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Lawmakers seek to improve health conditions faced by women who are incarcerated
Lawmakers are debating legislation that addresses the inadequate standards of care and health treatment for women incarcerated in Nevada. Sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Cecelia González, Assembly Bill 292 would make feminine hygiene products free of charge in correctional facilities while seeking to expand the timeframe mothers spend with newborns and ensuring those incarcerated have access […]
Republic Services ramps up lawsuits against Nevadans over trash bills
If Rebecca Gandara had received a bill from Republic Services for any unpaid amount for unpaid trash collection services, she says she would have paid it. But she said in the 27 years she lived in her Henderson home, she never received a past due or any other notice that she owed the company money. […]
Biden promotes prescription drug plan during UNLV stop
President Joe Biden during a speech at UNLV Wednesday touted recent legislative victories seeking to rein in prescription drug prices and vowed to build on efforts to reduce health costs Biden’s visit to Southern Nevada came a week after he unveiled his 2024 fiscal year budget, which includes numerous health care proposals, like expanding Medicare’s […]
Lawmaker revives effort to remove barrier blocking formerly incarcerated from housing
When looking for a place to live this year, Ashley Gaddis, a formerly incarcerated woman, didn’t make it very far in the application process because of her criminal history. “I didn’t even get past the background check,” she said. “It was, ‘do I have a criminal record?’ Yes I do. The application didn’t go any […]
Bill to rein in rental application and deposit fees weakened before first hearing
Nevada lawmakers have revived efforts to crack down on landlords collecting unlimited application fees on a single unit and add some transparency to fees associated with rentals. Ahead of its Wednesday hearing in Senate Commerce and Labor, Senate Bill 78 was heavily amended to quell opposition by some landlords and lobbyists. The bill, sponsored by […]
‘Homeless Persons’ Bill of Rights’ faces opposition from cities, counties, law enforcement
Lobbyists representing cities, counties and law enforcement told lawmakers they support the idea of ensuring the rights of people experiencing homelessness – just as long as that person can’t sue to ensure those rights. Referred to as “Homeless Persons’ Bill of Rights,” Senate Bill 142 was heard by lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee Friday. […]
200,000 Nevadans will need to re-qualify for Medicaid as pandemic provision winds down
An estimated 200,000 Medicaid recipients will need to re-qualify for eligibility starting April 1 or risk losing health care benefits as Nevada begins to wind down a pandemic-era provision. Ky Plaskon, a spokesman with the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, said in an email that the department’s Division of Health Care Financing and […]
Food banks brace for ‘tsunami’ of food insecurity as SNAP emergency benefits end in March
When a pandemic-era emergency food assistance allotment ends in March, a senior who had been receiving nearly $300 a month in supplemental benefits will instead get about $20. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, recipients have received a supplemental emergency allotment for the last two years, but the additional monthly payments providing extended assistance will […]
Culinary Union urges lawmakers to consider rent caps tied to cost of living
The Culinary Union wants the Legislature to tie rent increases to the cost of living and fund mental health services for children, and they warned lawmakers mulling action to “ignore this at their own peril.” Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union, spoke Thursday to outline the union’s legislative priorities, which includes passing reforms to […]
State treasurer proposes baby bonds to reduce ‘prolonged effects of generational poverty’
Citing costs inflicted on state program and Nevada households by generational poverty, state Treasurer Zach Conine asked lawmakers to fund a baby bond program designed to help children born into financially stressed households get a boost out of poverty. Conine, who presented Assembly Bill 28 to lawmakers Tuesday morning, is proposing the state invest $80 […]
Not an isolated incident: Video of violent arrest heightens calls for more scrutiny of CCSD police
A recent video showing Clark County School District police officers arresting several Black teenage boys, with one officer slamming a student to the ground, has outraged the community and led activists to push for a stronger response from the district. While CCSD has offered little details about why officers stopped the teens, community groups recognize […]
Nevada lawmakers form LGBTQ+ Caucus to ‘move state forward’
Nevada lawmakers have formed an LGBTQ+ Caucus and plan to bring back legislation bolstering rights for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. Democratic state Sen. Dallas Harris, who was elected Monday to serve as the first chair for the caucus, said legislative priorities for the group include bills that increase protections for trans inmates within the Nevada […]