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Healing center for child sex trafficking victims faces funding challenge
Nevada, especially Las Vegas, has long been identified with sex trafficking, and that includes child sex trafficking. Even though Nevada’s population is only about one-fourth the size of Pennsylvania’s, in 2017 the two states were tied at 9th for the states with the most reported trafficking cases – the vast majority of which are sex […]
Expanded ACA subsidies help more Nevadans get health care coverage
Open enrollment for health insurance plans in Nevada ends on Jan 15. It’s anticipated to be the largest enrollment for plans offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the state’s history, a development that is happening nationwide. Nearly three in four people in the U.S. enrolled through the marketplace receive health care coverage that’s […]
Law decriminalizing many traffic tickets goes into effect Jan. 1
Nevada’s legislation converting some traffic citations from criminal offenses to civil ones goes into effect on Jan. 1, but leeway afforded separate court jurisdictions in administering the new law has created uncertainty about its implementation. Assembly Bill 116 was passed in 2021 with the aim of ushering in a more equitable system for communities of […]
CCSD, lawmaker eye shift to opt-out sex education, more medically accurate info
The Clark County School District wants to make sex education mandatory unless parents explicitly opt their child out – a switch from the current process wherein parents must explicitly opt their child in to health education. CCSD, the nation’s fifth-largest school district, declined to elaborate on its plans but included the proposal in a list […]
VA to host town hall for Nevada veterans seeking PACT Act benefits
The Veterans Administration is hosting town halls in all 50 states this month to help veterans seeking benefits under the PACT Act. Dubbed “PACT Act Week of Action” the town halls will explain the PACT Act, legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden in August that expands health care benefits for veterans exposed to […]
Despite partisan divide, policy watchers say the new Congress could make progress on public health
A divided Congress next year notwithstanding, there are some public health measures that a Republican-controlled House and a Democratic-controlled Senate could agree upon — or at least that’s what panelists said last week during a discussion hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), a Washington-based think tank. Potential progress could be made on telehealth, mental […]
Legislation aims to expand SBA loans for social equity in the pot industry
The Fair Access for Cannabis Small Business Act was introduced by Democratic U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen would expand programs and loans by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to the cannabis industry operating in states where it is legalized. “The unfair barriers to basic federal support and resources have hurt our state’s legally-operating cannabis small businesses,” […]
SNHD adds new harm reduction vending machine to help those struggling with substance use
The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) Tuesday opened a new vending machine to curb public health concerns around substance use, including the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C and deaths by overdose. The newest vending machine, located at the SNHD’s main public health center at 280 S. Decatur Blvd., is one of seven throughout the […]
5 new regents to enter chancellor-less, budget-bruised higher ed system
This year’s elections brought five new regents to Nevada’s higher education ecosystem. When the newly elected are seated, they will have no shortage of issues to address, including finding a permanent chancellor and restoring pandemic budget cuts. The 13-member nonpartisan board oversees the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), which consists of four community colleges, […]
With Question 1, Nevada passes most inclusive states equal rights amendment in nation
Nevadans said “yes” to codifying equal rights in the state constitution, unofficial election results show. Question 1 asked voters to add to the state constitution language that people can not be discriminated against based on “race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin.” That makes it the […]
Tens of thousands of still uncounted ballots could reverse current Republican leads
59,600 – that’s how many ballots were placed in drop boxes in Clark County on Election Day, officials announced Wednesday. Earlier Wednesday, county officials said nearly 15,000 mail-in ballots had been dropped off by voters prior to Election Day, and another nearly 13,000 had been delivered by the U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday. USPS delivered […]
The last push: Canvassers reach out to an owly electorate
The drab and windy weather on mid-day Nov. 2 served as a premonition, forcing the rally of canvassers from Make the Road Action Nevada, PLAN Action, Battle Born Progress and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) inside the small office of Make the Road Nevada instead of the parking lot. Midterms […]