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Five Nevada senators get top rating from Conservative Union
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU
CARSON CITY -- Five Republican state senators -- Greg Brower, Don Gustavson, Elizabeth Halseth, Michael Roberson and James Settlemeyer -- were named Thursday as Defenders of Liberty by the American Conservative Union.
For the first time, the group, known for grading members of Congress, has begun grading state legislators on whether they made conservative votes on bills.
Legislators from five states were graded, and more will be rated in coming years.
The five Nevada senators made what the Conservative Union considered the right votes on 15 bills during the 2011 legislative session.
"We have an opportunity to foster the next generation of conservative leaders, and the best way to accomplish this is to reach into states that are on the front line of battle for the future of our great nation," said Al Cardenas, chairman of the Conservative Union.
Cardenas presented the ratings during a news conference in Las Vegas.
Only one legislator, Assemblywoman Peggy Pierce, D-Las Vegas, received a zero score from the organization.
Pierce, who made no apologies for introducing a series of bills to raise taxes, was dubbed a "True Liberal of the Silver State."
While Gov. Brian Sandoval was not rated, Cardenas in a statement called him a rising star of the conservative movement.
He said the Republican governor has "championed limited and pro-growth policies by vetoing several ill-conceived pieces of legislation passed by the Nevada Legislature."
Sandoval, however, backed the session's most controversial bill: Assembly Bill 561 that extended $620 million in taxes that otherwise would have expired on June 30.
Backing this bill was considered a wrong vote by the Conservative Union. Sandoval and most legislators, however, agreed to keep the taxes after the state Supreme Court ruled on May 26 that they could not grab local government and school district funds to balance the state budget.
Besides the Defenders of Liberty honorees, the Conservative Union praised eight other Republicans for scoring 80 percent or better grades on their votes.
They were Sens. Barbara Cegavske and Mike McGinness and Assembly members John Ellison, Ed Goedhart, John Hambrick, Ira Hansen, Richard McArthur and Mark Sherwood.
No Democrat received a score greater than 25 percent.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
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I saw the photo long ago and was surprised to see her in public standing next to the boyfriend. Kind of arrogant, wouldn't you say? Looking for substance in a political candidate is like looking for win at a slot machine...a lot of effort with incrementally less payoff until eventually you're broke. Lot of bells and whistles, though. She's got all the bells and whistles and will eventually bring us all down. I'm walking away while I still have a few coins of faith left to invest in this democracy.
@paulr944.....cant get link...but have heard about mining tour photo.
Apparently the "group" consisted her and helglen and...the camera person. oops//lol
Just fits perfectly into alll the deception she is involved in.
Is this whack or what? Really? How do your conservative principles involve Elizabeth saying that her husband had a lewd act in her own home? This woman is out to demote herself and resign. I remember her comments about Senator Ensign, I watched her interview with Ralston and if you don't believe me google it. I was really excited about Elizabeth until I saw what she did. The question now is, who is she listening too? Nobody is talking about Tiger Helgelien and Sen Halseth at the mining tour. I thought it was her husband. http://yfrog.com/nyzdgnaj
gbigs- a little history lesson. The Precurser to the republican party, the Whigs introduced slavery by bringing in White Europeans bought in Debtor's prisons to work for years to re-pay their debts. this developed into the version of slavery you think of.
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Nathon Bedford Forrest started the KKK, not the Dems.
Indian Wars began under Johnston and continuted through Grant, both Republicans. In all of the other wars that you mention, either the United states was attacked by other Countries, or we went to the defense of Allies. They did not Start any of those wars. The civil War was fought between the South and the north, not Democrats and Republicans. That how the parties developed AFTER the civil war, not before it.
the democrats ran slavery, they even put tawney on the supreme court to declare 'Negroes' as not human, but property. the dems founded the KKK, the dems started most of the wars, indian, civil, wwI, wwII, korea, vietnam, and now obama is opening up Africa to war. they are the party of jim crow, of debt, of destruction.
They are the defenders of their taxpayer funded entitlement programs?
That Elizabeth Halseth is the same one who not only had her husband arrested (no charges yet filed!), but did so with her current boyfriend at the house on the day of the arrest, same one who lied about her education. Yep, now there are some family values, all right.
gbigs- there is no such thing as a RINO. Thats just your opinion of Republicans that don't Vote the way you want them to.
The Vast majority of Republicans (Thankfully) don't subscribe to your extreme views and opinions, myself included.
Our viewpoint of your extremism is that you would be happy in 1939 Germany.
We don't subscribe to the extreme Socialist viewpoint either, but believe in doing what is right for the Majority of americans
gbigs- Republicans give us slavery by supporting big business making records profits at the expense of Decent wages, health benifits, and pensions to the working class people.
Abortion is worse then lying, theft or Adultery? all are the equal and the same under the 10 Commandments and god.
George W got us in Wars, Obama is getting us out of them. Clinton never invaded a country, Ronald Reagan invaded Several.
Debt? Clinton had a Surplus, Republicans put us in this mess with their wars.
Failed schools? All parties at fault for this with their idiotic legislation, instead of letting the Schools teach, they regulate.
Crony Govt? The republicans created the largest Bureaucracy in history (Homeland Security) and give Huge Contracts to the Defense contractors, then serve them as spokespersons and lobbyists- Thats Cronyism
democrats party of slavery, abortion, debt, wars, failed schools, crony govt... we will take the GOP. thx.