Horsford announces state Senate committee chairmanships

CARSON CITY -- Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, announced Monday that he has found committee chairmanships for all 11 Democrats -- including four veteran Assembly members who won Senate seats last week -- during the 2011 Legislature.

While Democrats lost one seat in the Nov. 2 election, they still hold an 11-10 lead over the Republicans, now led by Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon. Horsford, consequently, could name all committee chairmen.

Horsford will chair the Senate Finance Committee, the group that reviews state agency spending.

New Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, will chair the Senate Revenue Committee, which formerly was called the Taxation Committee. Leslie had served on the Assembly Taxation Committee. Her job promises to be difficult with the state facing a revenue shortfall of $1.2 billion to $3 billion. Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval has vowed to balance the budget on existing revenue without tax increases.

Other freshmen senators receiving committee chairmanships were Democrats Mark Manendo, of Las Vegas, Natural Resources Committee; Mo Denis, of Las Vegas, Education Committee; and Ruben Kihuen, of Las Vegas, Select Committee on Economic Growth and Employment. Kihuen's committee is a new one created to look into some of the state's more critical problems.

Other chairs are Mike Schneider, of Las Vegas, Commerce and Energy Committee; Allison Copening, of Las Vegas, Health and Human Services Committee; Valerie Wiener, of Las Vegas, Judiciary Committee; Shirley Breeden, of Henderson, Transportation Committee; John Lee, of North Las Vegas, Government Affairs Committee; and David Parks, of Las Vegas, Legislative Operations and Elections.

Schneider also will return as president pro tempore of the Senate, while Wiener will be assistant majority floor leader and Lee the majority whip. Denis and Leslie will be assistant majority whips.

McGinness last week named Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, as the assistant minority floor leader and James Settelmeyer, R-Minden, as the minority whip.