Former Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager says he has no regrets about choosing to forego a bid for a sixth and final term this year, what turned out to be the best year for Democrats in a long time.
After 10 years in Carson City including the last two sessions serving as speaker of the Assembly Yeager said it was time for him to move on to other pursuits.
But he has some advice for the new crop of lawmakers in the Assembly, after Democrats flipped five seats and a total of 12 new members are headed to the capital, nearly a third of the chamber.
“No. 1, ask a lot of questions. It’s never wrong to admit that you don’t know the answer or you don’t know the issue,” Yeager said in an interview with Channel 13. “I think one of the great things about our Legislature is you can meet so many people, whether it’s the members or whether it’s lobbyists or staff. I would go out of my way to make as many relationships and friendships as possible.”
WATCH | Former Speaker Steve Yeager on what to expect in Carson City Yeager looks back on a decade in Carson City
With 12-year term limits, and turnover due to resignations or people leaving to run for other offices, turnover is a constant in Carson City. This year alone, the 63-member Legislature will lose 87 years of experience, including Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, who was elected attorney general.
There will be new leaders in both chambers, although incoming state Senate majority leader, state Sen. Edgar Flores, D-Clark County, has served in both the Assembly and the Senate.
In the Assembly, it’s expected that Assemblywoman Elaine Marzola, D-Clark County, will take over as speaker. First elected in 2020, Marzola has three terms under her belt and has chaired the Commerce and Labor Committee.
And Gov-elect Aaron Ford is himself a former state senator who served as minority and majority leader.
Yeager said Marzola should expect not to be bored in her new post.
“What I would say is just be comfortable with the chaos and the unpredictability of being the speaker,” he said. “It’s a job unlike any other. I mean, whatever you wake up in the morning and you think you have an idea of how your day is going to go, you’re always wrong about that because something always happens.”
Yeager said new lawmakers especially have to learn the legislative process, which can be complex and even Byzantine as bills work their way through the system to become laws.
“Everyone goes in with big plans, but then there’s the reality the legislative session. It takes a lot of work to get a bill through and to get signed by the governor,” he said.
But the most important piece of advice is to stay grounded, Yeager said.
“And I think maybe the most important thing is just to stay off social media,” he said. “I mean, social media is not a real reflection of of where people are at. It’s a medium and a platform for the loudest voices. And sometimes I think new members can get wrapped up and think that what they’re reading on social media really is where everyone’s thinking. And that’s just not the case.”
Yeager says communication between members of the Assembly, between the Assembly and the Senate, and between the Legislature and the governor is essential to a smoothly functioning process.
“I think when you don’t communicate that’s when there’s an opportunity for misunderstanding, or people will impute motives to you that you don’t have,” he said. “But if I’m sitting in their chairs right now, I’m pretty excited about what lies ahead because they have a chance to work together and really chart the future of the state.”
For his part, Yeager said he was proud of bills to expand voting opportunities, raise the minimum wage and promote outdoor recreation. He also cited the diversity of the Legislature Nevada was the first state to have a female-majority statehouse in the county as milestone he was happy to see.
But he said he was disappointed at failing to get a bill approved that would have allowed nonpartisan voters to choose to participate in either the closed Republican or Democratic primaries.
“The bill that we passed that got vetoed [by Gov. Joe Lombardo] that really was disappointing to me was the opening up our primaries to nonpartisans,” he said. “You know, that they would be able to elect to participate. They wouldn’t have to do it, but with all the nonpartisans we have in the state, that’s the right thing to do.”
For his part, Yeager said he’s exploring options working with legislative leaders, both in Nevada and elsewhere. “I love being around elected leaders, being able to help them and inform their leadership, so I’m hoping to stay connected in that way,” he said.
“You haven’t seen the last of me.”
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