Ousted legislator happy to spread some holiday cheer

It had been a while since ousted Assemblyman Steven Brooks was in the news. Even more unusual was for the ex-lawmaker, who has a host of bleak headlines under his belt, to take center stage in something positive.

Brooks, the first state lawmaker ever expelled from the Nevada Legislature, was the man behind the hundreds of trees made available on the morning of Christmas Eve.

“It was a blessing,” Brooks said Christmas night. “I’m glad they went to the right people.”

Only about 30 of the roughly 300 donated trees remained Christmas Eve.

Brooks said he was selling the trees to raise money for a nonprofit Freedom Enhancement Academy. He couldn’t use the leftover trees, so he thought he’d try and see that they got to people who didn’t have a Christmas tree.

The company 1-800-Got-Junk moved the five truckloads of trees for free.

State records list Brooks’ wife, Ada Yllas, as the president, director, treasurer and secretary of Freedom Enhancement Academy, which develops math and science programs for students. The nonprofit was inactive in 2010. It was reinstated in October, according to the Nevada secretary of state’s office.

According to police, the day Brooks was kicked out of the Assembly he led police officers on a high-speed chase that landed him in jail in San Bernardino County, Calif.

Police said he threw metal objects out of his SUV as they chased him along Interstate 15.

A California judge gave Brooks credit for 970 days, including 485 actual days in jail and credit for another 485 days for good behavior after Brooks pleaded no contest to evading a peace officer and resisting arrest, according to The Associated Press.

That, however, was not the end of Brooks’ legal woes, which are ongoing. Shortly after the California case was closed, Brooks was arrested in August on five charges stemming from two Nevada cases in 2013. Those charges included domestic battery, assault on a protected person and resisting a public officer with a firearm and illegally possessing a firearm.

Brooks pleaded guilty in August to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and resisting a public officer with use of a firearm, both felonies, according to court records. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Clark County District Court on Jan. 6 and Jan. 8.

— Bethany Barnes

SANDOVAL MAKES TOP 10 LIST

Gov. Brian Sandoval’s drought forum has been picked as one of the top 10 bipartisan policy accomplishments of the Western Governors’ Association in 2014.

The signature initiative from Sandoval, who is serving as chairman of the group, was launched to foster a regional dialogue on drought management and policy.

Sandoval announced the forum in September at Lahontan Reservoir near Fallon, where low water levels caused by the drought forced the closing of all boat launches.

“The impact of drought in the West is clear to everyone here today. But it extends far beyond what’s happened at Lahontan Reservoir,” Sandoval said. “We are intent on finding the best ideas the West has to offer to combat drought.”

The initiative was also a focus at the association’s meeting in Las Vegas earlier this month.

Another issue making the Top 10 list — the status of the sage grouse — is equally important to Nevada.

Publication of the third annual sage grouse inventory is cited as one example of the governors’ efforts to work to conserve the bird in its 11-state Western range.

The governors this year also expressed concern that federal coordination with states in sage grouse conservation was being “treated more as an afterthought.”

The Western Governors’ Association represents the governors of 19 Western states and three U.S.-flag islands.

— Sean Whaley

IGNORE THE LAW … NOT

When an agreement on education funding came before the Henderson City Council, there was no debate.

After all, state law requires the city to set aside a percentage of redevelopment revenue for education. The deal with the Clark County School District was merely a formality. So the council — sitting as the Redevelopment Agency — unanimously approved it at a Dec. 16 meeting.

But a few moments later, Councilman John Marz had a question:

“What would happen if we didn’t give them the money? Just wondering.”

Puzzled, city redevelopment manager Michelle Romero made the point again: “Then we would not be in compliance with state law.”

“And they’d throw us all in jail or something?” Marz joked. “OK.”

Romero deferred to City Attorney Josh Reid, who waited a beat before he said to laughter, “I’ll just kind of allow you to speculate on the ramifications of that.”

— Eric Hartley

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Follow @seanw801 on Twitter. Contact Eric Hartley at ehartley@reviewjournal.com or 702-550-9229. Follow @ethartley on Twitter. Contact Bethany Barnes at bbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Follow @betsbarnes on Twitter.