Leadership

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s First Lady Kathleen Sandoval is one of only 24 nonprofit leaders in the nation to be selected for the American Express Leadership Academy sponsored in collaboration with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL).

CARSON CITY – A Nevada activist group is criticizing a decision by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to terminate all of its agreements with states regarding the operation of its “Secure Communities” program.
The information sharing program identifies criminal aliens for prosecution and deportation.

By Kristi Boosman
Boat inspectors at the Spooner Lake inspection station prevented a boat with 37 quagga mussels from entering Lake Tahoe on Aug. 7. The boat had arrived from Lake Mead, a water body known to be infected with aquatic invasive species. This incident was the first evidence of quagga on a boat attempting to enter Lake Tahoe this year, according to officials at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

CARSON CITY – Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., announced today he will back a spending reduction plan put forth by House Speaker John Boehner because it proposes a balanced budget amendment that will protect the United States’ AAA credit rating.
A vote on the plan scheduled for today was delayed, however.

A decidedly unscientific straw poll of attendees at the recent Conservative Leadership Conference in Las Vegas provided some rather interesting results. Let's start with the GOP presidential poll: ...

CARSON CITY – Nevada has a new weapon in the fight against problem gambling.
A five-year strategic plan to provide treatment to the state’s problem gamblers took effect July 1.

For two days next month, July 9-10, Nevada will be the center of the conservative universe, as the fourth annual Conservative Leadership Conference convenes in Las Vegas - including the next in an ...

CARSON CITY – A bill allowing the state Treasurer to invest up to $50 million in education trust funds to support economic diversification efforts and generate more money for public schools was signed into law today by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

By Andrew Barbano
RENO, Nev. — Longtime Nevada civil rights leader Mary Valencia Wilson, 66, died at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno shortly after midnight of Friday, June 10. She suffered from complications after a long battle with cancer.

CARSON CITY – Some GOP lawmakers say a bill introduced late in the just-ended 2011 session appears to be an attempt to move the Nevada Legislature more toward a full-time operation in the period in-between the biennial sessions.
Republican lawmakers critical of Assembly Bill 578 also say it would limit participation on interim policy panels by many of the 63 state lawmakers.

Thirty-three religious leaders from all over USA, including one from Switzerland, are attending this innovative seminar, who include Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Quaker, Unitarian, Wiccan, etc. This maiden seminar of the Seminary will reportedly become its annual feature.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval and legislative leaders from both parties announced a budget agreement today that will see tax increases and restorations of funding to public and higher education in exchange for significant policy reforms in education and collective bargaining.
The agreement came on the 115th day of the session, and virtually guarantees that lawmakers will adjourn the 2011 session by Monday as the constitution requires.

CARSON CITY – The Sandoval administration is pursuing two paths in an effort to resolve a potentially massive budget shortfall, seeking clarification from the Nevada Supreme Court on the case that created the issue and working with lawmakers on potential additional revenues should they be necessary.
Dale Erquiaga, senior adviser to Gov. Brian Sandoval, briefed a number of interested parties on the developments since the state’s high court dropped the potential budget bombshell on the Legislature yesterday.

CARSON CITY – Republican state senators who are refusing to go along with a call by Democrats to increase funding for the state budget say bills they have sponsored are being held hostage as a result.
Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, said Assembly Democrats, who have a 26-16 majority, “called back” seven Senate bills that had already been voted on and sent to the Senate for final action.

CARSON CITY – On Assemblyman Harvey Munford’s desk lies his teacher’s edition of an American government textbook.
The former high school history and government teacher said he brought it as a guidebook to the legislative process. But he has not used it much.
“It wasn’t applicable to a whole lot of things,” he said.
Munford, a Democrat from Las Vegas, describes himself as “disillusioned” with the Legislature.

In a 90-minute closed door meeting Monday evening, legislative Democrats put a plan in front of Republican leadership that would cut the budget back closer to what Gov. Brian Sandoval proposed. ...

Dayton’s first Healthy Communities Coalition 5K Walk/Run on May 14 attracted 50 contestants, plus 20 volunteers from Stand Tall and Dayton Task Force. The 5K fundraiser for Stand Tall’s youth leadership teams and Dayton Resource Bank resulted in $811 for the two local youth programs.

The event was a fun way for the community to exercise and to join together for two good causes. Organizers Lavurne Jeffreys and Star Erickson said they look forward to making this an annual event.

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.

CARSON CITY — Senate Republicans gave new meaning to the legislative jargon “floor debate” today.
Several lawmakers sat on the floor outside their offices today as they talked to activists who have been camping on the Capitol lawn since yesterday night in support of new revenue.
The impromptu, hour-long debate featured a variety of popular budget topics including teacher pay, textbooks in schools, higher education tuition and taxes.

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 Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY – Legislators on money committees today approved on a party-line vote a 4.8 percent salary cut to state and higher education employees.
The proposal would include a 2.3 percent cut through furloughs – about six days per year – and a 2.5 percent salary reduction.
Gov. Brian Sandoval had proposed in his budget a 5 percent salary cut to state and higher education workers.

Dayton will be the place for family-friendly fun this weekend with something for everyone: a morning run in Dayton’s beautiful “outback”, a huge pasta festival, hands-on learning at the River Festival, free immunizations and historical tours.

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 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.

The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada on Wednesday called on lawmakers to replace the Modified Business Tax with a corporate income tax.State Director Bob Fulkerson called Nevada's curre...

CARSON CITY – State legislative Democrats will reveal their proposed maps for the political boundaries of Nevada’s Assembly and Senate districts at 5 p.m. today.
The unveiling of the maps represents the first public look at what promises to be a contentious debate about the state’s political districts, which the Legislature is required to alter every 10 years following the release of U.S. Census data.

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 – State legislative Democrats plan to be the first to reveal their proposals for redrawing political boundaries of Nevada’s Assembly and Senate this Thursday.
Democrats will introduce maps of the proposed boundaries and then debate their suggestions together with Republicans in the Assembly chambers during the evening, said Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas.
The unveiling of the maps represents the first public look at what promises to be a contentious debate about the state’s political districts.

Only a few short months ago I said I would begin my own little campaign of calling for our senior Senator to resign if he did not begin to use his leadership position in a responsible way by leadin...

CARSON CITY – Lawmakers took time some away from the budget and other pressing issues today to honor former Sen. Bill Raggio, a fourth-generation Nevadan and the longest-serving member of the state Senate who retired earlier this year.