News
Cortez Masto bill targets crimes against Native American women
Violent crime against Native American women is at a crisis level, and the federal government’s response to it is failing, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto says. “What I’ve seen of the federal agencies that work with our tribal communities, they are inept right now,” Cortez Masto said last week. “There’s a lot of chaos. There’s a […]
Community remembers trans deaths worldwide
Celine Walker, 36. Date of death, Feb. 4, 2018. Tonya Harding, 35. Date of death, Feb. 6, 2018. Phylicia Mitchell, 45. Date of death, Feb. 25, 2018. Some fought back tears while others openly wept as all 369 names of transgender people who have been killed in the last year were read — 22 in […]
#MeToo on ice in Nevada casinos
UPDATED with comment from Governor Brian Sandoval It’s not often a gaming executive takes on industry regulators, but Caesars Entertainment executive Jan Jones Blackhurst, who is chairwoman of the Nevada Resort Association, isn’t mincing words about the failure of the Nevada Gaming Commission to address sexual harassment in the state’s hotels and casinos. “I’m truly […]
Regents will ask Legislature to reform higher ed salary structure
K-12 teachers aren’t the only ones not satisfied with salaries. Many within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) are frustrated by its lack of an in-rank salary advancement structure and they want legislators to tackle the issue during the upcoming 2019 session. They argue salary compression — only slight differences between salaries for new […]
House Ethics Committee sanctions Kihuen for sexual harassment
The House Ethics Committee released a report sanctioning Nevada Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen for sexual harassment Friday. The Committee’s investigation followed allegations that surfaced against Kihuen last year, prompting him to announce that he would not seek reelection to Nevada’s 4th congressional district in 2018. Democrat Steven Horsford was elected to represent the district earlier […]
Senate Democrats announce committee chairs
Nevada state Senate Democrats Friday announced committee chairs for the 2019 legislative session that starts in February. Here they are (2017 chairs are in parentheses): Commerce and Labor: Pat Spearman (Kelvin Atkinson) Education: Mo Denis (same) Finance: Joyce Woodhouse (same) Government Affairs: David Parks (same) Health and Human Services: Julia Ratti (Spearman) Judiciary: Nicole Cannizzaro […]
Yes, Buffett and company have to eat No on 3 campaign costs
The fight over Question 3, an amendment that would have effectively deregulated the state’s electric industry, resulted in nearly $100 million in combined campaign spending by business interests, including $63.6 million by opponents, nearly all of it paid by NV Energy. So who picks up that $63.6 million tab? Not customers, according to the […]
Dispensing drugs. Just what the doctor ordered?
Is your doctor prescribing the medication you need or the medication your doctor needs to prescribe to make a profit? “What would you do with an extra $25,000/ $50,000 / $100,000 per year?” the Dispensing Physician website asks medical professionals. “Are you fed up with declining insurance reimbursements? Are you seeing more patients to maintain the same […]
Cortez Masto will almost assuredly do this better than Ensign did
With the 2018 election barely a week old, no doubt many of you would prefer to put off thinking about the 2020 election cycle. Catherine Cortez Masto doesn’t have that luxury. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday that he’s named the Nevada senator to chair the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2020 cycle. […]
Las Vegas asks to raise taxes, fees to take on homelessness crisis
At an October Las Vegas City Council meeting, city officials agreed more needs to be done to address homelessness in Southern Nevada, and there isn’t enough money to do it. So the council is asking the state Legislature for permission to raise an estimated $20 million in new taxes and fees. The council voted to request […]
Frierson names Assembly leaders
Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson, who was elected to retain his position as speaker by the Democratic caucus last week, Wednesday announced Democratic Assembly leadership positions for the 2019 legislative session. Steve Yeager of Las Vegas will be Frierson’s speaker pro tempore. Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson of Las Vegas was named the elected majority leader. Additional appointments […]
‘Yes on 6’ calls on 2019 Legislature to raise renewable standard
‘Yes on 6’ wants to avoid becoming ‘Yes on 3.’ Nevadans voted “yes” last week on Question 6 — a ballot initiative that would require electric utilities to acquire at least 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Because it amends the Nevada Constitution, the ballot measure must be approved by voters […]