Senator Against Moving State Line to Join Cities

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he will not support legislation to merge Wendover, Utah, and West Wendover, Nev., into one city in Nevada.

Reid’s decision, in what city and federal elected officials said was his first comment on the issue, effectively kills the bill during the current session of Congress.

“Think about the investments in these huge hotels, where people spent millions of dollars to be first on the state line,” Reid told Associated Press. “This bill is not going to pass this year.”

Despite the legislative setback, officials in both cities said they would go ahead with November referendums on the annexation. The two Wendovers support moving the state line and consolidating to reduce the cost of providing duplicate school, police, fire and municipal services.