Veteran lawmakers square off for state senate

The two Republican candidates for the Nevada Senate District 17 seat, both agree that election integrity and trust in the voting process, along with inflation were the top issues facing Nevadans.
Dr. Robin Titus and Jim Wheeler faced off during the Primary Election Candidates Night on May 17. The event was sponsored by the Republican Central Committee, Lahontan Valley News, The Fallon Post, and Lahontan Broadcasting. Titus also said she is running because access to health care is important to her. Wheeler said we must improve education with education savings accounts and vouchers.
“We must educate, not indoctrinate,” he said.
Addressing an audience question about protecting the right to abortion in Nevada, Wheeler said he is a right-to-life champion. As a medical doctor, Titus said she would never perform and abortion. Both agreed that because Nevada voted by referendum to legalized abortion it would take a vote of the people to change the law.
Veterans’ issues are important to both candidates. Titus trained at the Veterans Hospital in Reno and said she sponsored a bill to help National Guard retirees with education. She also said mental health care access is critical. Wheeler is a veteran who sponsored a bill to keep veterans benefits from being attached in a civil suit.
Regarding water, and representing all counties on the Carson River system, both candidates addressed the impacts of growth. Wheeler said the most important consideration is property rights. He encourages upstream storage and recognized the importance of recharging underground aquifers. He also discussed the water shortage in Dayton and the solution that was found by piping water from the Minden aquifer through Carson City.
“We can exchange water,” he said. “The Black Rock Desert has an abundance of water under it and that water could be transferred. We must work with the cities and counties to make sure that it is equitable.”
Titus said she understands the water issues in both the Newlands and Walker River projects.
“I’ve been in my field trying to get that last drop of water,” she said.
Titus sponsored legislation that would allow Lahontan Valley farmers to transfer water between parcels and also addressed storage.
“Upstream they’ve been looking at storage and some alternatives. These things need to continue to be talked about,” she added.
Both candidates agreed the Blockchain legislation creating an “Innovation Zone” from the last legislative session that would have create a new government structure for one company in Storey County was a nonstarter.
“Under no circumstances,” said Titus, “should that be allowed to happen.”
Wheeler said the legislature sent the issue to interim committee for study but it was pulled because, “it was a really rotten idea.”
Taking on education, Wheeler said the first step is to audit the Clark County School District.
“Since all our money goes to Clark or Washoe, we need to audit them. Let’s find out where that money is being spent,” Wheeler said.
He believes in school choice and competition, saying that makes the best school and the best teachers. Titus said in the four sessions she has served each year more money goes to education, but each year there are poorer outcomes.
“Just more money doesn’t make better schools,” Titus pointed out.
She also said each year there is a new state superintendent, new ideas, and new goals. Before there is a chance to see the outcomes of the previous programs they are changed. Both agreed that university regents should be elected and not appointed. Titus vehemently opposed the notion, and Wheeler suggested creating two Boards of Regents.
“We should split our community colleges off and they should not be subordinate to our universities,” said Wheeler.
Titus and Wheeler served in the Nevada Assembly together for four sessions, in Districts 38 and 39, respectively. Senate District 17 covers all of Douglas, Churchill, Lyon, Mineral, Esmeralda counties along with a small portion of Tonopah.
Articles from the May 17 Candidates Night are the result of a community endeavor conducted by The Fallon Post, the Lahontan Valley News, Lahontan Broadcasting and the Churchill County Central Republican committee.