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Tenants waiting for rental assistance at risk of eviction after legislative protection expires
When Jada Kirkwood and her 56-year-old disabled mother logged on for a virtual eviction hearing on Tuesday morning, they figured the case wouldn’t proceed since an application for rental assistance was pending. Kirkwood had no idea that at midnight Monday an eviction protection lawmakers passed in 2021 that paused cases while applications were being processed […]
Resort industry pitches regional homelessness project, asks state for $100 million match
On the third-to-last day of a 120-day legislative session, Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) and a small army of lobbyists representing the state’s premier industry asked lawmakers to establish a $100 million fund to support the buildout of a “transformational campus” that offers support to the unhoused or people at risk of homelessness. The […]
Lombardo veto of rent stabilization for seniors may not bode well for other housing measures
Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed legislation offering one year rent stabilization for seniors and modest regulations on application fees on Thursday night, possibly casting a shadow on the prospects of other housing-related legislation still under consideration. He hasn’t taken any action yet on a slew of other housing legislation that have passed that would bolster tenant […]
Proposals on jailhouse informants, lying to children during interrogations advance in Carson City
After Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo signed legislation to rein in the use of jailhouse informants, criminal justice groups are urging him to sign a bill preventing law enforcement from lying to children while they are being interviewed. Both measures, sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Cecelia González and supported by the Innocence Project, passed both houses and […]
Trans groups anxious as they wait to see if Lombardo signs bills protecting rights
While Republican-led legislatures across the country have advanced an unprecedented amount of anti-LGBTQ legislation this year, Nevada is considering several bills protecting the rights of transgender and gender nonconforming communities. Sy Bernabei, the executive director of Gender Justice Nevada, said organizers went to Carson City in April for LGBTQ Equality Day in order to speak […]
Lawmakers consider restrictions on using solitary confinement in prisons
Nevada lawmakers are reconsidering limits on how state prisons use solitary confinement after similar legislation failed to pass during the 2021 legislative session. The bill, which defines “segregation” or “solitary confinement” as more than 22 consecutive hours in a cell, would limit the use to 15 consecutive days, after which a multidisciplinary treatment team, including […]
Local officials mostly mum on legislation granting them authority to address housing crisis
As rents skyrocketed in the aftermath of the pandemic and have continued squeezing Nevadans in the last year, local officials on numerous occasions stressed state law restricted them from taking action to address the housing crisis. Now given a chance to weigh in on legislation that would clarify their authority, local governments have been mostly […]
Lawmakers propose solution to address racist covenants in legal property documents
History researchers at UNR estimate Washoe County alone has at least 11,000 racist covenants, legal property documents that once restricted anyone not white from purchasing or living in the home. While the covenants, a relic of the Jim Crow era, are unconstitutional and unenforceable, Democratic state Sen. Dallas Harris is proposing a way to redact […]
Lawmakers urged to rein in prison costs that put ‘backdoor tax’ on inmates’ families
When state prisons mark up commissary items and charge higher prices, the revenue it receives covers anything from storage and delivery of those goods to staff salaries and substance abuse programs. Nevada Department of Corrections Director James Dzurenda told lawmakers in April that in most states, like Connecticut and New York where he’s previously ran […]
Lawmakers look to fix, extend 2021 eviction prevention measure
Lawmakers are working to remedy 2021 legislation that pauses eviction proceedings when a rental application is pending after a Las Vegas judge told them the process has been “crippling.” Senate Bill 335 would prevent tenants waiting for rental assistance from being evicted for 60 days while applications are processed, and would extend some protections passed […]
Tenant protections addressing hidden fees, rental applications move forward at the legislature
Lawmakers have advanced several tenant protection bills seeking to rein in practices that nickel-and-dime tenants through hidden fees for paying rent, applying for apartments or requesting maintenance repairs. Amid skyrocketing rents, which have increased between 20% and 30% in parts of the state since 2020, legislators have been pressed to find solutions to address rampant […]
Lawmakers slam governor’s office for leaving budget hole in fund for crime victims
Lawmakers scolded the governor’s office for failing to provide a solution to fix a $2.3 million budget shortfall for program that provides financial assistance for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. The fund, which is expected to receive less federal funds this year than anticipated, is at risk of being insolvent during the 2023-2025 biennium […]