Last month, the Moonridge Group Hosted its 12th annual Philanthropy Leaders’ Summit statewide in Nevada. The event featured speakers from a host of respected organizations. Punam Mathur with the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation and Staci Alonso of Noah’s Animal House served as Mistresses of Ceremony for the events in Las Vegas and Reno, respectively. For the first time … [Read more...] about Trailblazing Philanthropy
Speaking for Nevada
How the College Savings Division is Helping Students in Nevada
By Zach ConineNevada State Treasurer The Nevada State Treasurer’s College Savings Division is committed to helping Nevadans in planning, saving and paying for higher education. The division offers a variety of programs and services aimed at making higher education a realistic option for every Nevadan. 529 College Savings Plan Nevada’s 529 College Savings Plans are … [Read more...] about How the College Savings Division is Helping Students in Nevada
Nevada Needs Learning & Emotional Recovery for Students
Data from the federally mandated standardized student assessments are showing that students in Nevada are greatly suffering from learning loss, likely as a result of school closures and hybrid learning models throughout the pandemic. Each year, Nevada students in grades 3-8 take the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) assessments in English/ Language Arts (ELA) and … [Read more...] about Nevada Needs Learning & Emotional Recovery for Students
Proposed Tobacco Tax LawsHarming Nevada Small Business and Households
Kenneth Evans is President at Urban Chamber of Commerce Throughout Nevada, our chambers of commerce strive to create a favorable environment for every type of business imaginable. By promoting entrepreneurship, economic development, and job opportunities, we can ensure a better life for every Nevadan and their families. It’s easy to forget that when you boil it down, … [Read more...] about Proposed Tobacco Tax Laws
Employee Retention Credit
Rewind back to March 2020, panic swept through Nevada and many business owners were required under a government order to shut their doors and send their employees home. In response, then-President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) providing two mutually exclusive incentives – the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Employee … [Read more...] about Employee Retention Credit
A Line DrawnRedistricting in Nevada
Most everyone knows every ten years, the states count each of their citizens in order to claim seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The following year, state legislatures are required to re-draw district boundaries for each House member they have been allotted based upon those census numbers. In Nevada, the Legislature typically also rebalances and redrafts their … [Read more...] about A Line Drawn
Speaking for NevadaSave Lives: Get Nevada Back to Work
The coronavirus outbreak has unleashed unimaginable fear and heartbreak upon our country and the world. At the beginning of this crisis, each of us worried that either we or those close to us would get sick. That concern remains today, and justifiably so. No one wants to suffer or see our loved ones suffer. That concern also includes not wanting to endure the financial pain … [Read more...] about Speaking for Nevada
Maintaining Checks and BalancesSuper Majority Vote Requirement Ignored by Democrats
In the final days of Nevada’s 80th Legislative Session, the Democrat majority in the Nevada State Senate and Assembly wielded their power to pass Senate Bill 551 (SB551) which raised Modified Business Tax (MBT) rates beyond their scheduled July 1, 2019 levels using a new simple majority voting threshold of 50 percent plus one vote. This vote was in direct conflict with the … [Read more...] about Maintaining Checks and Balances
Don’t Ignore Politics: Politics Won’t Ignore You
In the midst of today’s polarizing political climate, I sometimes hear people say they prefer not to get involved in politics. It’s dirty, negative and depressing. It’s a sport fought with knives. All of which may be true to a point. But, as distasteful as politics may be, politics will never ignore you. It will influence the amount you take home in your paycheck, the quality … [Read more...] about Don’t Ignore Politics: Politics Won’t Ignore You
Nevada’s Treasurer’s Office: From Education Savings Accounts to Investing State Funds
As State Treasurer, my office was asked to administer the Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs). We acted expeditiously to establish rules for the program, which we completed over a year ago. With the help of the Attorney General’s office, we fought two lawsuits, finally ending up at the Nevada Supreme Court. Though the Court didn’t like the way the ESA’s were funded, the … [Read more...] about Nevada’s Treasurer’s Office: From Education Savings Accounts to Investing State Funds
History in the Making: The 79th Session of the Nevada Legislature
The historic result of the 2016 election ushers in a new set of challenges, opportunities, and unknowns for Nevada businesses at the federal and state levels. Here, at home, Nevada bucked the national trend and once again gave Democrats control of both houses of the legislature. The result is two new legislative majorities, along with a host of freshman chairs and freshman … [Read more...] about History in the Making: The 79th Session of the Nevada Legislature
Transportation in Southern Nevada: The Added Benefits of Investing in Infrastructure
With more than 42 million visitors to Las Vegas annually and community leaders calling for updated transportation infrastructure for residents and tourists alike, now is the time to discuss new transportation possibilities in Southern Nevada that are necessary to support the next generation of economic development. Recently, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck partnered with the … [Read more...] about Transportation in Southern Nevada: The Added Benefits of Investing in Infrastructure
Congress Can Minimize Damage of President’s Deal with Iran
Passions about the President’s deal with Iran run high for Nevadans and those across our country. Since the deal was announced in July 2015, hundreds of Nevadans wrote me letters, called my offices, and spoke with me face-to-face, urging me and my colleagues to reject the deal. Like the majority of Nevadans, I oppose the President’s nuclear agreement with Iran and was … [Read more...] about Congress Can Minimize Damage of President’s Deal with Iran
Taxes and Education: The Decision-Maker’s Perspective
I am a native Nevadan and I was publicly educated here. In fact, my father took time away from his gaming career to teach and my daughter and daughter-in-law are Nevada teachers now. I appreciate the vital role teachers and education have in our society. However, the fact is that the cost of a public education is accelerating at a rate which is exceeding our state’s economic … [Read more...] about Taxes and Education: The Decision-Maker’s Perspective
SB 483: The Facts You Need
When originally introduced, SB 483 was Governor Sandoval’s bill to make the sunset taxes from prior sessions permanent, to increase the cigarette tax and eliminate the pre-payment of the net proceeds of minerals tax. The bill was further amended by the Assembly to incorporate the Governor’s modified tax plan in the bill. At that point, the bill only required a Senate majority … [Read more...] about SB 483: The Facts You Need