RACIAL GERRYMANDERING, R.I.P.: Here's an unexpected surprise: While relatively few African-Americans call Nevada home (roughly 7 percent of the population is black), it turns out that the Silver State has elected the nation's highest proportion of black legislators. About 11 percent of the Legislature is comprised of black lawmakers, and as this editorial I wrote point out, that's not bad for a state once known as the "Mississippi of the West" for the blatant segregation practiced at public and private facilities. Think about it. Such politically correct havens as California has a mere six African-Americans in its 120-member Legislature, and Massachusetts has elected only seven blacks to its 200 member legislative body.

It's also worth noting that none of Nevada's black lawmakers hail from majority African-American districts, and three of the seven reside in districts in which less than 5 percent of their constituents are black.