Republicans slam Sisolak, Cannizzaro over teacher contract battle in new television ad
Despite a settlement announced late Wednesday afternoon, the Nevada Republican Party on Thursday morning released a television ad that attacks Gov. Steve Sisolak and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro.
The 30-second ad — called "Let Them Down" — rips into the Democratic governor and senator for what the party asserts is their untruthfulness in the labor dispute between the Clark County School District and the Clark County Education Association.
"We teach our kids to tell the truth, to take responsibility — a lesson Steve Sisolak and Nicole Cannizzaro clearly never learned," the narrator says. "They claimed they knew nothing about needed funding for dedicated teachers, but it was a lie. They knew all along."
Sisolak and Cannizzaro lambasted the school district last week, saying the money needed for the so-called column raises wasn't brought to their attention until after the legislative session had ended. Clark County Superintendent Jesus Jara has said his lobbyists in Carson City were aware of the funding need.
Negotiations between the two parties — the school district and teachers' union — hadn't proved fruitful until the deal was announced Wednesday, averting a scheduled teacher strike on Sept. 10. The school district had filed a motion for injunctive relief to head off a strike, which is illegal under Nevada law. A Clark County District Court judge had set a hearing on Sept. 5 for the motion.
A spokesman said the Nevada Republican Party spent $4,000 on the ad buy so the spot would run three times Thursday morning on the CBS and NBC affiliates.
"The Governor and Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro claim they knew nothing about this funding, but that is completely untrue," Nevada Republican Party Executive Director Will Sexauer said in a statement. "The district told them nearly two months before the Legislature adjourned. They played a significant role in making this mess, and instead of taking responsibility, they chose to lie to the faces of every Southern Nevada parent. We are taking it upon ourselves to tell these families the truth."
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