Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Las Vegas Review-Journal ran a profile Monday on the ongoing Republican "shadow session" in Congress, focusing on the involvement of a pair of Nevada legislators.

Congressional Republicans, including U.S. Reps. Jon Porter (R-Henderson) and Dean Heller (R-Carson City) are in Washington despite the August recess, and both spoke last week in protest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's refusal to take a vote on a bill to expand off-shore oil drilling.

The Review-Journal featured Porter's and Heller's remarks, and gauged the reaction back home on the two lawmakers' presence at a darkened Capitol.

An internal poll shows Democratic state Sen. Dina Titus (D-Henderson) leading her Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Henderson) in the race for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District seat, the Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting.

According to the paper, a poll conducted by Anzalone Liszt Research and funded by the Titus campaign shows the Democrat with a 43-39 lead over Porter. The poll featured a 4.4 percent margin of error.

When forced to choose between Titus or Porter -- eliminating the option of third party candidates -- 50 percent of potential voters surveyed picked Titus compared to 43 percent for Porter, the Review-Journal reported.

Former Assemblywoman Sharron Angle: Campaign photoThe so-called tax cap ballot initiative — which would limit property taxes to 1 percent of a property's 2003-2004 value and curb increases at 2 percent or the rate of inflation — moved a step closer to the November ballot, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday.

According to the paper, Secretary of State Ross Miller directed the state's 17 county clerks and registrars to begin verifying the 83,600 signatures submitted by the initiative's backers.

The group needs 58,628 valid signatures from registered voters — including a sufficient number from each county — to advance the initiative to the ballot, the Review-Journal reported.

The Property Tax Reform Initiative for Nevada has been a pet concern of state Senate candidate and former Assemblywoman Sharron Angle.

Angle has been actively seeking a cap on property taxes for four years. She's running for a seat in the state Senate in the Aug. 12 Republican primary.

U.S. Rep. Dean Heller (R-Carson City)The Las Vegas Sun ran a story Friday analyzing the national reaction to U.S. Rep. Dean Heller's (R-Carson City) comments that the Republican Party needed to "clean house."

After an initally strong reaction against Heller's remarks, the Sun noted that many conservatives came out in support of the freshman Congressman.