Assembly

Fiscal conservatives literally are in a political war with the left over Nevada's budget. Alas, the GOP's commanding general in the Assembly is leading the charge waving a white flag.Gov. Sandoval ...

CARSON CITY – After Republican legislators declined to reveal exact data for their redistricting proposal, Democrats refused to give the bill a hearing today.
Then, Democratic legislators voted over Republican objections to pass their own redistricting proposal to a vote on the Senate floor.

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 – A bill curtailing the use of “puppy mills” passed out of committee today, leaving it one Assembly floor vote away from reaching the governor’s desk.
After amendments, Senate Bill 299 would allow local governments to require dog and cat breeders to obtain a permit. The breeder’s workplace would also be open for inspection, and breeders would be required not to breed female dogs younger than 18 months or more than once per year.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada State Democratic Party today called for Nevadans to press nine GOP “key legislators” to vote for new taxes.
Democrats are urging Nevadans to email these nine Republican legislators, saying that “grassroots action will turn the tide, but it will only happen if you participate.”

CARSON CITY – A bill allowing victims of sex trafficking to clear their criminal records of prostitution-related crimes in order to get a fresh start in life was signed into law today by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Democrats are trying their hand again at redrawing Nevada's congressional districts after Gov. Brian Sandoval called their first maps unfair and illegal and vetoed the plans last week. The Assembly...

CARSON CITY – A bill authorizing the state Treasurer to use up to $50 million in education funds to support economic diversification efforts and generate more money for public schools passed the Senate today despite questions about the constitutionality of the measure.
Senate Bill 75, amended twice before the vote, passed 12-9 with 10 Democrats and two Republicans in support. It will now be considered by the Assembly.
The bill is being sought by state Treasurer Kate Marshall.

Democrats on an Assembly committee took another stab Tuesday at a redistricting bill three days after Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval vetoed the first one, calling it illegal and unfair.AB566 was...

CARSON CITY — Since the governor did not like their last redistricting plan, Democrats are trying again with revisions to their redistricting maps.
Gov. Brian Sandoval earlier vetoed the Democratic plan for the boundaries of political districts, which must be redrawn every 10 years according to U.S. Census demographic data.

CARSON CITY – A proposal by Gov. Brian Sandoval to transfer the state share of operating the mental health courts to the counties was rejected by Democrat lawmakers today, creating another $6 million hole in the upcoming two-year budget that starts July 1.
The party-line vote by members of the Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees came after repeated testimony from advocates for the courts since the session began that they would close without continued state support because of fiscal problems facing the counties.

A joint session of the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees Monday decided the governor's cuts to the Division of Parole and Probation went too far.With Republicans opposed, the ma...

CARSON CITY – Memo to Nevada lawmakers: If you don’t finish up your work on June 6 as the constitution requires, don’t expect Gov. Brian Sandoval to call you back to work right away in a special session.

Nevada State Prison in Carson City is slated to close in April 2012, 150 years after it first opened.

The Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee voted Saturday to close Nevada State Prison next year to save the state $17 million. Most of the inmates and staff will be transfered to other facilities, but approximately 30 employees will lose their jobs. The Las Vegas Sun has the details.

CARSON CITY – Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval has vetoed the Democratic redistricting plan for new Congressional, state Senate and Assembly districts.

By Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY – The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce is pushing for major changes to the state’s collective bargaining law for public sector employees.
In an amendment to another bill that already passed the Senate, the  chamber said the changes will alleviate budget concerns for local governments and save taxpayers money.

The Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections Committee was urged Thursday to give voters the chance to change four city charters including Carson City's, limiting voting for supervisors to res...

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – The Legislature’s two money committees today approved block grant funding for child welfare activities handled by Clark and Washoe counties, but delayed implementation of a proposed “incentive” element of the plan until 2014.
The requirement that a portion of the funds be made available to the two counties only after demonstrating improvement in the delivery of services was a point of contention in Gov. Brian Sandoval’s budget.

By Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY — A Republican Hispanic governor will soon decide the fate of a Democratic redistricting plan that has both political parties embroiled in a debate over fairness to Nevada’s Hispanic population.

By Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY — The political power game of drawing political boundaries escalated today as Nevada’s Democratic legislators passed their plans for new political districts.

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – Members of the Legislature’s two money committees reviewed Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed budget for higher education today in preparation for making final decisions on how to fund the state’s public university system for the next two years.

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – A bill that would charge most Nevada drivers a fee to subsidize a low-cost auto insurance pilot program for eligible residents of Clark County ran into some rough questioning today at a Senate hearing.

By Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY – Assemblyman John Ellison had a choice.
He wanted to push the red button, but he was supposed to push the green button.
The seconds ticked by on the floor of Nevada’s Assembly. In the wide angle shot, the other 41 members eagerly cast their votes. In the close-up shot, Ellison’s hand hovered over the green and red buttons. He hated it, but he punched the green one.
He had made a promise to vote ‘yes,’ and he voted ‘yes’ this time after voting ‘no’ the day before.

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 Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – Legislative Democrats unveiled the elements of their highly anticipated tax plan today, saying they will work every day until the end of the session to craft a proposal that restores many of the cuts in Gov. Brian Sandoval’s budget without choking off a nascent economic recovery.

By Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY — Democrats today unveiled proposed boundaries for Nevada’s four congressional districts, the political consequences of which they will debate this afternoon at the Legislature.

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.

The combined Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees Wednesday rejected the governor's plan to consolidate the Mining Division into the Department of Conservation and Natural Resource...

A joint session of the Senate and Assembly money committees voted Tuesday to pull the state out of both the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center in Minden and the historic Dangberg Ranch.Ending...

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – Legislative Democrats went ahead today with their own funding plan for public education, establishing a level of spending that puts the budget at significant odds with GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval and his opposition to new taxes.
The votes by Democrats have upped the ante in the budget dispute with Republicans, creating a hole estimated at $700 million by state Budget Director Andrew Clinger.