Secretary of State

While Democrats and the Secretary of State argued the special election to fill Dean Heller's congressional seat should be open to all comers, Republicans argued the major parties deserve control ov...

SPARKS — Former Republican Party of Nevada Chairman Mark Amodei yesterday blew out the competition and became his party’s nominee for the 2nd congressional district special election on Sept. 13.
Amodei needed 162 of 323 member votes to win. He pulled in 221 votes compared to state Sen. Greg Brower who earned 56 votes and retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Kirk Lippold who received 46 votes.

Reportedly, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once said that political power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. While apologizing for using the words "Kissinger" and "aphrodisiac" in the same sen...

CARSON CITY – On deadline day for Gov. Brian Sandoval to act on the remaining bills from the 2011 legislative session, measures extending existing taxes for two more years, authorizing the creation of a toll road around Boulder City and banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving were all approved.

CARSON CITY – Secretary of State Ross Miller is asking for information from county clerks and registrars about the possibility of using mail-in ballots for the upcoming special election to fill the vacant Congressional District 2 seat.

RENO – For the three leading Republican candidates seeking the Congressional District 2 seat vacated with the appointment of Dean Heller to the U.S. Senate, it was all about qualifications and experience in a debate held here Wednesday.
State Republican Party Chairman Mark Amodei, a former state senator, state Sen. Greg Brower, appointed to fill the seat formerly held by retired Sen. Bill Raggio, and retired Navy commander Kirk Lippold, faced off ahead of a GOP meeting Saturday in Sparks that could determine which candidate will get the party nod.

CARSON CITY – The securities administrator for Secretary of State Ross Miller is ordering a Las Vegas man to immediately stop selling or offering to sell unregistered securities until both he and the securities are legally licensed and registered with the state.
Leonard Benson and the Leonard Benson Company, which uses a mail drop address on West Sahara, was offering investments in “The Leonard Benson Private Gaming Fund” through the mail and through a website Benson operated. Benson’s website also offered courses in gambling strategy.

CARSON CITY – A review of cash settlements paid by state agencies to employees and contractors shows no pattern of failure to bring large payments to the Board of Examiners for review and approval, Gov. Brian Sandoval said today.
The board, which also includes Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and Secretary of State Ross Miller, reviewed 12 pages of cash payments, most of which were unrelated to settlements with employees.

I missed a couple of the "X Man" interations so I can't offer much in the way of comparisons, but world opening audience size was down from the last version. That said, 'X Man: First Class," now screening at the Fandango Galaxy multiplex in Carson City, is a film of its times, a melange of fast cuts, amazing technology which reveals its comic-book birthright with fantasy and some fact.

CARSON CITY – Nevada may finally see greater transparency and accountability in election campaigns due to three landmark bills that arrived on Gov. Sandoval’s desk this week.
Secretary of State Ross Miller unsuccessfully championed the reforms in the two previous legislative sessions. Miller said in testimony before the Legislature in recent months that lawmakers could no longer ignore glaring gaps in the law that were revealed by questionable practices in recent election cycles.

CARSON CITY – The third piece of a package of campaign finance reform bills sought by Secretary of State Ross Miller this legislative session is on its way to Gov. Brian Sandoval for his consideration.
The bill was sent to Sandoval today after the Senate on Saturday receded from an amendment it had previously approved to Assembly Bill 81.

Secretary of State Ross Miller's election reform bills have received final legislative approval.Assembly Bill 82 allows county election officials to create an electronic voter registration system. ...

CARSON CITY – Two major bills seeking reforms to and transparency in Nevada’s campaign finance laws have seen final approval in the Legislature and are now on their way to Gov. Brian Sandoval for his consideration.
Assembly Bills 82 and 452 are two of three campaign finance reform measures sought by Secretary of State Ross Miller in the 2011 session.

CARSON CITY – Two major bills seeking reforms to and transparency in Nevada’s campaign finance laws won approval in the Senate today and now must await review in the Assembly before they can go to Gov. Brian Sandoval for his consideration.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval has asked state agencies to document payments made to employees and vendors after learning at a meeting earlier this month of several undisclosed settlements, including three made by the Department of Transportation.
State Budget Director Andrew Clinger sent out a memo today requesting the information by June 1.

CARSON CITY — It’s starting to look at lot like campaign season.
Three Republican candidates for Congressional District 2 tried to sell their candidacies to about 100 members of the Nevada Federation of Republican Women at an event at the Plaza Hotel today.

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.

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval today asked for a statewide review of cash settlements with former state employees after Controller Kim Wallin uncovered three payments to former Department of Transportation workers that were not approved as required by state law.

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – An ambitious effort to make major reforms to Nevada’s campaign finance laws moved to the state Senate today after three measures sought by Secretary of State Ross Miller passed the Assembly by a deadline last month.

By Elizabeth Crum / Nevada News Bureau
As first “guessed” by @RalstonFlash on Twitter this morning — Nevada has learned the hard way that Ralston’s guesses are not mere speculation but informed fact — Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki has formally announced that he is not going to run for Nevada’s open congressional seat.

State GOP chairman Mark Amodei will now be free to make his final decision, probably to jump in.

Secretary of State Ross Miller said Monday the special election to replace Rep. Dean Heller will be open to all qualified candidates.The decision is expected to draw legal challenges from those who...

By Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY — Secretary of State Ross Miller today announced that a special election for Nevada’s congressional district two will be open to all candidates.
“You might as call this a ballot royale,” he said.
Miller’s decision allows for any candidate to be on the ballot for the Sept. 13 election. The state Republican party has favored an interpretation of state law that would allow state parties to pick a single candidate of their choice.

Gov. Brian Sandoval announced today that he is appointing Congressman Dean Heller to fill the unexpired term of John Ensign in the U.S. Senate.

Heller, a long-time resident of Carson City and Carson High School grad, will join the U.S. Senate on May 3, when Ensign's resignation takes effect. Heller was elected to the Nevada's 2nd district congressional seat three times. Before that he served as Secretary of State and represented Carson City in the state assembly.

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 answer from Gov. Brian Sandoval is no.
Today the governor’s senior adviser, Dale Erquiaga, rebuffed a proposal from state Democratic legislators to hold public hearings and a public review process in selecting a replacement for resigning U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.
“I think the law and tradition are clear, this is an executive decision,” Erquiaga said at a press briefing this afternoon. “We appreciate the Assembly’s and Senate’s advice, but it’s not relevant to the current decision.”

CARSON CITY — Changing one word in a law could save Nevada up to $11 million.
Secretary of State Ross Miller has sponsored a bill that would change who is exempt from Nevada’s business license fee.
Right now, home-based businesses making less than $27,000 a year in net earnings are exempt from the requirement.
Miller would change the language to “a natural person” rather than the current “person,” since businesses have used this as an excuse to declare themselves exempt.

CARSON CITY – A new report from Nonprofit VOTE says Nevada’s voter turnout of 42.7 percent in the 2010 general election was up 5.6 percent compared to the 2006 turnout, putting Nevada in the top ten of the most improved states.
Nevada moved up from an overall ranking of 41st out of 51, including the District of Columbia, in 2006, to 29th in 2010. Nationwide, voter turnout stayed nearly the same, moving up just 0.3 percent from 2006 to 2010.

CARSON CITY – The third of three campaign finance reform bills being pushed by Secretary of State Ross Miller this session passed out of an Assembly committee today, but an important provision regulating political action committees was removed.
Lawmakers say the deletion of a key provision of Assembly Bill 81 is only temporary.

YBP Event @ State Government Day

Carson City LEADERSHIP & Young Business Professionals in conjunction with Reno’s LEADERSHIP and Young Professional Network invite you to State Government Day.

Hear from our State’s leaders, Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki, Speaker John Oceguera and Secretary of State Ross Miller with tours of the State Capitol, Supreme Court, State Legislature and the State Library & Archives

Cost: $12 includes lunch

Only a few spaces available so RSVP Now!
882-1565 or ybp@carsoncitychamber.com

CARSON CITY – A major campaign finance reform bill that would require most candidates to file their contribution and expense reports electronically narrowly passed out of an Assembly panel today on an 8-7 vote.
The bill would also move filing deadlines up to give voters more time to review the political donation and expense information before casting their ballots.