Reid tells Legislature time to invest in future, including a Las Vegas arena
CARSON CITY — In remarks to the Legislature on Wednesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that with the state economy on the mend, it is “crucial that we renew our investments in the future,” including pursuing a new arena that could help in Southern Nevada’s economic recovery.
Despite years of discussion, Las Vegas still doesn’t have a major, multi-use arena that could host concerts and major sporting events, Reid said in remarks to a joint session of the Assembly and Senate.
“A new arena could be the next frontier for this pioneer town,” he said. “But to make a top-notch stadium a reality, it will take top-notch cooperation between Clark County stakeholders.
“I realize there are many hurdles to overcome to turn dreams into a dome — including finding a way to finance such a huge undertaking,” Reid said. “Those decisions — how to finance the project and where to locate it — will be made at the local level. But it’s time we united around this idea to move Southern Nevada’s economy forward.”
But Reid said in remarks after his address that he was careful to not favor one arena project over another.
At least two proposals are in the works: a Las Vegas-backed 20,000-seat arena downtown and a UNLV-backed 60,000-seat domed football stadium on campus.
Reid continued to decline to comment on a land deal in Henderson that was presented as an opportunity to build a sports complex. The deal has spawned a city lawsuit and a federal investigation.
Reid has not commented because his son Josh is the Henderson city attorney, who is spearheading the city’s challenge to developer Chris Milam.
The city has requested a Clark County District Court injunction on the Texas developer’s planned purchase of 480 acres from the Bureau of Land Management.
The city alleges Milam and four others conspired to win Henderson’s endorsement of the land purchase for a city-backed sports complex only to abandon the plan in favor of housing and business development.
In his 15th address to a joint session of the Legislature, Reid also said it is time to renew investments in education, public safety and clean energy.
Reid said he supports a proposal before the Legislature to increase a voter-approved one-quarter cent sales tax increase to hire more police officers in Southern Nevada, and he praised Gov. Brian Sandoval for supporting the measure.
“As a world-class tourist destination, we have a responsibility to protect our visitors as we protect our own families,” Reid said. “It’s time the Legislature met its pledge to grant law enforcement the second half of what the voters already approved.”
He also called for more funding for public education but did not offer any specifics in comments after his address about where the money should come from.
Sandoval has called for $135 million in new spending on public education, including money to expand full-day kindergarten to more schools and help more students master English by the end of the third grade. But some Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, say the proposals don’t go far enough.
Reid seemed to agree, saying: “Nevada can no longer afford to put off investments in our children. If we ever hope to compete with students from Tucson or Burbank — never mind students from Tokyo or Berlin — we must adequately fund education today.”
Reid also touched on a favorite theme of renewable energy, saying it has been a source of jobs during tough economic times. But he also used his address to criticize NV Energy for “evading the spirit of the law” regarding renewable energy.
It is time to revisit Nevada’s renewable portfolio standard and “update it to match the changed reality of Nevada’s energy landscape,” Reid said.
“We should no longer allow the major utility in Nevada to meet the portfolio standard with energy credits from a Utah hydroelectric dam built in 1896, the same year Utah was admitted to the Union,” he said. “We should no longer allow them to meet the portfolio standard by handing out energy-efficient light bulbs at Home Depot.”
Reid also called for state lawmakers to pass a same-day voter registration law to increase turnout.
“Allowing same-day registration does encourage participation in the democratic process,” he said. “And it doesn’t increase incidents of supposed fraud, a canard repeated by those who would prefer to keep minorities, the poor and the elderly away from the polls. In fact, voter fraud is as common as being struck by lightning.”
Reid also criticized proposals for photo ID for voters that will be considered by lawmakers this session.
“This proposal is a solution looking for a problem,” he said.
Reid did not reject Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller’s proposal to put a photo of each voter in books used at polling places as a way to combat potential fraud.
“I talked with Ross Miller earlier today and told him how I felt,” he said. “And he’s got a plan and I said keep working on it.”
Reid also said Sandoval is right to move forward with the Legislature in implementing an online gaming bill.
“We should have done it on the federal level; there are a lot of reasons we didn’t,” he said. “I met with the Nevada delegation last week, and we’re going to try to figure out a way forward.”
Contact Capital Bureau reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
