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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
Office of Military Legal Assistance: Securing Justice for the Armed Forces at Home
As a former Navy JAG and professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, I take to heart a popular Latin inscription in the Navy: “Non sib sed patriae.” It means, “Not for self, but for country.” That selfless mentality forged the collective courage of our graduates and service members of all stripes. Our military have sacrificed throughout their service for our families, communities and … [Read more...]
Steering Towards Technology: Nevada’s DMV works to Improve Systems
The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles is in the midst of a technological revolution that will position the agency for the wave of innovation sweeping across the business and industry landscape. Advancements in personal computing and communications devices as well as the mobility of Nevada residents require that government agencies not only stay current on technological … [Read more...]
Maximize the Benefits of Electric Vehicles: It Starts at the State Policy Level
With Tesla propelling Nevada to the forefront of electric vehicle discussion, it is a good time to call attention to the benefits of electric vehicles (EV) in Nevada and ask policymakers to help Nevadans reap those benefits. Here at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), students and faculty at the Center for Energy Research (CER) are eager to work together with Las … [Read more...]
Ensuring That All of Our Kids are Nevada Ready: Preparing the Silver State
As business leaders who are deeply engaged in education reform efforts through Nevada Succeeds and the Education Alliance of Washoe County, we know that our schools across the state have not performed at the level of our expectations. We spend significant efforts each day to ensure that all schools are receiving the support they need to be successful so their students are ready … [Read more...]
Nevada Division of Emergency Management: Preparing the Silver State
The mission of the Nevada Division of Emergency Management (NDEM) is to coordinate efforts, protect lives and property, to prevent, respond to, recover from and mitigate all threats, hazards and emergencies. NDEM is part of the family of divisions belonging to the Department of Public Safety. When a disaster or emergency impacts a city, county or tribal nation in the state, … [Read more...]
A Piece of Nevada’s Pie: The View from Reno’s Mayoral Office
A good friend of mine, former Nevada Governor Mike O’Callaghan, once told me: “Don’t try to get the whole pie. Get a piece of the pie. Maybe later you can get another piece of the pie.” That philosophy — that you’re only as good as the whole — is one that I’ve followed religiously during my time in public office, whether it be as City of Reno Mayor (2002-present), Lieutenant … [Read more...]
Court of Appeals: Timely Justice to Nevadans and their Businesses
Nevada’s Supreme Court has been overburdened for decades as it struggles to provide the public with speedy access to justice in the face of an ever growing population. The increasing backlog of cases is prolonging justice in Nevada. Currently, 56 percent of all appeals require more than six months to be heard, with 29 percent taking more than one year. As a consequence justice … [Read more...]
Transportation at a Crossroads
From the daily commute to a weekend bike ride or road trip, and from the goods trucked to local stores to Nevada’s overall economic vitality, transportation impacts everyone. A look into Nevada’s transportation past and a glimpse at the transportation innovations of the future illustrates how important transportation is. As the fastest growing state for decades, Nevada’s … [Read more...]
The Medical Marijuana Program in Nevada: An Update on Establishment Applications
On June 12, 2013, Governor Brian Sandoval signed legislation authorizing the sale of marijuana in Nevada for medicinal purposes. The historic legislation allows cardholders and caregivers to legally purchase marijuana for medicinal use. Using marijuana for medicinal purposes has been legal in Nevada since 2001; however cardholders and caregivers have had to grow their own … [Read more...]
Nevada Celebrates Her Sesquicentennial: 150 Years of Statehood
By executive order of Governor Brian Sandoval, the Nevada 150 Commission has planned a series of events, gatherings, exhibits and legacy projects to commemorate Nevada’s Sesquicentennial, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase the unique contribution of Nevada’s rich culture and history. The yearlong celebration includes official community-based and signature Nevada 150 … [Read more...]
Fueling Our Future
As Southern Nevada rebounds from the recession, it has become a community that is much more engaged and collaborative with the goal of making the Valley a better and more vibrant metropolis. Businesses, local governments and community organizations work together, now more than ever, to help improve, grow and diversify our economy. This spirit of collaboration, genuine love … [Read more...]
Can Hollywood be ‘Caged’ in Nevada? Film-tax credit drew big-name supporters, but has shaky track record
He began: “My name is Nicolas Cage, and I am an American filmmaker.” On May 7th of this year, Cage appeared before a legislative committee to ask it to implement a film-tax credit in the State of Nevada. He argued that the lack of these tax credits was the only thing holding back a deluge of producers coming into the Silver State to build movie studios and film movies. … [Read more...]
JAG Program Implemented In Nevada to Address High School Drop-Out Crisis
As Nevada continues to diversify our economy and get our fellow citizens back to work, we believe that the discussion about the outlook of Nevada’s future must begin with the state of our education system. The number of high school drop-outs in our state remains at staggering proportions and the unemployment rate for youth stands at 17.3 percent. We cannot continue to accept … [Read more...]
