Nevada Legislature

Sen. Harry Reid spoke at a joint session of the Nevada Legislature this morning, asking legislators not to cut education, and to have "an adult conversation" about outlawing prostitution.

The call for ending legal brothels was met by a a cool reception from the legislators who gave it only a smattering of applause followed by an uneasy silence. In the gallery was BunnyRanch owner Dennis Hof and some of his working girls.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Freshman Republican state Sen. Michael Roberson got a lot of people’s attention last week when he engaged in a brief but spirited line of questioning at a Judiciary Committee hearing with mining industry lobbyists.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Democratic legislative leaders today announced they will pursue legislation to ensure Nevadans are employed on state or local government public works projects.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Secretary of State Ross Miller says the time is ripe to get a substantial campaign finance reform package through the Legislature, and with Gov. Brian Sandoval and lawmakers of both parties in agreement on the need for change, he may be right.

CARSON CITY —  The Nevada Legislature today voted unanimously to adopt a resolution that would cut their salaries by 4.6 percent.

CARSON CITY – Mention government transparency and “Twitter” probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
A communication technology that gives users 140 characters to share where they just had lunch or “Tweet” trivia about the weather and celebrities doesn’t immediately scream “politics” either.
But Nevada state legislators, lobbyists and journalists are finding more and more use in Twitter because the platform allows information gathering and governing at high speed.

The 2011 Nevada Legislature got underway this morning, and here are some scenes from the opening ceremonies.

The Appeal is liveblogging the first day, and there is also coverage at SessionAccess.org.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada fares well among the states in a new report that includes unfunded public pension liabilities as part of overall state debt.

Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell talks on camera with Nevada Appeal's Brian Duggan about how he deals with his elected office and his job as a lobbyist at the Nevada Legislature.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGL9FayQhTQ

Northern Nevada’s two public broadcasters have teamed up to create something new: a website dedicated solely to coverage of regular and special sessions of the Nevada legislature.

CARSON CITY – Northern Nevada’s two public broadcasters have teamed up to create something new: a website dedicated solely to coverage of regular and special sessions of the Nevada Legislature.
SessionAccess.org is now live and will provide frequent, in-depth coverage and quick updates on developments from Carson City during the session. The collaborative effort between KUNR (88.7 FM, NPR) and KNPB (Ch. 5 TV, PBS) comes with a commitment from each station to on-the-ground reporting in Carson City.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
The Washoe County Commission today selected former state Assemblyman and U.S. Attorney Greg Brower to replace retired GOP state Sen. Bill Raggio in the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval will seek a constitutional amendment in the upcoming session of the Nevada Legislature to allow for public tax dollars to be used in a school voucher program that would include religious schools, a staff member said this week.

CARSON CITY – Brian Sandoval has announced his final cabinet appointments prior to being sworn in as Nevada’s 29th governor today, including naming Bruce Breslow to head up the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Breslow has been serving in outgoing Gov. Jim Gibbons’ administration as executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Despite a dramatic slowdown in Nevada’s population growth, and even some net out-migration for the first time in recent memory, the U.S. Census Bureau report today shows the state will gain a fourth congressional seat in 2013.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The Nevada State Medical Association believes consumers should have access to clear and understandable information about the cost and coverage provided under health care insurance policies before they sign on the dotted line.

One of the largest classes of freshman lawmakers in recent history made their way to Carson City on Wednesday and prepared to learn the ropes of the Nevada Legislature, reports KRNV Reno. The session begins Feb. 7. Click here to read the story.

By Nevada News Bureau staff
Assembly Speaker-elect John Oceguera has announced the Assembly Democratic leadership team and the chairs of the nine standing committees.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Newly elected state Sen. Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City, has requested the drafting of legislation to repeal Nevada’s minimum wage law.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – There will be no supermajorities for Democrats in either the state Senate or Assembly in the 2011 session, meaning the parties will have to work together and with Republican Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval on issues from taxes to redistricting.
Republicans in the 42-member state Assembly, who had been outnumbered 28-14, retained their seats and picked up two held by Democrats, enough to take away a veto-proof majority held by Democrats in the 2009 session.

Carson City Republican Pete Livermore has won the Nevada Assembly District 40 race against Democrat Robin Williamson, costing the party a crucial seat against Republican Governor-elect Brian Sandoval.

Livermore received 51.42 percent of the vote in Carson City and within a sliver of Washoe Valley. Williamson had 48.58 percent of the vote.

"I'm humbled and grateful that so many have shown trust for me," Livermore said. "I'm eager to get started so we can get people back to work."

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.

Dozens of Nevada’s nonprofit groups, service providers and others met this week in Reno and Las Vegas to consider the looming threat of deep cuts to the state budget cuts which threaten to eliminate or dramatically reduce health care, education, and human services.

Service agency and nonprofit directors from Lyon and Storey counties attended the Monday meeting, hoping for insights on how to plan for the upcoming deep cuts to Nevada’s public education, health and social services that will hit the rural areas especially hard.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A national group that supports judicial restraint is opposing a measure on the Nevada ballot to change the way judges are selected from direct elections to appointment and retention.
The Judicial Crisis Network also presented a survey of Nevada voters’ views on the change that shows a majority oppose the idea of appointing instead of electing members of the state Supreme court.

HENDERSON, Nev. – The Henderson Chamber of Commerce’s IMPAC Committee has announced its support of ballot questions 3 and 5.

IMPAC serves as a comprehensive, non-partisan political committee that contributes to the creation of a favorable business climate in Henderson as it relates to issues at the state and local level.

Nevada News Bureau staff
CARSON CITY – An effort to change Nevada state law to expand the ability to raise money through charitable lotteries is having a tough time gaining support, the sponsor of the proposal said today.

Gun owners take note: The Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association will host the annual Nevada Carry Concealed Weapon Permit Holders Forum in Carson City on Sept. 30 at the Nevada Legislative Building.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s public employee pension system earned a rate of return above its 8 percent target last fiscal year, but the long-term unfunded liability is still expected to see an increase when an analysis is presented this fall.

CARSON CITY – Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce President Matt Crosson said Thursday the Nevada business community will not accept tax increases in the upcoming 2011 legislative session without “meaningful� reforms in a number of areas including taxes, education and public employee benefits.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – State governments across the country are facing budget deficits and a tough economy right now, but failure to get a handle on long-term liabilities, from unfunded pensions to subsidized health care for retired workers, could jeopardize any recovery, a fiscal expert said today.