In today’s edition: 

• Another inspector general bill
• Cannabis brings bipartisanship
• Universal school meal program returns, with a twist

---

From the Capital Bureau Chief:

The big news from last week: Amid massive uncertainty surrounding the status of federal Medicaid funding, lawmakers are also considering earmarking $1.8 billion in the next 15 years for transferable film tax credits.

The proposal would be a twelve-fold expansion of the $10 million the state sets aside annually for its film tax credit program. Proponents say the effort is a necessary step to diversifying the state’s economic system.

Others have pointed out the irony of hearing the proposal one day after state lawmakers grilled public officials about the potential effects of cuts to Medicaid (although the president and Republican House speaker say they don’t want to touch Medicaid, experts say they can’t possibly cut as much as they’ve resolved to without slashing the program). 

State officials have said some of the possible Medicaid cuts discussed at the federal level could lead to a revenue loss of $1.9 billion in the next two years, all while increasing the number of those who are uninsured and straining the state’s health care system.

Adding to the irony, the same night lawmakers held the Medicaid cut hearing, backers of the film tax hosted an extravaganza closed to press at the Brewery Arts Center.

As always, please send us your questions and suggestions. You can reach me at [email protected].

---

Another attempt to investigate government waste, fraud and abuse

Nevada State Controller Andy Matthews wants to create an Office of the Inspector General within his office.

Here’s what to know about AB33:

• The bill, which received a hearing Monday in the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs, would empower the inspector general’s office to audit any entity that receives state funds, including agencies, local governments, contractors and nonprofits.
  • The appointment of the inspector general would be subject to unanimous approval from the controller, treasurer and lieutenant governor.
• It would expand the auditing capabilities of the state government. The new office would focus on forensic auditing, which addresses the inner workings of state spending, rather than the outcomes of certain state programs — the focus of existing auditing initiatives.
  • “There is a blind spot there,” Matthews, a Republican, said during Monday’s hearing.
• Among legislative circles, the legislation has been called the “DOGE” bill, a reference to Elon Musk’s effort to root out waste, fraud and abuse at the federal level that has resulted in slashed programs, thousands of terminations and allegations that the cuts are unconstitutional.
  • But there were no DOGE comparisons at Monday’s hearing. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Matthews downplayed any connection, saying the bill was requested in August, months before the 2024 presidential election.
    • “We've been driving this issue for a long time,” Matthews said.
• This is also the fifth session in a row with a proposal to create an Office of the Inspector General and the first time since 2017 that the proposal has received a hearing.
  • Assm. Brittney Miller (D-Las Vegas), a frequent sponsor of inspector general legislation, said there is no single reason why the legislation has not gained momentum before. She has her own bill this session to create an inspector general’s office, but she said she turned down a hearing and is supporting Matthews’ bill instead. 

— Eric Neugeboren

---

What we’re reading and writing

First film tax credit hearing of session sees Nevada lawmakers question economic impact by Eric Neugeboren and Isabella Aldrete

While it was not immediately clear how legislators felt about the proposal, some lawmakers appeared particularly concerned that the workforce consist of Nevadans.

Lawmaker seeks independent commission to tackle elected official salary decisions by Eric Neugeboren

There hasn’t been a change to legislators’ pay structure since 2005, but a new proposal could change that.

---

Addressing a shortage of foster care families

People convicted of a past marijuana offense are not allowed to be foster parents, but a bipartisan effort could soon change that. 

Assm. Tracy Brown-May (D-Las Vegas) and her colleague across the political aisle, Assm. Ken Gray (R-Dayton), are co-sponsoring AB107 to end the disqualifier that they say contributes to a shortage of foster care parents across the state.

• Gray told The Nevada Independent one conviction for a minor offense many years ago should not stand in the way of someone becoming a foster care parent when there’s a massive shortage of foster families.

• “We believe that your consideration of eliminating or time-limiting a marijuana offense for potential foster parents would be beneficial to the care of our community,” Brown-May said during a Thursday presentation to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary.
• As proposed, the bill would not change any licensing requirements for foster parents. Instead, it seeks to ensure that people with past marijuana possession charges or convictions for amounts that would be legal today are not barred from becoming foster parents. 
• Ashley Kennedy, a representative for Clark County, who co-presented the measure, said there are about 3,000 children in foster care on any given day in the county, but fewer than 900 licensed foster homes.
  • Though there are no official statistics, Kennedy estimated that at least 10 families a year are turned away because of the current prohibition on marijuana offenses.
• Gray said he’s hopeful this can help people in his district, where finding foster care homes can be difficult.
  • “When kids come from a county that doesn’t have a placement for them, they have to be yanked out of their community, out of their school, away from their friends and sent to another county where they do have a spot for them,” Gray said. “It compounds a problem, makes it worse.”

— Tabitha Mueller

---

 Keeping Tabs

🍽️ Universal free school meals got cheaper? — Assm. Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas), one of two sponsors of a bill to extend free school meals to all K-12 students in Nevada, announced the bill’s annual price tag decreased from $43 million to $16.5 million. The savings came from removing Clark County as a recipient because it already provides universal free school meals. However, Jauregui is working to set that money aside in a contingency account in case the federal program that provides universal free school meals in Clark County goes away.

• Context: Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed a similar bill in 2023, arguing it could contribute to food waste. Lombardo, a Republican, has clashed with Democratic leaders about the need for the program, as the neediest Nevada students already receive free meals. 

😥 Nevadans for Equal Rights file ethics complaint against Lt. Gov. — This progressive-leaning group said Thursday it filed a complaint against Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony regarding his “Task Force to Protect Women in Sports,” calling it an “obvious attempt to promote anti-trans discrimination” and critiquing it for using state resources, including “staff time, use of supplies, equipment, and travel expenses.”

• The task force, formed in January, is pushing back on the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
• In a statement, Anthony said that “the 2022 Equal Rights Amendment to the Nevada Constitution does not withstand legal scrutiny” and that it “creates a legal paradox” by placing “sex and gender identity in direct conflict.”

🐶 Bear necessities? — A bill from Sen. Skip Daly (D-Reno), SB101, calls for black bears and mountain lions to be considered game animals, requiring hunters to bring back all edible parts of the animal instead of just their head and skin.

• Sen. Ira Hansen (R-Sparks) said during a Tuesday hearing that it’s “funny” how President Donald Trump caused an uproar by claiming Haitians were eating cats and dogs in Ohio, but now this bill from a Democrat would make it “mandatory” for Nevadans to eat felines.

• Daly said that the bill does not require anyone to eat anything, just to remove the body from the field and eliminate unnecessary waste. 

🍔 Eliminating the harmful effects of Styrofoam — Assm. Venicia Considine (D-Las Vegas) wants Nevada to ban the use of Styrofoam, which contains potential carcinogens that can be released into food and drinks when heat melts the material. The bill, AB244, heard Friday in the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee, would ban Styrofoam in chain restaurants with 10 or more locations and restaurants already operating in states with Styrofoam bans. The bill would ban all restaurants from using Styrofoam containers in 2029. 

• Additionally, presenters said Styrofoam presents environmental hazards because it takes forever to decompose. 
• At least 11 states have Styrofoam bans and the Washoe County School District no longer uses Styrofoam lunch trays. 
• A bill supporter said the price of health care when people get sick from Styrofoam is much more concerning than the cost of Styrofoam alternatives.

— Lizzie Ramirez, Eric Neugeboren and Isabella Aldrete

Looking Ahead

• Tuesday, March 4, 8 a.m.: A hearing on a bill to offer collective bargaining rights to certain higher education employees.
• Tuesday, March 4, 5 to 7 p.m.: The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers is hosting a reception at Piazza in Carson City.
• Tuesday, March 4, 6-7 p.m.: Purple Politics is hosting a live taping with Sen. Robin Titus (R-Wellington) and Assm. Erica Roth (D-Reno) at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City.

Days until: 

• Last day for bill introductions: 21
• First house passage deadline: 50
• Sine die: 91

---

And to get you going into the week, a few social media posts that caught our eye: 

• X: Let there be cake.
• BSky: Yer a wizard lobbyist.
• Instagram: There’s just so many faces…

We’ll see you Thursday.

---