Nevada lawmakers hosted a town hall style meeting to discuss how to use the Silver State's tax dollars in the best way possible.

Three major topics were discussed at the town hall forum, the PERS Preservation Act, Public Works and Opportunity Scholarships for low income students.

Nevada lawmakers considered a measure Friday that would allow motorcyclists to skip traffic jams by driving between the lanes — as long as they’re careful.

U.S. Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller joined representatives of Nevada's delegation of U.S. House of Representatives — Joe Heck (NV-03), Dina Titus (NV-01), and Steven Horsford (NV-04) — in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits Allison Hickey and Reno VA Regional Office Director Edward Russell, offering help in addressing Nevada’s backlog of VA claims.

After the horrific events of Sandy Hook, it was only a matter of time before Nevada — one of the most liberal gun control states in the country — met to discuss concealed weapons on campuses. While K-12 schools are currently protected under federal law as “gun-free zones,” the Senate Judiciary Committee met this morning to discuss SB 223, a bill that proposes employees and faculty members be permitted to carry concealed weapons on higher education campuses.

Two mothers urged Nevada lawmakers to pass a bill they believe could have saved the life of a Reno woman raped and murdered in early 2008.
The duo testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday in support of SB243 — Brianna's Law.

Another major election year awaits all of us in 2014. But the rules could change for Nevada voters for that election if a Senate Bill becomes law. Specifically a photo would be required in most cases to cast a ballot.

A mass shooting took place less than two years ago in Carson City’s IHOP restaurant, just down the road from the Nevada Legislature.
Since that day in September 2011, more senseless mass shootings have occurred in the United States — the one in Newtown, Conn., sparking a nationwide debate over gun control.

As part of Tribal Day at the Nevada Legislature, Native Americans are letting lawmakers know they are against the bear hunt.
Dozens showed up at the legislative building in support of Senate Bill 82. They say the bear is sacred and that the hunt violates their rights.

With the 77th Legislative Session underway, lawmakers are shaping Nevada's future. Many say that future begins with one thing.
"Increase the standards, increase the expectations in education," Gardnerville resident George Butler said. "That's the thing that's going to really grow the economy and attract businesses and entrepreneurs and things like that."

The tedious and sometimes politically explosive process of crafting the state budget will dominate both legislative houses and headlines over the next 120 days.
But as lawmakers slog through the decisions about what to fund, expect a number of socially contentious issues to pull at their attention.

Lawmakers from across the country are contemplating whether it’s worthwhile to move into a domain that’s been almost exclusively Nevada’s since 1949 — legalized sports wagering.

But a top Las Vegas race and sports book director says that even if other states cleared the numerous legal and legislative hurdles to offer betting on sports in their states, it probably wouldn’t have a big effect on Nevada.

LAS VEGAS – Nevadans with a net worth of more than $1 million make up only 0.2 percent of the state’s population but account for more than 27 percent of its reported charitable contributions, according to a report from The Private Bank by Nevada State Bank.

The third in the bank’s series of monthly reports prepared in conjunction with local market research firm Applied Analysis focused on charitable giving by Nevadans with a household net worth of at least $1 million.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval today announced he has appointed Elaine Wynn to the state Board of Education, effective January 8, 2013.

CARSON CITY – A newly elected Republican state lawmaker plans to push forward with a bill next session to allow students and others with permits to carry concealed weapons on the campuses of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, R- Las Vegas, elected to Assembly District 4 in November, has submitted a bill draft request to prepare a measure for consideration in the 2013 legislative session.

Orientation has begun at the Nevada Legislature — not just for the 13 “true freshmen” facing their first endurance test that is a 120-day legislative session, but also for the caucus leaders, who will each be leading their caucuses for the first time.
On Wednesday, three new leaders took their first shot at imparting wisdom to the incoming freshmen in brief speeches that also offered a glimpse into their nascent leadership styles.

As a matter of law, the Nevada state constitution requires a balanced budget. As a matter of economic law and history, raising taxes will never balance a budget. It never has and never will. If a budget cannot be balanced without tax increases, it will never be balanced afterwards. The reason is simple, raising taxes decreases tax revenues and strangles growth. Many Nevada taxpayers believe that our legislators seek to redistribute our tax dollars to buy votes or political power rather than serve the public good.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval said today his administration has fully complied with a requirement in state law to provide preliminary state budget data to lawmakers and their staff.

“The agency requests have been presented to the Legislature in accordance with the law,” he said. “I don’t see any problems.”

CARSON CITY – From double-dipping employees to the questionable use of credit cards, the newest edition of the Nevada Policy Research Institute’s “piglet book” released today offers highlights of recent questionable government agency actions.

CARSON CITY – An annual review of funds distributed to charitable groups from the sales of special license plates has found that the University Medical Center Foundation in Las Vegas failed to provide required documentation on the use of the money, and some inf

CARSON CITY – A Carson City District Judge today heard the latest challenge to a teacher-backed initiative petition that seeks to levy a 2 percent tax on companies making gross revenues in excess of $1 million a year to raise money to support public education.

But Judge James Wilson did not immediately rule on challenges to the “Education Initiative” filed by the Committee to Protect Nevada Jobs.

CARSON CITY – The Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce today commended Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, for his commitment to seek $20 million a year in funding for English language learner programs in the Clark County School District.

CARSON CITY – A legislative audit released today says that the state Welfare Division needs to do a better job of identifying when clients receiving benefits have passed away.

RENO – Northern Nevada state lawmakers and candidates in the November general election identified a number of public education priorities at a forum here Monday, from ending social promotion to paying the best performing teachers more to making much-needed capital improvements to older Washoe County schools.