POLITICAL EYE: Mortgage bills a hot potato for Heck

When it comes to housing and mortgage issues in Congress, all eyes are on Rep. Joe Heck as the U.S. House representative for the district that has been the most devastated by the foreclosure crisis.

And Heck knows it.

The Nevada freshman Republican, who won a close election last November, is moving to inoculate himself from as much criticism as possible as the GOP votes to terminate mortgage assistance programs. Two were on the block last week, and two more this week.

Heck was the only Republican last Thursday to vote for saving a Federal Housing Administration refinancing program that has shown few results so far. He welcomed the headlines that observed his independence from the leadership on a high-profile local concern.

On Friday, Heck voted to kill a Housing and Urban Development program that helps jobless people make payments for up to 12 months. But only after aides made sure to explain that Nevada does not participate in that one.

Heck then posted a YouTube video in which he explained his votes and makes clear he was anticipating attacks.

On mortgage aid, "some will probably see this as an opportunity to score political points and say I don't care about Nevada families who are struggling with housing issues," he says. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

This week, the House will vote on killing the Home Affordable Modification Program, an Obama administration initiative established last year in which Nevada qualifies for more than $150 million in relief grants as a "hardest hit" housing market.

Also on the block is the Neighborhood Stabilization Program that provides grants to states and local governments to redevelop foreclosed properties. Clark County has received $45.8 million in grants, according to HUD.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas political science professor David Damore said votes on mortgage assistance are a minefield for Heck, even though the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate is likely not to take up any of those bills, and the White House has said President Obama would veto them if any reached his desk.

"If he votes against any money coming to Nevada, that is an attack ad waiting to happen," Damore said.

-- Steve Tetreault

SKEPTICISM ABOUT TEXTING

When it comes to trying to understand teenagers and texting, legislators might want to pay attention to Assemblyman Scott Hammond, R-Las Vegas.

As a teacher at Indian Springs High School, the freshman legislator spoke with authority last Tuesday when Assembly Transportation Committee members reviewed bills to outlaw texting and cell phone use by drivers.

Hammond, 44, said a texting ban would challenge teens to find ways around the law. He said he has a hard time detecting kids in his classroom who text and questioned how police officers could catch them.

"I have seen teenagers text for five or six minutes under the table and never get one word wrong," he added. "This is going to create more ways for them to do it."

Like other legislators, Hammond noted there are far more ways to distract drivers than texting or talking on cell phones.

"For me, the biggest distraction is kids in my car," he said. "Are we going to ban kids from cars?"

He also questioned whether police would use an anti-texting law as a pretext to pull over cars.

"How many people are going to be pulled over with nothing going on in the car? This seems like a tool you can use to pull someone over just to look. Maybe they are texting, you will have a hard time seeing that."

Thirty states already prohibit texting by all drivers, and another eight prohibit juveniles from texting. Eight states also ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones.

Two years ago the state Senate passed a bill to outlaw texting, but no action was taken in the Assembly.

This session, chances of an anti-texting bill passing look certain since Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson, D-North Las Vegas, sponsored Assembly Bill 151, a bill that outlaws texting. He was the chairman of the committee in 2009 that blocked a vote on the state Senate's anti-texting bill.

Atkinson also said Tuesday he would not oppose expanding his bill to include a ban on hand- held cell phone use by drivers.

A large number of witnesses, including victims and police officers, during three hearings in the Senate and Assembly have urged legislators to prohibit drivers from texting and using hand-held cell phones. Only a few people raised objections.

-- Ed Vogel

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault @stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900.