Allison Copening

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.

Newly elected Nevada Senate Minority Leader Steven Horsford speaks to volunteers at a voter registration drive Saturday.: Photo by Joseph K. Cooper/PolitickerNV.comLAS VEGAS-When Nevada Senate Democrats wrapped up their four-hour meeting Friday night, they had selected a new leader and created the outlines of a plan to take over the majority. The only things they lacked were specifics.

"Our caucus spent a lot of time last night talking about how we were going to work as a team to take the majority in November," said state Sen. Steven Horsford (D-Las Vegas), the newly elected Democratic leader, Saturday.

"Our first goal is to win in November, so that's what we're focused on. Once we get beyond winning, we'll start looking into how we will govern in 2009."

Copening launches state senate bid.: Allison Copening, flanked by state Sens. Valerie Wiener, Maggie Carlton and Dina Titus and Clark County Democratic Chairman John Hunt, announces her campaign for Senate District 6.LAS VEGAS-With Democrats' hopes for a state senate majority resting squarely on her shoulders, Allison Copening, a 43-year-old former spokesperson for the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, officially announced her campaign to unseat Republican state Sen. Bob Beers in Senate District 6 Saturday. 

Copening, surrounded by family, friends and members of the Democratic Caucus, refrained from taking shots at Beers in brief remarks, leaving that to Nevada Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus.

"If you think about the people who are out there in office, when you think of the ones who represent, kind of, the worst that there is, the most negative attitude, the most ‘my way or no way,' the most ‘I won't listen to the people of Nevada,' the most ‘let's turn back the clock,' who do you think of?" Titus asked.