Working + The Economy
NV Energy’s end-of-session surprise rarely a boon for ratepayers
Nevada lawmakers’ biennial sojourn in Carson City can be unpredictable, but as certain as snowfall in the early weeks of the session, so is the flexing of legislative muscle that manifests in the final weeks in the form of last-minute legislation at the behest of NV Energy. This year is no different. A bill draft […]
Unionized bodies in topless bar! Strippers join servers and baristas in new labor movement
Dancers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in Los Angeles have voted to become the only unionized strippers in the U.S. – joining a growing trend of young employees seeking workplace protection though labor mobilization. On May 18, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board announced that balloted employees at the topless bar had voted […]
A default on the U.S. debt would be far worse than a government shutdown. Here’s how.
WASHINGTON — A U.S. default on its debt would have a significantly broader impact on federal operations, financial markets and the global economy than recent government shutdowns that have left ordinary Americans largely untouched. While the two have been confused frequently during debate over the debt limit, the federal government has had considerable practice with […]
Power bill rate cut strategy questioned by consumer advocate
NV Energy’s proposed summer rate cut is a risky proposal that sets bad precedent and warrants more attention from regulators, according to a motion filed Thursday by the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection with the Public Utilities Commission. Consumer Advocate Ernest Figueroa says the BCP supports the utility’s effort to provide rate relief to […]
NV Energy must show homework before cutting summer power rates, PUC says
Electricity rates in Southern Nevada are slated to go down 5% in July, August, and September, and 16% in the northern part of the state, under filings submitted by NV Energy to the Public Utilities Commission Monday. But a spokesman for the PUC says the applications were insufficient and are on hold until the utility […]
The biggest government giveaway in Nevada history will also be the silliest
Poor Elon Musk. Count all the tax breaks, cash and other prizes Nevada has given him, and they’ll total less than $2 billion. The film tax credit scheme currently whizzing through the Nevada Legislature is estimated to total just shy of $5 billion. Under the original 2014 deal, the vast majority of benefits the state […]
Health care workforce measure progresses despite pushback from governor, corporate hospitals
A bill sponsored by the Patient Protection Commission is making its way through the legislature despite pushback from the governor’s office. The measure, Assembly Bill 11, would prohibit corporate hospitals and hospital systems from directly hiring physicians. Nevada hospitals have long refrained from directly hiring physicians, opting instead to hire them as independent contractors. The […]
Once upon a time… in Summerlin? Nevada considers record-smashing tax break for film industry
Nevada lawmakers are considering approving what could amount to a stunning $4.9 billion in tax breaks over 25 years for film companies like Sony Pictures. Proponents of the proposed nineteen-fold expansion of Nevada’s Film Tax Credit Program say the investment will establish Southern Nevada as a premier filming location by making it competitive with states […]
State gambling regulators ask feds for help combating illegal offshore betting
Top gambling regulators in seven states, including Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Kirk Hendrick, are urging U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to help combat illegal offshore betting. “Offshore operators who offer their products into these highly-regulated state jurisdictions are doing so in contravention of not only state laws, but federal law,” says a letter to […]
Effort to require paid family leave at companies receiving tax break gets pushback
A paid family and medical leave proposal is raising broader questions about what Nevada should require of the companies it gives tax breaks to. State Sen. Edgar Flores (D-Las Vegas) describes his Senate Bill 429 as “pro-growth, pro-family.” The bill, which passed the full Senate with bipartisan support last month and was heard in the […]
NV Energy’s summer rate cuts will cost customers more later
NV Energy’s plan to cut power rates for three months beginning in July to offset high summer usage is a money maker for the utility that will cost ratepayers more down the road, thanks to a state law that allows the utility to earn a profit on deferred energy purchases. “Our customers have all been […]
GOED defends tax abatements as senator asks Assembly to amend bill seeking more oversight
State Sen. Dina Neal wants a conversation about the use of tax abatements in Nevada. What she got last week was a parade of vigorous defense of tax abatements from a who’s who of economic development and business groups. Neal appeared before the Assembly Revenue committee Thursday to present her Senate Bill 394, which would […]