As the legislature mercifully comes to its predictably frantic close, we should be asking ourselves, “Why would anyone want this chaos every single year?” Nonetheless, there are plenty of activists, lawmakers, government agencies and special interests who would love to do just that—move to yearly legislative sessions rather than our usual biennial affair. In 2019, Senator … [Read more...] about Once Every Two Years is Often Enough
Nevada government
A Win for TaxpayersDistrict Court Upholds Nevada Constitution
You may recall, during Nevada’s Legislative Session last year, two bills were passed that extended taxes that were scheduled to sunset. What makes these two bills unique is that they both were unlawfully passed. The Nevada Constitution requires a two-third supermajority of both houses to pass any tax increase. While Democrats had a supermajority in the Assembly, they were one … [Read more...] about A Win for Taxpayers
The Election Won’t Fix What’s Wrong with 2020
Mercifully, 2020 will soon be over. Given the way this year has been a non-stop exhibition of cultural, social and political crises, it’s tempting to think that maybe after the election things will begin to calm down. It’s a nice thought… but it’s one that is largely divorced from reality. The truth is, from the coronavirus to the social unrest we’ve seen in 2020, the … [Read more...] about The Election Won’t Fix What’s Wrong with 2020
Nothing Special HereNevada’s Special Legislative Session
“Whereas, Section 9 of Article V of the Constitution of the State of Nevada provides that, ‘[T]he Governor may, on extraordinary occasions, convene the Legislature by Proclamation and shall state to both houses, when organized, the business for which they have been specially convened;’ … Now therefore, I, Steve Sisolak, Governor of the State of Nevada … do hereby convene the … [Read more...] about Nothing Special Here
The Nevada Legislature Also Has a ProblemSeparation of Powers, Part II
The governor’s willingness to embrace near-dictatorial powers during a state of emergency isn’t the only instance where a blatant disregard for separation-of-powers doctrine is doing damage to Nevada’s democratic system of government. As it turns out, the legislature has also long demonstrated flagrant contempt for the concept of three co-equal branches of government—a core … [Read more...] about The Nevada Legislature Also Has a Problem
Carpetbaggers or Statesmen? Nevada Legislators, Fix this Ridiculous Flaw!
The November elections may be over, but many people still have a bad taste in their mouths when remembering how some politicians conducted themselves. The unrelenting barrage of negative campaign ads was bad enough, but we actually had two Democrats running for Assembly who didn’t even live in the districts in which they were running. Meghan Smith, running for Assembly District … [Read more...] about Carpetbaggers or Statesmen? Nevada Legislators, Fix this Ridiculous Flaw!
The Role and Responsibilities of State Officers
In Nevada, six constitutional officers comprise the state government’s executive branch. They are the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer and state controller. All are elected to four-year terms and may serve a maximum of two terms. Next year, Nevadans will vote for all positions but governor. The primary obligation of these … [Read more...] about The Role and Responsibilities of State Officers