Special session bad for incumbents' fundraising, shouldn't hurt Titus

LAS VEGAS - Gov. Jim Gibbons' announcement today that he will issue an executive order for a special session of the state legislature next week is a warning to incumbent legislators to get their contributions in quick, the spigot's shutting off.

State law prohibits the governor, lieutenant governor and state legislators from either asking for or receiving political contributions for 15 days before, during or after a special session.  That prohibition will not take effect, however, until the day after the governor signs the executive order.

Gibbons said the session will begin Jun. 23 and will last no more than five days, meaning that it may be as late as mid-July before legislators can begin to fundraise again.

Meanwhile, challengers will be free to fundraise and campaign at full speed, bad news for incumbents facing potentially close races.

Asked if the special session will put him at a disadvantage for reelection, state Sen. Bob Beers (R-Las Vegas) answered simply "Yes."

Beers is facing a tough reelection challenge against Democrat Allison Copening in the most closely-divided senate seat in the state.

Assemblyman David Bobzien (D-Reno), who's facing both a primary challenge and a potentially tough general election campaign, sought to minimize the hurt a fundraising prohibition may place on his campaign.

"I may have a kick-off event that I'll need to rearrange," said Bobzien.  "But other than that, my job of connecting with the voters-I'm going to be connecting with them regardless to hear their perspectives on the state budget issue. So that doesn't change anything."

One state legislator who will be unaffected by the prohibition, however, appears to be state Sen. Dina Titus, who is currently campaigning for congress.

An attorney general's opinion in 2001 concludes that federal election law preempts the applicable state law.  According to the opinion 2001-04, a federal candidate like Titus, therefore, "is not prohibited from soliciting or accepting monetary contributions for a campaign for federal office before, during, or after a regular or special session of the Legislature."