lobbying

The Ormsby Sportsmen's Association of Carson City has announced that it has disbanded and closed its doors after an existence of almost 70 years, beginning way back in August, 1945.

by RILEY SNYDER

Some quick facts about lobbying the Nevada Legislature you might not know, as relayed during lobbyist training last week:
— It’s against the law for lobbyists to make false statements or “misrepresentations of facts” to a lawmaker.
— Lawmakers can’t ask to have a “young sexy assistant” bring up a bill. That could be sexual harassment.

Ferrari Public Affairs, a Nevada-based legislative lobbying and public affairs firm, has launched a new website at www.ferraripa.com. The site showcases the company’s services and expanding team of professionals.

“The firm has evolved significantly since we opened our doors five years ago. We have helped clients succeed on the local, state and national regulatory and legislative levels and we are proud of the work and reputation we have achieved,” said Ferrari.

CARSON CITY – A proposal by Assemblyman Pat Hickey, R-Reno, to move Nevada’s primary election back to September to shorten the campaign season didn’t get out of the starting gate in 2011.

The Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections Committee held one hearing on Assembly Bill 157, which had cosponsors from both major political parties. But it also saw serious opposition from state election officials and never came up for a vote.

CARSON CITY – The leader of the Assembly Republican Caucus today used a Tuesday reporting deadline for candidates running for election this year to announce several proposals to require more accountability and transparency in the financing of campaigns in Nevada.

If there is such thing as an Easter Bunny naughty list, I’m pretty sure that David Reutimann will find his Easter basket full of rotten eggs tomorrow morning. He is definitely on Hendrick Motorsports’ bad list after ruining an almost certain 200th win and a probable 1-2-3 finish for the organization. Reutimann was limping around to try and stay in the top 35 in points when his car died at the end of the front straightaway, bringing out the caution. A wreck on the restart took out leaders Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon and damaged Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) this month formally approved the Nevada Firearms Coalition (NFC) as its new, officially sanctioned state association in Nevada.
The group is a registered nonprofit Nevada corporation and according to its website is dedicated “to the ownership and safe use of firearms for self-defense, competition, recreation and hunting.”

I was just finishing up a column about how far the Nugget Project has come, from a vague, unrealistic plan that left the city on the hook for the whole bill, to an exciting, well-designed public-private partnership that deserves our qualified support.

But I was forwarded an email this morning that almost makes me want to change my mind.

In a long awaited ruling, the federal nuclear safety agency has said Nevada can close down Yucca Mountain once and for all.
The Obama administration had asked Congress to zero out the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) work on Yucca as a follow up to the prior  termination of funding at the Department of Energy (DOE) project. The NRC has directed that all project casework be wrapped up by the end of the month.

CARSON CITY – Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto will not follow through on Gov. Brian Sandoval’s request to ask the Nevada Supreme Court for clarification on Thursday’s ruling that the state cannot use $62 million it took from the Clean Water Coalition during the legislative special session in 2010.
A letter issued by Masto’s office said, “there is no procedural mechanism” for seeking a clarification of the high court’s decision.

CARSON CITY – CARSON CITY – A bill seeking major reforms to Nevada’s campaign finance laws won approval from a Senate panel today after controversial provisions requiring a two-year cooling off period from lobbying by former public officials were stripped from the measure.
Assembly Bill 452 was approved by the Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee with Sen. James Settelmeyer, R-Gardnerville, voting no.

CARSON CITY — The Capitol grounds are expected to become a campground this week as progressive groups establish a temporary headquarters for a last ditch lobbying effort for tax increases.
As many as 200 students, social service workers, teachers and progressive activists plan to live in tents during Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as they host events and lobby legislators.
The agenda could include events at both the Capitol and the Legislature, said Jan Gilbert, lobbyist for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, which has helped coordinate the event.

By Mike Wolterbeek
RENO, Nev. — An impact study by researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno has found that the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act is not only good public policy but also good for the economy.

By Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY – It has been called the most lobbied bill during the legislative session, and it is has nothing to do with taxes.
All the fuss is about changes to the tow truck and auto salvage industry.

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – Two bills that would close loopholes and increase transparency in Nevada’s election and campaign finance laws won approval in the Assembly today with no time to spare.
Secretary of State Ross Miller is seeking the bills restricting the use of multiple political action committees to bypass campaign contribution limits and requiring electronic filing of campaign contribution and expense reports by most candidates.

By Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY — The Legislature played host to a former director of the CIA yesterday, who came to voice support for a renewable energy bill.
James Woolsey, director of the CIA between 1993 and 1995, said the passage of the bill is a matter of national security.
Senate Bill 184 would establish a “feed-in tariff” program in Nevada, which would allow small-scale solar, wind, geothermal and other energy producers to “feed in” their energy to the grid.

By Elizabeth Crum / Nevada News Bureau
With yesterday’s preemptive, hastily announced resignation, Senator John Ensign’s graceless fall from grace continued.

Elizabeth Crum / Nevada News Bureau
Deep sighs of relief were heard all over Nevada when Senator John Ensign announced his decision not to run for reelection. Today the indictment of former Ensign staffer Doug Hampton will once again put many of the Silver State’s political players* on edge.

LAS VEGAS – The ability to carry a firearm on Nevada’s college campuses could have prevented her brutal rape, says a victim who will testify before the Senate Government Affairs Committee tomorrow in Carson City.

By Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Chancellor Dan Klaich has announced the formation of a new lobbying team that will represent the Nevada System of Higher Education free of charge at the 2011 legislative session.
The team will be chaired by former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan and will include Alfredo Alonso, Michael Hillerby, Rose McKinney-James, Keith Lee, John Pappageorge and The Capitol Company.

Sharron Angle is by no means done with politics. So she said to a crowd of 70 conservative grassroots activists during a surprise visit to a Republican town hall meeting Wednesday evening in Las Vegas.
“I have a lot of options,” said Angle. “I am looking at these options. I can’t stop.”
When the crowd welcomed her with a standing ovation and loud cheers, Angle’s eyes filled with tears. She expressed her gratitude to the small group in a voice filled with emotion.
“Thank you so much,” said Angle quietly. “That means so much to me.”

Rarely has a Nevada senatorial race received the nationwide attention this year’s has. Of course, there’s the old pro versus the new pro — Harry Reid and Sharron Angle. Both have been around the barn a number of times, she in the Nevada Legislature and Harry in all kinds of jobs, most currently, of course, Senate majority leader.

Seems a lot of Nevadans are unhappy with Harry, mostly because he is now an insider, carrying out President Obama’s programs as any majority leader would be forced to do if it’s his party in the White House.

Nevada News Bureau staff
Nevada’s state and local governments have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars over the past two years through lavish and wasteful spending – in some cases by outright theft – according to a new study from the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI) and Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW).

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera said yesterday he will pursue a number of transparency measures in the 2011 legislative session with an eye towards providing the public with accountability and confidence in how the state spends taxpayer dollars.

CARSON CITY – A dozen Nevada government entities spent more than $1.7 million taxpayer dollars last year to hire lobbyists in Washington, DC and have racked up nearly $400,000 in expenses in the first quarter of this year, according to data gathered by the national group Center for Responsive Politics.

Washoe County has the most transparent website out of all Nevada’s counties, according to the Sunshine Review.

The Sunshine Review says Clark County’s website has a long way to go to improve its transparency.

CARSON CITY – The 2010 special session called by Gov. Jim Gibbons last month to balance a state budget out of balance by more than $800 million touched on major issues from gaming and mining fee increases to layoffs of state employees.

Nevada’s county websites have received a collective grade of “F” from Sunshine Review, a non-profit organization that promotes transparency from both state and local governments.