Wilke files for Parnell seat

Stacie Wilke on Tuesday became the first Democrat to file for the Assembly seat being vacated by Bonnie Parnell.

Republicans Tom Keeton and Bill Reeves have already filed for the District 40 seat.

Wilke, 36, is a member of the Carson City School Board. She will complete four years on that panel in January and said it was that experience which interested her in the Legislature.

"Being on the local school board the last four years, I have seen personally the unfulfilled needs," she said. "It gets frustrating trying to fill local needs when everything is controlled by the state."

She said improving funding for education doesn't necessarily mean raising taxes at the state level. She pointed to vehicle registration fees now collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles and distributed to local governments as a possible source.

Wilke, general manager of the Horseshoe Club in Carson City, said rising health care costs are another important issue.

"A lot of our people can't afford the coverage we can get for them," she said.

And she said controlling utility costs is crucial to people with fixed or lower incomes as well as small businesses such as the Horseshoe.

She said she discussed running with Parnell, who chose not to run again for personal reasons, and that her bosses have agreed to allow her the time off during the 120-day session.

In addition, Clarence "Bud" Southard of Dayton filed for the District 38 seat now held by Joe Dini. He is a Republican.