Legislature
When rentals aren’t livable, tenants’ remedies can be confusing, burdensome, and costly
When attorneys and housing justice organizers call for reforming how courts handle disputes between landlords and tenants, they often point to Nevada’s unique, and quick, summary eviction process, which puts the onus on tenants to first file with the courts. Legal aid providers told lawmakers on Thursday summary evictions aren’t the only court issue and […]
Advocates, lawmakers laud progress on implementation of prison reforms
New laws limiting solitary confinement and ending medical copays have taken effect, but efforts to set up an independent prison ombudsman and expand medical services to women who are incarcerated are still ongoing, prison officials told lawmakers on Friday. The 2023 Legislative Session saw substantial changes to the correctional system, which came following years of […]
Legislation to boost, fund state language access services has slow rollout
State lawmakers Thursday questioned the “really late” rollout by the governor’s Office of New Americans on implementing legislation passed last year to help state agencies update documents and services in languages other than English. Lawmakers on the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Government Affairs heard updates on bills passed last year, including one expanding duties […]
Medical professionals, first responders urge lawmakers to consider policy reforms on psychedelics
After 23 years on the job as a professional wildland firefighter, Benjamin Strahan said a brutal wild fire season in the fall of 2020 brought him to the brink of suicide. Like many in his profession, he told a panel of state lawmakers on Friday, he has seen “almost every catastrophic wildfire in the West […]
Nevada needs to revisit vetoed gender-affirming care shield bill, says state senator
As attempts to limit or ban gender-affirming care for transgender children continue to be pushed across the country, one Nevada state senator is vowing to revisit his vetoed bill that could have offered protections for transgender patients and their providers. Senate Bill 302 would have prohibited health care licensing boards from disqualifying or disciplining a […]
Oakland A’s, recent recipients of $380m deal, contribute $112k to Nevada state lawmakers
In the months after receiving a $380 million sweetheart deal from the Nevada State Legislature, the Athletics Investment Group — better known as the Oakland A’s — gave at least $112,000 in campaign contributions to state and local lawmakers. The contributions were made public through campaign finance reports, which for lawmakers were due Jan. 15 […]
Lawmakers gear up for busy legislative sessions in 2024. Except in Nevada.
Artificial intelligence, abortion rights, workforce shortages in health, education, and corrections, health care costs, climate impacts and energy policy, digital privacy, mental health services, gun laws, gender expression, criminal justice, confronting the impact of expired pandemic-era safety nets, taxing and spending – those are only some of the issues state legislatures across the nation will […]
Paid leave, prison reform, health measures among dozens of state laws taking effect with new year
Housing for people experiencing homelessness, paid family leave for state employees, and “human composting” are among issues addressed in new Nevada laws that took effect January 1. Eighty-five bills enacted during the 2023 Legislative Session went into effect with the new year, including several measures designed to address barriers to building more affordable and low […]
Looking back (and a little forward): 2023 selections & reflections from the Nevada Current staff
Note: As we do near the end of every year, each writer on the Nevada Current staff took a little time to highlight some of their work from the year, and say whatever they wanted to say about it. An embarrassment of riches. That’s how I’d sum up 2023 for its news value. In case […]
CCSD, teachers union settle contract. But bad blood is still plenty.
It’s nothing short of a Christmas miracle. After months of bitter negotiations, a handful of school closures due to “teacher sickouts,” interventions from elected officials and countless petty public jabs, the Clark County School District and the Clark County Education Association announced Wednesday they reached an agreement on a new two-year contract for the district’s […]
Lawmakers approve $15m in funding for teacher, support staff raises… but not for CCSD
The Nevada Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee on Wednesday deferred a vote to approve $58 million in funding to provide additional raises for Clark County School District’s lowest paid employees, citing the district’s failure to present any plans for raises for licensed educators. Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno, who chairs the Interim Finance Committee, said in order to […]
Anti-gerrymandering ballot initiative resurrected for 2024 election cycle
Fair Maps Nevada on Tuesday filed two notices of intent to circulate petitions for the 2024 general election ballot. Both are proposed constitutional amendments that would strip the power to draw the state’s political boundary maps away from the state legislature and create an independent redistricting commission. If either initiative qualifies for the ballot, it […]