Legislature
Hunters: Legislation ‘attacks the culture of Nevada’
Nevada’s urban and rural cultures clashed in Carson City Wednesday over a legislative attempt to end contests that promote the killing of coyotes and other animals in exchange for cash and prizes. Proponents insist the contests are necessary to keep a lid on predators that would threaten Nevada’s big game species such as deer and […]
‘How much suffering is too much?’ Senate committee debates end-of-life options for terminally ill
Democratic lawmakers are once again attempting to legalize the use of life-ending medication for terminally ill patients in Nevada. Under their proposal, such medications would be limited to mentally competent adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal condition by two medical practitioners and are expected to live just six months or less. The medications […]
Lawmakers try again to tweak property tax caps
A bill before lawmakers to add a 3% floor to the existing 3% cap on annual property tax fluctuations would provide local governments in Nevada the stability to maintain services in the wake of an economic downturn, but is not expected to increase taxes over the current formula in the near future, according to state […]
Measure aims to assure STI treatment, contraception for minors without parental consent
For more than half a century, it has been legal in Nevada for minors to receive treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) without parental consent through a federal family planning program called Title X. Amid curtailed Title X funding, several state public health providers lost access to the funding and Title X authorization, and now […]
Senate bill to spend more public money on private schools may not get a hearing
Democratic State Sen. Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro is declining to say whether she’ll allow legislative hearings on a bill introduced in the Senate last week to implement Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo’s plan to augment public funding to help families pay private school tuition. Last week, Cannizzaro condemned an anti-LGTBQ+ message delivered to fellow Democratic state […]
Lawmaker revives effort to remove barrier blocking formerly incarcerated from housing
When looking for a place to live this year, Ashley Gaddis, a formerly incarcerated woman, didn’t make it very far in the application process because of her criminal history. “I didn’t even get past the background check,” she said. “It was, ‘do I have a criminal record?’ Yes I do. The application didn’t go any […]
Neal proposes tapping tobacco tax for children’s mental health ‘savings plan’
Democratic State Sen. Dina Neal is asking state lawmakers to squirrel away $1.6 million a year in preparation for 2026, when federal money allocated to ease the state’s dearth of mental health treatment options for children is expected to run out. The request originated in the Legislative Interim Committee on Revenue, which voted unanimously last […]
Industry opposes measure to fund housing for people with mental health conditions, disabilities
The presentation on a Nevada Senate bill that would increase the real property transfer tax by 20 cents for every $500 of value to build affordable housing for Nevadans with mental health conditions, disabilities, and who are lower income lasted 20 minutes at the Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development hearing on March 7. […]
Employee misclassification only tiny fraction of labor investigations in Nevada
Despite increased attention at the national and state level on the issue of employee misclassification, Nevada’s labor commissioner has undertaken just 15 investigations into potential violations over the past three years. That number was provided to the Current upon request by the Nevada Department of Business & Industry, which houses the Office of the Labor […]
Lawmaker: Nevada’s regulation of weed strangling industry as sales fall
Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board is thwarting growth of the industry according to experts, who say the state’s practice of charging licensees for regulators’ time and effort amounts to double billing because the agency is already fully funded via an excise tax paid by licensees. “It’s fully funded by that 15% wholesale excise tax on cannabis […]
Legislature proposes excessive heat protections for workers
Extreme temperature significantly affects workforce health during sustained high temperatures, and worker exposure to excessive heat has only increased in the last decade. Construction workers, car dealers, bakers, tire shop employees, delivery workers, trash collectors, and workers in dozens of other industries are at high risk of heat-related hazards in the state, according to the […]
Lawmaker, providers agree reform would ease access to care, but ‘it’s not going to pass in Nevada’
State Sen. Roberta Lange (D-Las Vegas) tested the waters for a bill that would address Nevada’s ongoing health care provider shortage by mandating that insurance companies accept a provider who meets their qualifications and applies to be in their network. It’s known as an “Any Willing Provider” law, but Lange abandoned it in favor of […]