Workers

Pay increases for Northern Nevada workers are creeping back toward pre-recession levels, and raises for management and professional workers are leading the way.A survey conducted by the Nevada Asso...

CARSON CITY – A contractors representative told the state Transportation Board today that officials missed out on opportunities to increase road funding in the 2011 legislative session, and that failing to act promptly on the issue could cost Northern Nevada a competitive bid for the 2022

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote about our local GOP candidate for Congress Mark Amodei and his politically opportunistic attempt to shed his moderate past and prove he's just as crazy as the other Tea Party people by declaring he would vote against raising the debt ceiling.

CARSON CITY – A case pitting a Las Vegas commercial flooring company against a local painters union will be heard in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals next week, and the decision could have far-reaching consequences for how labor groups can organize, the business owner involved in the dispute says.

CARSON CITY –The state office created to help guide Nevadans through the complex maze of health care billing and access to care has a new director starting tomorrow.
Marilyn Wills has been named director of the Office of Consumer Health Assistance by Mike Willden, director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

CARSON CITY – Nevada has the 18th lowest taxpayer burden to cover unfunded public employee pension and health care costs among the states, but policy makers are still failing to adequately address the shortfall, a national organization reported in a new comprehensive analysis.

The GOP budget bill that garnered nearly every Republican vote in Congress has been much discussed these past few weeks, as has the author of this bill, the party’s economic “genius” Rep. Paul Ryan.

The part of the bill that privatizes Medicare, dubbed “VoucherCare” by some, has taken up most of the discussion. But when I look at the other parts of the bill, I’m amazed that conservatives are lining up to support this nutty plan.

While other communities are letting go hundreds of government workers, Carson City has managed to keep its employee base intact this year. How was this done?The public is invited to attend a specia...

Some of the highest excise tax revenues among the states are collected in Nevada, a new report from the Mercatus Center shows.
Nevada is one of six states – along with Connecticut, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and West Virginia – that collect over $600 in excise revenues per capita.

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.

State employees will see some significant changes to their pay and benefits from the budget approved by the Legislature and Gov. Brian Sandoval.Dale Erquiaga, senior policy adviser to the govern...

CARSON CITY – A bill aimed at increasing transparency and accountability for state employees working as contractors saw final legislative approval today when the Assembly and Senate reached agreement on compromise language to the measure.
Assembly Bill 240, sponsored by Ways and Means Committee Chairwoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, will now 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.

A Carson City woman wanted for allegedly throwing rocks at store workers in a bid to help her boyfriend escape a shoplifting arrest was jailed Tuesday.Brenda Jeanne Sweet, 34, was booked into th...

The union movement in America has stalled, except for government employees. Today 7.5 percent of all private sector employees are union members, but more than 37 percent of government workers are u...

Here is the Northern Nevada, Northern California and Southern Oregon fishing report for the week of May 18-25:

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 – 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.

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 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.

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.

Legislation that would give state workers cash incentives for ideas that save the state money is on its way to a final legislative floor vote.Senate Bill 286 by Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, and A...

My fellow Nevadans, good evening.

Three months ago, I delivered a State of the State Address against the backdrop of record unemployment and sharply reduced state revenue. I believed then, as I do now, that by controlling state spending and changing the way we do business, we could bring about a sustained economic recovery that would get Nevada working again. And so tonight, I’m pleased to come before you with a second and more positive report on the state of Nevada’s economy.

Union officials representing state workers Friday urged lawmakers to reject the governor's proposed changes to their pay, vacation schedule and other benefits.Assembly Bill 560 contains most of ...

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – The Assembly worked late today meeting as a Committee of the Whole to review Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed budget for health and human services.
The review by the entire 42-member Assembly followed a similar session held in the Senate earlier this week.

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – Nevada’s unemployment picture may be improving, even seeing some job growth in March, but a federal report measuring a broader spectrum of the state’s workforce continues to paint a much grimmer picture for those seeking work.

Gov. Brian Sandoval and his wife Kathleen are encouraging state workers to wear denim Wednesday to raise awareness of sexual assault.Denim Day is part of a national movement created after a 1999 in...

The film "Atlas Shrugged Part 1," opened Friday night at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City. The opening was overshadowed by the first-night celebration the V&T's No. 18 steam locomotive in "Water for Elephants," an average romance-plus-disaster film.

By Andrew Doughman
RENO – President Barack Obama highlighted Nevada’s renewable energy sector today with a visit to the heat-to-energy company ElectraTherm, in northern Nevada.
In front of a backdrop of “green machines” Obama touted plans to end $4 billion in subsidies for oil companies in favor of providing incentives for renewable energy companies.

CARSON CITY – Efforts in the Legislature to amend Nevada’s constitution failed for the most part to move forward today as a deadline hit to get measures passed out of committee.
Measures creating a lottery, repealing the minimum wage and allowing tax dollars to be spent on religious schools all failed to advance.
One of the most significant failures came on the issue of vouchers for religious schools. Two measures, including one introduced by Gov. Brian Sandoval, did not make it out of committee by the deadline.