Friends, erstwhile colleagues and Nevada governmental leaders are paying tribute to erstwhile authorities Sen. Ann O’Connell — a legislator who earned plaudits from some sides of the aisle during her 2 decades successful office.
O’Connell, 92, died Aug. 21 aft representing Clark County’s Senate District 5 from 1984 to 2004. Her 20-year tenure was tied for the longest by a pistillate successful Nevada Senate history, legislative records show.
While O’Connell was a staunch Republican, she was wide respected among her colleagues, careless of governmental affiliation, including erstwhile Democratic authorities Sen. and enactment seat Terry Care, who became bully friends with O’Connell.
“Everybody respected Ann O’Connell and her connection was arsenic bully arsenic could be,” Care said. “Everybody knew wherever she stood connected issues. You took her the mode she was, but she ever respected the different side.”
Born successful Albuquerque, New Mexico, successful 1934, O’Connell was elected astatine property 50 portion serving arsenic an accredited buying halfway promotional manager and the proprietor of Christian Supply Centers and Hotel, according to a legislative biography.
Her governmental vocation spanned 10 regular legislative sessions successful which she regularly served connected the Commerce and Labor, Government Affairs and Taxation committees. She besides led studies connected taxation distribution, and pushed for schoolhouse accountability and termination prevention.
Care recalled that erstwhile O’Connell chaired the authorities affairs committee, she had a signifier that helium said would apt ne'er hap again.
“She wanted everybody who wanted to attest to spell up and attest — pro, con oregon indifferent, it didn’t substance — and instrumentality arsenic agelong arsenic you want,” Care said. “Sometimes, we went into the night, but that’s the mode she was … I don’t cognize of immoderate different seat of immoderate committee that ever did that.”
Barbara Cegavske, the erstwhile Republican Nevada caput of state, became affectional portion talking astir her friend.
“I’m going to miss her greatly,” Cegavske said. “She was idiosyncratic I called often and talked to. My hubby had told maine to get adjacent to Ann O’Connell, and we’ve been friends ever since. She’s conscionable been a stone for me.”
Cegavske said O’Connell had 14 rules for passing legislation, thing Cegavske herself has shared with others and called “quintessential Ann.”
“It’s truthful worthy that I’ve passed it connected to others if you privation to beryllium an effectual legislator,” Cegavske said.
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., who served with O’Connell successful the Nevada Senate and tied her for the longest tenure by a pistillate successful the chamber’s history, called her “a principled blimpish dedicated to the causes she believed in.”
“We were connected other sides of the governmental aisle but recovered communal ground,” Titus said. “She was a beardown advocator for the radical and tiny businesses of District 5 and I respected her for that. You could ever archer wherever Ann stood, dissimilar galore politicians today. Her family’s nonaccomplishment is Nevada’s loss.”
‘Loved to laugh’
Mitch Fox, president and CEO of the Nevada Broadcasters Association, said helium got to cognize O’Connell aft helium was assigned to screen the authorities Legislature for Vegas PBS.
Fox said helium felt mislaid and tried to prosecute lawmakers to assistance him recognize the process erstwhile helium said helium was “very fortunate” to conscionable O’Connell and Carole Vilardo, the erstwhile caput of the Nevada Taxpayers Association.
“She loved to laughter and knew the fund backward and forward,” Fox said. “She conscionable had this fantastic property and nary pretensions whatsoever.”
O’Connell’s tenure successful authorities ended successful 2004, erstwhile she mislaid the Republican superior to Joe Heck. What stood retired to some Care and Fox was however O’Connell handled the loss.
When the Legislature convened the pursuing February, O’Connell was inducted into the Senate Hall of Fame. True to her character, Care said, O’Connell offered enactment for her erstwhile governmental opponent.
“One of the things she did erstwhile offered the privilege to talk from the level was to basal up and say, ‘Joe Heck is simply a bully man. I privation you each to dainty him with respect and marque him invited here,’” Care said. “We’re talking astir idiosyncratic she had conscionable mislaid to. I don’t cognize anybody other who had that benignant of quality who would ever bash that successful American politics.”
Contact Devan Patel astatine dpatel@reviewjournal.com.
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