weren't many rats in the desert before the people got there.

Copening said Beers was dodging questions. "I am a problem solver and a consensus builder," she said. "I will bring solutions. I have many. The first is the lottery."

The two also tangled over the Southern Nevada Water Authority's proposed pipeline to pump water from rural Nevada. Copening, a former water authority employee, said with the Colorado River not getting any wetter, Las Vegas needs more sources of its lifeblood, "or all the jobs stop, the city stops prospering."

Beers said the pipeline would cause "alarming, unimaginable environmental damage" and would be too costly. "It's money for the pipeline or food and medicine. I find that such a stark choice," he said.

Copening accused Beers of inflating the pipeline's cost, while Beers said the $2 billion price tag Copening cited was wildly out of date.

Heck and Breeden also tangled over the budget, which is expected to be the central issue of an acrimonious 2009 Legislature no matter what its partisan makeup. Breeden, a retired school district administrator, said any money Nevada gets from the federal financial bailout ought to be invested in education.

Heck, who won his first election four years ago by painting himself as a budget hawk, admonished that such monies, which come into the budget only once, shouldn't be used to build up programs that the state will be on the hook for in future years. The funds should go to protect people from foreclosure and "grow the economy," he said.

The physician and Army colonel then pivoted to campaign tactics, saying, "I took an oath to serve my patients, my country and my state," and asking Breeden to swear that she had no involvement in what he called a "reprehensible smear campaign."

Breeden said, "Senator, you know we are legally forbidden to have any part in those negative ads. We are running a positive campaign."

The state Democratic Party is behind sometimes misleading mailers in both Beers and Heck's districts. Meanwhile, the state Senate Democratic caucus is managing Breeden's campaign and has been carefully orchestrating her public appearances and availability to the media.

"So, you won't take the oath," Heck crowed after Breeden's answer.

Asked about the looming unfunded mandate of public employee retirement and medical benefits, Breeden said as a retired public employee, she would advocate for keeping the current "defined benefit" system. "It's something I will fight to protect," she said.

Heck said he would not break the state's promise to current employees but would consider changing the system for future hires.

The candidates also offered a clear difference on the wisdom of breaking up the Clark County School District, the fifth-largest system in the nation. Breeden said no, arguing that a large district creates efficiencies of scale and reduces bureaucracy. Heck said yes, making a case that multiple, smaller districts would be closer to their communities and more accountable.

Heck touted his work on health care, noting that he weighed in on this year's Southern Nevada hepatitis scare even though he was serving in Iraq at the time and saying he's pushing for better oversight to prevent another such calamity. Breeden, echoing the anti-Heck fliers that show bald women in hospital gowns with accusing stares, attacked him for opposing a measure that would have required insurance companies to cover a vaccine that helps prevent cervical cancer.

"You voted against preventive measures for cervical cancer and prostate cancer," she said. "You tell me what kind of representative that is."

Heck said the vote was to prevent insurance costs from soaring because of requirements for coverage.

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball @reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.