Working + The Economy
Bill would make it easier for street vendors to get permits
Lawmakers are proposing a measure that would simplify the rules for street vendors to obtain health permits, easing bureaucratic barriers for vendors who face criminalization due to outdated policies that deny them access to food vending permits. The bill, introduced by Sen. Fabian Doñate, D-Las Vegas, would lessen the equipment requirements and design a framework […]
Biden student debt relief plan met with skepticism from Supreme Court majority
WASHINGTON — The majority Republican-appointed wing of the U.S. Supreme Court appeared skeptical Tuesday that the Biden administration had the authority to implement a federal student debt relief program that was estimated to potentially aid millions of borrowers. Justices on the ideological right, who hold a 6-3 majority on the court, questioned whether the Department […]
Food banks brace for ‘tsunami’ of food insecurity as SNAP emergency benefits end in March
When a pandemic-era emergency food assistance allotment ends in March, a senior who had been receiving nearly $300 a month in supplemental benefits will instead get about $20. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, recipients have received a supplemental emergency allotment for the last two years, but the additional monthly payments providing extended assistance will […]
Railroad workers warned us: Greed is dangerous
The toxic clouds that billowed up from a derailed freight train in Ohio this February are a chilling metaphor for the toxic greed that has infected so many of our big corporations. After having to evacuate, residents of East Palestine, Ohio are cautiously going back home, but they still don’t know the full extent of […]
Tesla requesting $412 million in new tax relief package, approval scheduled for Thursday
Tesla is asking the Governor’s Office for Economic Development to approve $412 million in additional tax abatements and reimbursements for expanding their Northern Nevada gigafactory. The electric car company’s request comes with a requirement of $3.5 billion in capital investments, as well a promise to invest in housing, transportation and child care for their employees. […]
Lombardo committee urges tying development incentives to child care, housing
Large companies seeking tax breaks and other public incentives to set up shop in Nevada should pay fundamentals such as child care and housing for employees, according to a committee appointed by Gov. Joe Lombardo. Ann Silver, CEO of the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, was appointed by Lombardo during his transition period to chair a […]
Families are taking a hit as pandemic aid ends, inflation continues
Forty million people in the U.S. are having difficulty affording household expenses, and a little more than 25 million people say they sometimes or often do not have enough to eat, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent Household Pulse survey data. The survey is designed to collect data on household experiences during the […]
Culinary Union urges lawmakers to consider rent caps tied to cost of living
The Culinary Union wants the Legislature to tie rent increases to the cost of living and fund mental health services for children, and they warned lawmakers mulling action to “ignore this at their own peril.” Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union, spoke Thursday to outline the union’s legislative priorities, which includes passing reforms to […]
Attorney general calls for stricter penalties on businesses selling tobacco to youth
Nevada retailers’ track record of selling tobacco products to underage customers is putting the state at risk of losing federal block grants — potentially up to $1.8 million annually. In response, Attorney General Aaron Ford’s office is asking lawmakers to strengthen penalties against businesses that sell tobacco products to minors and other people under the […]
As Southwest Gas bills rise, so does public disapproval
Southwest Gas has proposed a rate increase for its captive Nevada customers that would bring $21.4 million in additional revenue for the utility company, citing higher natural gas prices as its justification. If approved by utility regulators, the rate hike would increase the average monthly single-family residential bill in Southern Nevada by $2.77, or 4.82%. […]
State treasurer proposes baby bonds to reduce ‘prolonged effects of generational poverty’
Citing costs inflicted on state program and Nevada households by generational poverty, state Treasurer Zach Conine asked lawmakers to fund a baby bond program designed to help children born into financially stressed households get a boost out of poverty. Conine, who presented Assembly Bill 28 to lawmakers Tuesday morning, is proposing the state invest $80 […]
As Tesla abatement request looms, legislators ponder whether GOED has too much power
Tesla next week will appear before the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to request approval of a tax abatement package likely to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars over two decades. Because of nondisclosure agreements, details of the company’s request won’t be public until three days prior to that March 2 meeting. In the […]