Legislature
Presentation on disability council gets legislators riled up against presenter
Advocates are pushing Gov. Joe Lombardo to embrace “Employment First” policies that assist people with disabilities in finding and keeping paying jobs. Catherine Nielsen, the executive director of the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and a member of the Nevada Employment First Task Force, told state lawmakers last week that the policy groups are in […]
Even after district was redrawn to be competitive, Senate Dems give it the cold shoulder
The Nevada Democratic Senate Caucus, which has a credible chance of winning a veto-proof majority this year, has yet to endorse a candidate in Senate District 18, while Republicans in the primary race have a sizable lead on fundraising, endorsements and party support from Gov. Joe Lombardo. The district, which was left vacant after the […]
Former assemblyman faces GOED grantee, Nye school trustee in decisive GOP state senate primary
Voters in a large swath of rural Nevada will need to choose a new state senator in a Republican primary that will determine who represents the bright red district after no Democrats filed for the race. Republican Sen. Pete Goicoechea has represented the predominantly rural Senate District 19 for the past 12 years. Now three […]
Senate Dems pass over assemblywoman, endorse NSHE regent to join their ranks
The Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus endorsed Michelee “Shelly” Cruz-Crawford, a first-term Nevada System of Higher Education Regent, over Assemblywoman Clara Thomas, in the Democratic primary for Senate District 1. In an interview with Nevada Current, Thomas attributed the party caucus’s decision to back a regent instead of a fellow state legislator to Thomas’s opposition to […]
Democrats chide governor’s office over allocation of federal funds for assistance programs
Democratic lawmakers on Thursday criticized Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo’s handling of federal relief money, accusing his administration of not working with them and attempting to tie their hands financially. Caught in the middle was a food assistance program that could help approximately 350,000 Nevada children this calendar year. On the surface, the Nevada Department of […]
NV officials hope to complete study on ‘critical mineral’ map this year
Despite a growing interest in lithium mining, Nevada has limited understanding of the precise location of the highly sought mineral deposits or how exploration may impact groundwater. That lack of mapping isn’t unique to Nevada, however. According to the Association of American State Geologists, the United States lacks an effective nationwide process for gathering, organizing, […]
NV childhood immunization, adult vaccination rates both lag behind national averages
A decline in “vaccine confidence” has contributed to a decrease in child immunization rates, Nevada health officials warned state lawmakers on Monday. Vaccine rates among adults, which includes Covid and flu shots for the current season, are also only a fraction of the national average, health officials said at the Interim Committee on Health and […]
Relax, GOP. A veto-proof Democratic legislature won’t fix NV’s upside down tax system. (Sadly)
Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo’s top priority over the next seven months until the 2024 election will be exactly the same as his top priority over the last 8 months since the 2023 legislative session ended: Do whatever he can to help the Better Nevada PAC that loves him defeat a few Democratic assembly candidates and […]
State lawmakers wary about approving another housing study, but approve it anyway
When in doubt, just make it a study. It’s a common narrative in Carson City: When a promising but controversial bill has no realistic path forward, the bill becomes a study, conducted in the name of gathering more data and insight that might convince future lawmakers to take action. But some lawmakers this week expressed […]
State lawmakers urged to consider authorizing automated traffic enforcement
The Nevada Advisory Committee on Traffic Safety urged state lawmakers Wednesday to consider legislation authorizing the use of speeding and red light cameras. Critics warned automated ticketing of motorists via photos singles out populations, and can become more of a revenue model for governments and system vendors than a solution to traffic safety. Lawmakers during […]
State launches committee to review deaths of vulnerable adults
In an attempt to uncover policy gaps that might have contributed to the death of people with physical and mental disabilities, the state recently began a committee to review fatalities of vulnerable adults. The findings are expected to highlight systemic barriers and recommend policy changes, but the committee won’t be investigating care facilities or individuals […]
Popular locally grown food program needs more funding, food banks tell legislators
Despite Nevada’s status as the driest state in the union, the state is home to 3,400 farms that produce everything from cattle to dairy and tomatoes to coffee. Now thanks to a bill passed at the height of the pandemic in 2021, Nevada has purchased and distributed about 2.3 million pounds of locally sourced food […]