Author
Here’s the state of play on election bills being considered by Nevada legislators
Nevada fake electors falsified documents. Election workers resigned after being intimidated and threatened. County clerks sought to hand count paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines. Since the 2020 presidential election, a slew of proposals and actions that were based on conspiracy theories around alleged, and unfounded, mass voter fraud were put forward in Nevada […]
Attempt to clarify long-running confusion over local authority becomes debate on ‘rent control’
Legislation to clarify local government’s ability to address the housing crisis, which Democratic state Sen. Edgar Flores considered a “straightforward” proposal since it only required clearing up existing law, turned into a debate over “rent control” and how much governing power municipalities should have. Senate Bill 371 would expressly give counties and cities the authority […]
Legislation prevents officers from citing drivers solely for a broken light, expired registration
If Nevada wants to keep roadways safer, law enforcement should focus less on enforcing lower level offenses like stopping drivers just because they have an outdated registration, says Democratic state Sen. Dallas Harris. Harris presented Senate Bill 296 Wednesday, which would prohibit police officers from citing drivers solely based on expired registration, a single broken […]
Address rent now or homelessness later, lawmakers told
When Kristine Schachinger moved to Nevada nearly two decades ago after being priced out of the Virginia rental market, she was excited her $780 in monthly rent was not only affordable but meant she no longer needed to rely on a grueling work commute. “In Virginia, I had to live 70 miles away from where […]
Senate passes bill fixing NV prison policy that denies visitation by people with criminal records
Vivian Jones just wants to embrace her son, who has been incarcerated at a state correctional facility for nearly 20 years. Speaking to state lawmakers in March, she said a past felony conviction has resulted in her being denied visitation with the Nevada Department of Corrections and that the only contact with her son, 36, […]
Legislation prohibits discrimination against tenants with housing vouchers, disability benefits
It’s not uncommon for the ACLU of Nevada to receive complaints from tenants who say they were denied housing because they rely on housing vouchers, commonly known as Section 8, or other subsidies and income sources such as Social Security disability or child support payments. Despite offering to pay rent in a stable and consistent […]
Lawmakers eye more money for rental assistance program while county struggles to approve applicants
As demand for rental assistance persists in Southern Nevada, state lawmakers are looking to allocate more than $44 million to Clark County to aid two programs helping people living on fixed incomes who are facing eviction. Meanwhile, the county’s current iteration of rental assistance has denied far more applications than it has approved so far. […]
Rent stabilization for seniors among a handful of bills proposed to address housing crisis
Amid rising housing insecurity, Nevada lawmakers are considering several measures to address skyrocketing rents and regulate rental application fees. The first of three bills introduced this session proposing some limits on rent increases was heard Wednesday by the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee. Assembly Bill 298, sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, would authorize rent […]
Flipping NV’s unique eviction process, bill would make landlords, not tenants, file in court first
For multiple legislative sessions, lawmakers have offered modest proposals to prevent evictions. They stood up a pandemic-related mediation program and rental assistance programs, slightly extended the time frame before lockouts, and enacted legislation to automatically seal some records But Nevada’s summary eviction process itself, a system unique to the state that has been maligned by […]
Mobile home park residents urge lawmakers to stabilize rents: ‘We are in dire need’
When she first started living there a decade ago, Jeanneil Marzan paid $645 a month to rent a space for her manufactured home at Sierra Royal Mobile Park. Overtime, rent slowly increased to the current price of $790, which the Sparks resident found reasonable even living on a fixed income. Everything changed in December after […]
Lombardo’s proposal targeting restorative justice policies scrutinized by lawmakers
Gov. Joe Lombardo’s proposal to roll back restorative justice policies, which were implemented to address the school-to-prison pipeline but received a shaky roll out due to the pandemic, was met with a bevy of questions and concerns from lawmakers Thursday. Lombardo, who made a rare legislative appearance in front of the Assembly Education Committee to […]
After failing in 2021, sponsor revives bill to protect transgender, gender nonconforming inmates
Prison officials told lawmakers Tuesday that, in accordance with federal law, they already have policies to maintain the safety of transgender and gender nonconforming people who are incarcerated. But several people housed within the Nevada Department of Corrections, who provided written testimony about their experiences dealing with abuse by other inmates and staff, said it’s […]