Republican State Senator Mark Lipparelli Was Chosen by the Democrat-Controlled Commission
Former state Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli is set to become the next state senator in Nevada. Lipparellei was chosen by the Clark County commissioners to fill the Senate District 6 vacancy. The seat was left open when Mark Hutchinson won the November 3 election to become the next Lieutenant Governor of Nevada.
The appointment gives Republicans a key vote in the Nevada Senator’s small Republican majority. Mark Lipparelli will be the 11th Republican, set against 10 Democrats, in the coming 2015 session. The Nevada Senate’s 2015 session begins in February 2015.
Recommendations for the Gaming Official
Senate Republican Majority Leader Michael Roberson, a Las Vegas senator, is said to have recommended Lipparelli. That’s what Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown told the Las Vegas Review Journal this week.
Brown told the paper that Republican Governor Brian Sandoval also “weighed in” on the appointment, apparently in favor of the Lipparelli appointment. In fact, Sandoval is the one who tabbed Lipparelli for the position as Gaming Control Board Chairman. Brian Sandoval once was the chairman of the Gaming Commission.
Clark County Commission’s Decision
The Clark County Commission is controlled by Democrats, which is why they consulted outside sources to make their decision. In many cases, a Democratic council would know who they wanted to select well in advance of a decision, because of years of serving with a policy maker and attending party conferences. By law, the commission had to select a Republican, because Mark Hutchinson was a member of the GOP.
Commissioners added that they consulted with constituents in their district, while also reading letters from the electorate. One Democratic commissioner, Chris Giunchigliani, said he voted for Mark Lipparelli because she believed he held “moderate” views on the issues facing Nevada. Chris Giunchigliani is known to have very strong Democratic viewpoints.
Well-Qualified List of Applicants
Clark County Commission Chariman Larry Brown said the list of applicants for the position was impressive. In all, 11 different Republicans filed applications for consideration. Brown said the list included public safety officers, entrepreneurs, civil engineers, and military veterans. He said each of the eleven applicants were qualified, but the commission expedited the selection process to give the new Senator maximum time to attend senatorial tutorial meetings and learn the new position.
Commissioner Brown said “Sometimes we hear, ‘Why don’t more qualified people get involved in state politics?’“, but he said that “many of the candidates” were highly qualified for the post.
Senator Lipparelli’s Reaction
Lipparelli was not in attendance for the meeting of the Clark County commission, but he told reporters afterward he was looking forward to serving the people of Nevada. The new state senator sent out a text message to express his gratitude and pledge to prepare for the coming legislative session.
In the text, Mark Lipparelli said, “I am honored to be selected and I thank the County Commission. It is important for me to visit more with Mark Hutchison to get his perspective on the District. I am going to have to be a good listener over the next 6-8 weeks.”
Roberson Is Excited by the Choice
Michael Roberson, who is given credit for the Republican takeover in the State Senate, said he is excited to work with Mark Lipparelli. Roberson issued a statement which read, “We are excited to welcome Mark Lipparelli to our caucus and the Nevada State Senate. Senator Lipparelli has a long, distinguished history of service to our great state and we look forward to working with him to continue Nevada’s comeback.”
Given the bipartisan support for Lipparelli, it can be expected that the new State Senator should be a moderate figure on the state level. His background in the gaming industry should hold him in good stead with the land-based casino gaming interests of Nevada. The real question is where Lipparelli stands on the online gambling issue in Nevada. Currently, Nevada licenses online poker websites, but does not have licensed online casinos.
Traditionally, brick-and-mortar casinos in Las Vegas have preferred not to have the competition of online gaming. Officials who came out of that milieu are likely to support land-based gaming over Internet gambling, though some officials in the past have tried to balance out the two positions, assuming enough money exists for both sides to prosper.
