Few veterans remain in Nevada Legislature, but their new caucus will champion those who served

Assemblymember Reuben D’Silva, a Las Vegas Democrat and Purple Heart recipient, is one of just two members of the Nevada Legislature who has served in the U.S. military. Photo by: Steve Marcus

Amid historically low veteran representation in Carson City, a small group of legislators is creating a new caucus focused on issues affecting those who served, are currently in the armed services and their families.

Assemblymember Reuben D’Silva, a Las Vegas Democrat and Purple Heart recipient, said establishing the Nevada Veterans Legislative Caucus was a yearslong effort. However, over his first two sessions, D’Silva saw the number of people with service experience in the Legislature go from six to three.

Now with Assemblymember Ken Gray, R-Lyon, resigning his seat to go to the National Cemetery Administration as a senior adviser, D’Silva said it’s down to two: himself and state Sen. Shelly Cruz-Crawford, D-North Las Vegas, an equal opportunity officer in the Nevada Air National Guard.

Veterans aren’t present in elected office like they have been for generations now,” said D’Silva, attributing the broader decline to the percentage of Americans in the military. “We have to stick together and also have a common place where we can speak on veterans’ issues in unison.”

Despite his new role, Gray was announced as a co-chair last week, writing in a statement that both increasing veterans’ engagement in politics and electing more of them improves public trust.

It was Gray’s idea, according to D’Silva, to involve former legislators, who will automatically serve as nonvoting “emeritus” members in the caucus. D’Silva said he had already spoken to former Democratic Assemblymember Claire Thomas and state Sen. Pat Spearman about joining.

“Veterans bring proven leadership, discipline and a deep commitment to service,” Gray said. “Their firsthand understanding of sacrifice and duty ensures that policies reflect both the needs of their community and the principles of our Constitution.”

While the 2027 session is still more than a year off, the caucus will likely draw upon the recommendations of Nevada’s United Veterans Legislative Council, which comes together before legislative sessions to discuss issues troubling their community.

Last year, more than 100 people attended the council’s two symposiums to create a list of dozens of state and federal issues organized by priority. At the top of the agenda for both levels of government: cracking down on “unaccredited claim agents charging veterans.”

Topics from those meetings found their way into D’Silva and other legislators’ bills. Last session’s Assembly Bill 145, which did address accreditation, was sponsored by the three announced members of the caucus.

“This dedicated forum will address (service members and veterans’) unique challenges, from accessing benefits to ensuring equitable treatment,” vice chair Cruz-Crawford said in a statement, “so those who served are truly represented and supported.”

D’Silva also hopes the caucus’ bipartisan founding helps it get past a growing divisiveness pervasive in politics. Speaking about himself and Gray, D’Silva acknowledged large differences in their opinions but still called him a friend who also approaches lawmaking through the lens of service.

“We have a duty toward the betterment of this state,” he said. “We may not necessarily have the same sort of ideas as how to go about doing that, but the respect was always there. And I think that’s something that is lacking oftentimes in folks who didn’t serve.”