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Harris promises family tax credits, free community college in Las Vegas speech
By: Michael Lyle - March 1, 2019
During her first visit to Las Vegas on the 2020 presidential campaign trail, Sen. Kamala Harris told the audience that the economy is not working for American people, who often have to work multiple jobs just to stay afloat. “In 99 percent of counties in our country, if you are a minimum wage worker working […]
Bill to sync city elections with regular elections would boost turnout
By: Michael Lyle - February 28, 2019
Moving municipal elections to even-numbered years to match federal and state elections would significantly boost voter turnout and produce higher-quality elected officials, Nevada lawmakers were told Thursday. Wayne Thorley, the Deputy Secretary of State for Elections, said if the state passed Assembly Bill 50, which was heard during the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations Elections, […]
Parks on assisted suicide bill: “This is the third, and I hope last attempt”
By: Michael Lyle - February 26, 2019
After failing to gain traction on assisted suicide bills in past legislative sessions, Sen. David Parks reintroduced legislation that would allow a terminally ill patient to end their life. Senate Bill 165, which was heard Monday in front of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, would allow doctors to prescribe life-ending medications to […]
Booker: “You can tell a lot about a country by who they incarcerate”
By: Michael Lyle - February 24, 2019
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s first trip to Nevada since launching his bid for president was all about family. Not just his mother and relatives, who have called Southern Nevada home for years, but what he deemed a larger family — the American people. “When some of your family is hurting, when some of your family […]
Trump’s military transgender ban tops Lee meeting with LGBT community
By: Michael Lyle - February 22, 2019
Earlier this month, Nevada Rep. Susie Lee joined Democratic colleagues to introduce a resolution opposing efforts to ban transgender people from serving in the Armed Forces. It was a response to President Trump’s call to reverse an Obama administration policy that, for the first time ever, allowed trans service members to disclose their identity. Thursday […]
Business bummed by bill to nullify pot test for job applicants
By: Michael Lyle - February 21, 2019
Conundrum. The word was repeated often Wednesday during the first hearing for Assembly Bill 132, which would prevent an employer from not hiring an applicant just because they test positive for marijuana. Those representing business associations, who spoke during the hearing, acknowledged the need to take steps dealing with the legal quagmire recreational marijuana has […]
Nevada joins California in suit over Trump’s national emergency
By: Michael Lyle - February 18, 2019
Updated to include statement issued by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford late Monday afternoon. Nevada is joining the lawsuit to challenge President Trump’s national emergency declaration, the California Attorney General’s office confirmed Monday. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has taken the lead in a multi-state suit to fight what the states claim is an unconstitutional […]
Warren: Government should value people more than corporate profits
By: Michael Lyle - February 18, 2019
Speaking at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas Sunday afternoon, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who recently joined the 2020 presidential race, recalled the first time she learned what a mortgage was when she was just in middle school. Her father had a heart attack that kept him from working and her mother, who was hellbent […]
Lawmakers seek to abolish Nevada’s death penalty
By: Michael Lyle - February 15, 2019
Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation Friday to kill the state’s use of the death penalty. If passed, Assembly Bill 149, sponsored by Assemblyman Ozzie Fumo and state Sen. James Ohrenschall, would abolish capital punishment in Nevada. Support for the death penalty had been declining over the years — though support had a slight uptick from 49 […]
Bill would outlaw rejecting job applicants who flunk a pot test
By: Michael Lyle - February 14, 2019
Nevada employers could be prevented from not hiring someone just because they test positive for marijuana, if a bill introduced in the Legislature Wednesday becomes law. Assemblywoman Dina Neal, who is sponsoring the bill along with her fellow Democrats, Assemblymen William McCurdy and Edgar Flores, said it doesn’t make sense for jobs to omit people […]
Proposed legislation would extend “lightning” eviction process
By: Michael Lyle - February 12, 2019
Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to lengthen Nevada’s eviction process — derided by attorneys and tenant advocates as one of the most “lightning” fast eviction processes in the nation. Under the current law, landlords are required to serve a notice in writing informing tenants they have to either pay the rent or leave the property […]
Rent control, inclusionary zoning make surprise appearance in housing bill hearing
By: Michael Lyle - February 11, 2019
A proposed amendment to affordable housing legislation would give local municipalities the option to use inclusionary zoning or rent control as a tool to fight Nevada’s housing crises. Originally, Senate Bill 103 only included language to allow municipalities to reduce or subsidize certain fees, such as sewage fees, in order to aid developers. However, state […]