Hispanic lawmakers increase clout in Carson City

In Nevada, Hispanics clearly have a seat at the political table.

And they're about to pick up a few more.

Even before the Nevada Legislature redraws the boundaries of state Senate and Assembly districts in the upcoming 2011 session, Latinos made historic gains in Carson City.

The incoming lawmakers will include two state senators and six members of the Assembly who are Hispanic, tripling their representation in the 63-member Legislature. All are Democrats, a party that has seen much success in recruiting minority talent to run for public office.

A decade ago, when districts were redrawn in a U.S. Census-driven exercise, Nevada lawmakers crafted two state Senate and two Assembly districts to favor Hispanics.

Since that time, more than 300,000 Hispanics have moved to Nevada, driving the state's explosive growth, with Latinos now accounting for 26 percent of the estimated population of 2.6 million.

As result, Hispanic activists expect the 2011 redistricting to result in at least another state Senate seat and two Assembly seats specially drawn for them, said Luis Valera, chairman of the board of the Latin Chamber of Commerce. That number could grow if the Legislature expands to add more seats, something minority groups and Northern Nevada lawmakers are pushing to ensure representation.

"We certainly feel it's important for us to have a seat at the table," Valera said recently after a legislative hearing on redistricting in Las Vegas. "The real work begins now."

Democrat-leaning Southern Nevada is likely to gain three seats -- one in the 21-member Senate and two in the 42-member Assembly -- under the upcoming redistricting. The GOP-leaning north lost three seats to the south a decade ago, too, shifting political power toward Clark County, as lawmakers drew new lines.

As he did in 2001, state Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said he would once again propose expanding the Legislature by adding two seats in the state Senate and four in the Assembly so that lawmakers in Northern and rural Nevada don't have to represent far-flung Nevadans across several counties. That would bring the total to 69, or six less than the 75-seat limit set by the Nevada Constitution.

"I think it's absolutely essential to increase the size of the Legislature," said Raggio, who argued that it's better for Nevada voters to live near their representatives, minority or not. "Maybe Clark County doesn't care, but I think in the best interest of the state, they should do that."

Assemblyman Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, who chaired the recent legislative meeting on redistricting, said he's not in favor of expansion, saying cost would be an issue as well. But he does want to make sure Hispanics and other minority groups are well represented.

Segerblom requested the Asian Chamber of Commerce help identify whether there is a large enough, closely grouped Asian population in Southern Nevada to make up a new district, too.

"I personally think a smaller Legislature is better, but we do want everybody represented," Segerblom said. "And we want to hear from as many people as we can."

There are no Asian lawmakers, although Asians make up nearly 7 percent of Nevada's population.

Asked if he expected a fight over the politically charged redistricting process, Segerblom smiled.

"If history is any judge, maybe," he said, adding that the most important thing is to ensure the lines are drawn to favor the people and not the politicians. "We'll have to compromise in the end."

Several legislative seats have been drawn to favor black representation as well. African-Americans account for eight members of the Assembly and state Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas. African-Americans make up more than 8 percent of the state population.

At the congressional level, Nevada will likely get a fourth seat because of its population growth over the past decade. The news should come by the end of the year after the final 2010 Census numbers are released around the holidays, possibly before Christmas or by a Dec. 31 deadline.

Democrat Rep. Shelley Berkley's Congressional District 1 already has a huge Hispanic population and so is, by default, drawn to favor Hispanics, according to Valera of the Latin Chamber.

"You don't have to be Hispanic to represent Hispanics well," Valera said. "We care about a lot of the same issues that everyone else cares about: education, jobs, the economy."

Valera noted that Hispanics were key to re-electing U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., as well.

-- LAURA MYERS

Ensign ponders vote
against tax cut bill

As the U.S. Senate prepares to take its first votes today on the tax cut agreement President Barack Obama brokered with congressional Republicans, at least one GOP senator says he is unhappy and may vote against it.

That would be Nevada Sen. John Ensign, who said he is troubled that none of the $858 billion cost is offset by spending cuts. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Friday the tax legislation will put the 2011 budget in the largest deficit in history at
$1.5 trillion.

"I would love to pay for them all, but we should at least make a good effort to offset a couple hundred billion of it, or a hundred billion," Ensign said of provisions in the bill. "Something to show the world we are serious about deficit reduction up here.

"At least make a good effort and we are not making a good effort," he said. "The debt and the deficit are real and it's a real threat to the long-term economy."

Ensign declined to criticize Republican negotiators for failing to extract spending cuts from Obama, saying the party "got about as good of a deal as we could possibly get."

He also said he still supported extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts to earners of all incomes, even as those add to the cost. Democrats argued against giving more tax breaks to the wealthy. The liberal Center for American Progress estimated that extending low tax rates to families earning more than $250,000 will cost $120 billion over two years.

"Short term, we can't afford to raise taxes on people," Ensign said.

-- STEVE TETREAULT

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers
@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Contact Stephens Washington Bureau
Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault
@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.