Heck: Trump will not be nominee

Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nv., said Wednesday he hasn’t chosen a presidential candidate to back just yet but the Republican nominee won’t be Donald Trump.

In an interview in Carson City, Heck, who’s running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Harry Reid, said the field of 17 candidates offers the GOP “an embarrassment of riches” with several good choices.

Because of that, he said he’ll wait for the second debate in September before deciding who he will back.

On the subject of Yucca Mountain, Heck said the 1984 law “is still the law” and the process it laid out is still in place.

“We’ve got to let the process run its course,” he said. “If it’s determined that it’s not safe, it’s done.”

But he said if the federal government determines the planned repository is safe, there’s little Nevada can do to block it from opening.

“If the federal government says it’s coming, it’s coming,” he said.

Asked whether the federal government should defund Planned Parenthood, he said many of the health services the group provides are vital.

“As a physician, a husband and father of two daughters, it’s critical to me that we take care of women’s health issues,” he said.

But Heck said the organization claims just 3 percent of it’s business is related to abortion.

“Why not give up the abortion services and continue to provide the critical services,” he said.

Heck said he supports medical marijuana but is “reluctant to support legalization of recreational marijuana.”

“I’ve sponsored federal legislation to legalize medical marijuana,” he said.

But he said the problem with legalizing recreational pot is the inability for law enforcement to quickly and accurately test whether a driver is stoned.

He made it clear he doesn’t think the federal government should get into the battle over the minimum wage.

“That should be left to localities,” he said. “My goal as Senator is to give them (people)_ opportunities.”

Heck said providing jobs for people who have the potential for good workers to move up the ladder and above minimum wage is what’s important and states and locals should decide what the minimum wage is for their area.

He said he has been meeting with businessmen around the state — including in Carson City — to get their input on how to create those opportunities.