3 state senators to fill in while Sen. Smith undergoes brain surgery

CARSON CITY — The state Senate on Thursday appointed alternates to three committees while Sen. Debbie Smith undergoes treatment for a brain tumor.

Sen. Aaron Ford, D-Las Vegas, was named to Senate Finance; Sen. Patricia Spearman, D-North Las Vegas, to Senate Committee on Health and Human Services; and Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, to Natural Resources.

Smith, a Sparks Democrat, is scheduled to undergo surgery Friday for what is described as an operable brain tumor. She missed the first day of the legislative session to travel to Houston, where she is being treated at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

In a statement released Tuesday through the Democratic Caucus, Smith said she hopes to return to the Legislature when her doctors give her permission.

Smith was elected to the Senate in 2012 and serves as assistant minority leader. She previously served in the Assembly.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901. Find her on Twitter: @SandraChereb.