Then-State Sen. Mark Amodei on the floor of the Nevada Senate in 2007. (Photo: Cathleen Allison/AP, file)
Former Sens. Mark Amodei and David Parks were added to the state Senate Hall of Fame on Monday.
Amodei, 62, was born and raised in Carson City.
“He has been able to look across the aisle and get things done,” said Sen. Heidi Seevers Gansert, R-Reno.
A lawyer, he was elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1996 and, two years later, won a seat in the Senate. He served in the Senate until 2011 when he was elected to the District 2 congressional seat vacated when Dean Heller won a seat in the U.S. Senate. He has been re-elected by wide margins since.
Several speakers also mentioned his penchant for brevity. In his first address to the joint Senate Assembly as a congressman, Amodei spoke for less than 10 minutes before surprising everyone by walking out of the chambers. He continued that practice Monday, speaking for just a few minutes to thank members of the Senate for the honor.
Amodei received his law degree from McGeorge University. After passing the bar, he became an Army JAG officer where he received the Army Commendation Medal and Meritorious Service Medal. During his tenure in the Legislature, Amodei served three sessions as chair of the Judiciary Committee and three sessions as president pro tempore.
Amodei also served as head of the Nevada Mining Association in 2007-08.
Parks, 77, of Las Vegas, won an Assembly seat in 1996 and served in that house until elected to the Senate in 2008. He retired after being term limited out effective at the end of 2020.
After earning an MBA at UNLV, he began a 26-year career in local government, Parks developed expertise in finance and planning while working for the City of Las Vegas, Clark County and the Southern Nevada Regional Transportation Commission. He served a combined 18 years as a member of the Interim Finance Committee, Assembly Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee.
Altogether, Parks gave more than 50 years to public service.
In addition, he advocated and raised bipartisan support for bills expanding efforts to rehabilitate Nevada prison inmates and speed the release of those not considered dangerous with enhanced good time credits.
Parks is remembered for his longtime advocacy for the LGBTQ community and as a long time advocate for other vulnerable populations, enacting measures concerning bullying, HIV/AIDS, decriminalization of hypodermic needles and discrimination based on sexual orientation.
With the addition of Parks and Amodei, there are now 48 former senators in the Hall of Fame.
