Mark Hutchison on being lieutenant governor, balancing his personal life with a demanding professional life and why the Filipino community is a significant segment of Nevada
It’s been a busy past couple of months for Nevada’s 34th lieutenant governor.
Since he was sworn in on Jan. 5, Las Vegas native and Republican Mark Hutchison has presided over the consideration of bills as president of the state Senate, engaged in debates, been involved in developing bills, reached out to constituents and connected with business owners.
But his activity hasn’t stopped there.
He has also attended to responsibilities as a member of Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval’s cabinet, chairman of the Commission on Tourism, a member of the Board of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, vice chairman of the State Board of Transportation and a member of the Executive Branch Audit Committee.
Despite his busy schedule, public service and a multitude of responsibilities aren’t new to Hutchison. Prior to running for his current role, he served on the Nevada Commission on Ethics for six years (two of which he chaired) and represented District 6 when he was elected to the Nevada State Senate in 2012.
He is also a small business owner, a senior partner at Hutchison & Steffen, among the largest lawfirms in Nevada.
With his resume of experiences and an understanding of various facets that contribute to the Silver State, Hutchison said he felt qualified to run for the position he holds today.
On Nov. 4, 2014, he was elected to become Nevada’s lieutenant governor.
Legislative accomplishments
In the past six months that Hutchison has held his current role, he has contributed to the creation of a number of bills. Among these are two he is particularly proud of: Assembly Bill 161, which provides tax abatements for the aviation industry, and Senate Bill 92, which requires underperforming teachers to be the first to go when schools need to implement layoffs.
While AB 161 was sponsored and led by Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Hutchison said he had crafted a bill similar to the one that passed and that he was fully supportive of it.
Before the measure was approved, Nevada was not competitive when it came to tax abatements for the aviation industry in multiple areas, including manufacturing, maintenance and upgrades. As a result, businesses were taking their aircrafts to other states, such as Arizona, California and Washington.
After the bill was passed, the tide changed for the state in this area.
“It was very rewarding for me to see at our last board of economic development … several aviation companies coming into Nevada for expanding their business in the state based on the passage [of AB 161],” Hutchison told the Asian Journal.
On a related note, the lieutenant governor said he wants to continue focusing on economic development and job creation in the state, particularly in the aviation and unmanned vehicle industries.
“There’s such promising growth opportunities here in Nevada. Those jobs are good-paying, stable jobs that our citizens could really take advantage of,” he said.
Nevada is one of six sites designated by the Federal Aviation Administration for testing of unmanned vehicles.
“We have tremendous assets in terms of controlled airspace where these vehicles can be controlled and tested … we have lots of great airports that really lend themselves to the aviation industry and UAV industry in particular,” he said.
Nevada’s last legislative session, which adjourned on June 1, focused on education, Hutchison said. With that, many education reform bills were passed, including Hutchison’s Senate Bill 92.
It recognized that in Nevada, as in many other states, minority children have been disproportionally educated by underperforming teachers, the lieutenant governor said.
“That’s just not right from a constitutional standpoint. Every student has an equal opportunity to a quality education. It’s not right from a world standpoint in my view and I was going to do something about that,” he said.
SB 92, which went into effect on July 1, requires that layoffs be based on teacher performance rather than seniority. Lower performing teachers are placed back into probation and are provided resources and opportunities for professional development and training. Furthermore, it does not allow these teachers to go back to teaching in schools unless principals agree they are ready to do so.
Having attended Rose Warren Elementary School, Garside Junior High, Bonanza High School and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas – all public schools – education is a topic that hits home for Hutchison.
“I’m truly the product of [the] Nevada education system. It’s been a wonderful asset for me to have and I want to continue to do that for students in the future,” he said.
In addition, all his six children have attended public schools in the state.
A day in Hutchison’s professional shoes
When Nevada’s legislature is in session, the lieutenant governor lives in Carson during the week and returns home on most weekends.
“[I] eat, and drink and breathe the legislative session as the state’s Senate president. So that’s been a very exciting opportunity for me. I’m very excited to be part of this legislative session, which by all accounts, anybody who follows the legislature closely, [it’s] a historic session, so I was very involved in the legislative session from February through the first part of June,” he said.
Typically once per day, he presides over the Senate when it is considering bills, and engages in debates.
He also has the opportunity to meet with individuals regarding pending legislation and hear their views on various measures. Among these include his colleagues – both Republicans and Democrats – with whom he says he has good friendships.
From time to time, Hutchison also participates in commission board meetings.
In the four months of the legislative sessions, these activities occupy his time.
The position of lieutenant governor is considered part-time, and Hutchison remains active outside of the legislature by continuing to practice as a constitutional lawyer.
“Every day I’ve got to prioritize in terms of my responsibilities with my lieutenant governor office. I’ve got responsibilities with my clients and I’ve got to keep a very good calender and record all the events. But I never let my professional obligations interfere at all with my lieutenant governor duties,” he said.
Hutchison also takes time to meet with his constituents to keep them updated on what’s happening within Nevada’s government and with entrepreneurs to discuss business developments, and asks them what the government can do to better serve them. Furthermore, he has given speeches at a number of educational organizations.
On top of his professional obligations, Hutchison is a husband, father and grandfather. When time permits, he helps coach the football team at Palo Verde High School, where his youngest child is a member. He and his family are also active in their church.
How does he do it all?
“The No. 1 reason I’m able to do it is because I’ve got a great family and the greatest most beautiful wife on planet earth who supports me and who is so kind and understanding of someone who’s got a very busy life like I do,” he said. “And she is the absolute bedrock of our family and without her I couldn’t do any of this.”
In addition, Hutchison credits his colleagues in the legal professional for being understanding of his multiple responsibilities.
Significance of Filipino Nevadans
In the Silver State, Hutchison notes that the Filipino community is one of the largest segments of the Asian Pacific American community.
“[It’s] a growing, robust, dynamic, exciting community,” he said.
Hutchison has mingled with the Filipino community at various Asian Pacific American community events – such as those held by the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and an Asian Pacific American heritage month event – both while he campaigned and since he assumed office.
“I’ve spent time in different events, different celebrations, and what I think are just invaluable contributions to the state of Nevada are the Filipino community’s involvement in tourism. Tourism is the lifeblood of Nevada and the Filipino community is such an important part of that industry and has done a great job taking care of our visitors and making sure they have a tremendous experience when they come to Las Vegas or Reno or anywhere else in the [state],” he said.
Filipinos, he added, are “inspiring” because they do well as entrepreneurs, which contributes to job creation.
“They are some of the greatest businessmen and businesswomen in the state of Nevada. They provide job opportunities to support their families, to put bread on the table, to send their children to school and colleges,” Hutchison said.
The lieutenant governor said he specifically ensures that he and his staff reach out to the Filipino Nevadans.
“I want to know … what is it that I can do as Lt. Gov in my role as chairman of the Commission of Tourism, [a member of the] Board of Economic Development, within the state senate, what laws can we pass that will really support the Filipino community [and] what they’re trying to do in all those areas?”
With the growth and contributions of Filipinos in Nevada, Hutchison said he wants to continue attending events important to the community.
“Every one of them is my constituent and I’m committed to making sure their voice is heard and that we promote their interests as much as we possibly can,” he said.
Looking ahead
With the conclusion of Nevada’s 78th legislative session, Hutchison has been focusing his efforts on other areas where the state can flourish.
One of these is in promoting new economies, such as electric cars – specifically Tesla – and the data storage industry. Switch, a data storage company, announced in January that it would invest $1 billion to expand its business in Northern Nevada.
As chair of the Commission on Tourism, Hutchison is also investing time into Nevada’s lifeblood industry. The commission, for instance, recently announced $1.1 million in grants for rural communities throughout the state to promote tourism in those areas. Aspects of rural tourism that are promoted include cowboy poetry and the winery industry, which the lieutenant governor noted is developing in Douglas County.
The commission is also finalizing its fall and winter campaign to promote out-of-state tourism. The focus of the campaign is largely on the state’s outdoor offerings, including skiing in Lake Tahoe and cycling in Nevada.
With his full plate of responsibilities, Hutchison remains in the present, focused on his duties as Nevada’s lieutenant governor. One thing he’s not thinking about is whether he will run for re-election two years from now.
“Right now, all I’m focused on … [is] being the best elected official. [With] all these things I’ve got going, I’m handling a lot of balls in the air right now, so I’m really focused on serving as well as I possibly can. And then we’ll think about the 2018 election,” he said.
