Nevada State Senator

Barbara Cegevske

35 The Legislature also has the power to create, revise, or abolish certain county positions;36 determine the compensation of legislative officers and employees,37 certain state officials,38 Supreme and District Court judges,39 and specified county officers;40 decide the winner of a tied election for a district or state office or the office of U.S. Senator or Representative;41 impeach the Governor, other state official, or any judge, except a justice of the peace;42 and pardon, reprieve, or compel the enforcement of a sentence for the conviction for treason.43 The Legislature also provides oversight of the executive and judicial branches of government through the budget44 and audit45 processes and reviews the regulations developed by state agencies.46

The majority of the Legislature’s work, however, consists of generating, revising, and occasionally repealing the laws of the state. Through a process defined by the Nevada Constitution, state law, and legislative rules, the members of the Legislature consider over 1,400 bills and resolutions throughout each regular session. The regular sessions of the Senate and Assembly are required to be held during each odd-numbered year, beginning on the first Monday of February.47 At other times, the Governor may, for a specific purpose, call the Legislature into special session,48 but such action is seldom taken.

During the session, legislators have several responsibilities. They shepherd the measures they introduce through the legislative process by providing testimony at hearings, working with others to improve the legislation, and encouraging their colleagues to vote in favor of their bills. Legislators also serve on the committees that review each piece of legislation. Each legislator is typically assigned to three standing committees. As committee members, legislators listen to and question witnesses about the provisions of a measure,49 participate in subcommittees created to focus on a specific bill or issue,50 and vote on whether the bill or resolution should be transmitted to the full house.

At times, all legislators may be required to participate in a committee of the whole.51 Such a committee is formed only once or twice during a session. Much more common are the conference committees, formed to resolve differences between amendments proposed by each house to the same bill.52 Occasionally, legislators may be assigned to a joint committee of the two houses.53

Legislators are also required to attend the daily meetings of their respective houses,54 commonly referred to as “floor sessions.” The meeting procedures of the Senate, Assembly, and these various committees are discussed elsewhere in this manual.

When not on the floor or in meetings, legislators confer with constituents who call or visit, with lobbyists who represent organizations or certain opinions, and with staff who provide assistance and requested information. Legislators are frequently asked to speak to various groups and attend numerous community functions, most often when the Legislature is not in session.

When the session ends, legislators continue to make speeches, assist constituents, serve on special legislative committees, and compile information in preparation for the next session. Often, legislators serve as facilitators among various groups. For example, a legislator might contact a government agency on behalf of a constituent or bring opposing factions together to solve a problem. In addition, legislators monitor the implementation of certain bills passed during the preceding session. In this capacity, a legislator might attend a hearing conducted by a state agency formulating pertinent regulations.

Between sessions, a legislator may serve on one or more interim committees. Some of these committees study a specific subject, provide oversight of ongoing issues, or are part of national organizations that bring together legislators from the various states to discuss similar problems. Permanent committees of the Legislature are created through statute.55 Temporary committees usually originate in concurrent resolutions56 passed in one session and are dissolved by the beginning of the next.

The foregoing description of legislative responsibilities is not comprehensive. Like employees in the private sector, legislators are often responsible for other duties as assigned. Any legislator who chairs a committee or assumes a leadership role conducts those duties in addition to the ones mentioned. Legislators are also expected by their political parties and communities to perform certain functions, such as attending party caucuses and important local events. In addition, most legislators hold full-time jobs and must fulfill their responsibilities to their employers. Although Nevada prides itself on having a citizen Legislature, it demands a significant commitment of time and effort from each of its citizen representatives.
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Endnotes:
27 Nevada Constitution, Art. 4, Sec. 1.
28 Nevada Constitution, Art. 4, Sec. 23.
29 Nevada Constitution, Art. 9, Sec. 2; Art. 10, Sec. 1.
30 Nevada Constitution, Art. 4, Sec. 19.
31 Nevada Constitution, Art. 16, Sec. 1; United States Constitution, Art. 5.
32 Nevada Constitution, Art. 19, Sec. 2.
33 Nevada Constitution, Art. 11, Sec. 4.
34 Nevada Constitution, Art. 11, Sec. 5.
35 Nevada Constitution, Art. 4, Sec. 25.
36 Nevada Constitution, Art. 4, Sec. 32.
37 Nevada Constitution, Art. 4, Secs. 28 and 33.
38 Nevada Constitution, Art. 15, Sec. 9.
39 Nevada Constitution, Art. 6, Sec. 15.
40 Nevada Constitution, Art. 4, Sec. 32.
41 Nevada Constitution, Art. 5, Sec. 4.
42 Nevada Constitution, Art. 7, Secs. 1 and 2.
43 Nevada Constitution, Art. 5, Sec. 13.
44 NRS 353.230.
45 NRS 218.767, et seq.
46 NRS 233B.066, et seq.
47 Nevada Constitution, Art. 4, Sec. 2.
48 Nevada Constitution, Art. 5, Sec. 9.
49 Senate Standing Rule 43, Statutes of Nevada 1973, 1868; Assembly Standing Rule 49, Statutes of Nevada 2001, 3295.
50 Senate Standing Rule 53, Statutes of Nevada 1999, 3822; Assembly Standing Rule 43, Statutes of Nevada 1997, 3544.
51 Senate Standing Rule 46, Statutes of Nevada 1977, 1651; Assembly Standing Rule 1, Statutes of Nevada 2001, 3295.
52 Joint Rule 1, Statutes of Nevada 1999, 3848.
53 Joint Rule 7, Statutes of Nevada 1999, 3851.
54 Senate Standing Rule 12, Statutes of Nevada 1973, 1866; Assembly Standing Rule 10, Statutes of Nevada 1975, 1857.
55 For example, see: Legislative Commission (NRS 218.660); Interim Finance Committee (NRS 218.6825); or Committees on Health Care (NRS 439B.200), High-Level Radioactive Waste (NRS 459.0085), or Public Lands (NRS 218.5363).
56 Joint Rule 7, Statutes of Nevada 1999, 3851.

Sincerely,

Barbara Cegevske, 
Nevada State Senator

Biography

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