Criminal Justice | Legislature
Lawsuit filed to block Nevada's 'red flag' law
December 5th, 2019 - 11:47am The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Carson City District Court by NevadansCAN, a self-described “non-profit citizens action network” based in Henderson and led by Mary Rooney, a former Republican state Assembly candidate and a conservative activist. Attornies representing the group are Alan Lefebvre and William Schuller of the Kolesar & Leatham law firm.
Criminal Justice | Legislature
Nevada Supreme Court backlog of cases remains high; Court may ask for expanded appeals court in 2021
December 5th, 2019 - 2:00am According to the Nevada Judiciary’s 2019 annual report, which was released Thursday, the state’s two highest courts had 2,042 appealed cases pending at the end of the 2019 fiscal year — a slight decrease from last year’s record-high backlog of 2,201 pending cases.
Legislature | State Government
One of the few major cities without one, Las Vegas may soon get an art museum
December 2nd, 2019 - 2:00am Southern Nevada, a bastion of artistic attractions, remains one of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. without an accredited art museum.
Elections | Legislature | State Government
Lawsuit seeks to block proposal for independent commission, not Legislature, to draw political district boundaries
November 27th, 2019 - 1:08pm The lawsuit argues that the proposed redistricting commission is not truly independent because legislative leaders could still appoint their preferred members to the group. While it excludes certain politically involved members — such as lawmakers or lobbyists — campaign volunteers might qualify, the plaintiff argued.
Election 2020 | IndyBlog | Legislature
Assembly Democrats announce seven endorsements in open seats including two SEIU stewards, Washoe teachers union president
November 22nd, 2019 - 9:23am The Assembly Democratic Caucus is announcing seven endorsements on Friday, ahead of a major legislative reshuffling in 2020 as lawmakers hit their term limits or seek higher office.
Immigration | Legislature
Laxalt calls for special session on ICE agreement, in spite of proposal’s bleak chances
November 22nd, 2019 - 2:00am Gov. Steve Sisolak, Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro did not respond to questions about whether they are open to the idea of convening lawmakers a year before their regularly scheduled 120-day session to work on the matter. But Democratic Sen. Yvanna Cancela, who has introduced legislation on the 287(g) topic in the past, called the push divisive and noted voters “rejected this brand of politics in 2018.”
Government | Legislature
Payday lenders attempt to ‘sneak’ into regulation-light sandbox, legal aid attorneys warn
November 22nd, 2019 - 2:00am Comments and suggestions submitted by the Financial Service Centers of America — a trade group for high-interest, short term lenders — caused concern by attorneys with the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, who warned state officials during a workshop held by the state’s Department of Business and Industry to draft regulations to implement a new law (SB161) that payday lenders should not be allowed to participate once it goes into effect next year.
IndyBlog | Legislature
Legislature’s nonpartisan staff lawyers can’t represent Democratic leaders in suit that GOP colleagues filed over tax extension
November 20th, 2019 - 10:57am The suit challenges the Democrat-controlled Legislature’s cancellation of the payroll tax rate’s “sunset” — a maneuver that is expected to bring in about $100 million for the state. It also contests SB542, a bill that extends a $1 DMV technology fee into 2021.
Energy | Legislature
Despite higher RPS, Nevada unlikely to hit promised CO2 reduction goals without additional changes
November 19th, 2019 - 2:00am During a meeting of the interim Legislative Committee on Energy on Friday, Department of Conservation and Environmental Resources Director Brad Crowell gave lawmakers a sneak peek, as well as a wake-up call, on how projected greenhouse gas emissions are still trending higher than statewide emission reduction goals.
IndyBlog | Legislature | Water & Land
Heidi Swank to leave Legislature, head new outdoor recreation division
November 18th, 2019 - 2:36pm Swank, a four-term legislator who chaired the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Mining committee in the 2017 and 2019 legislative sessions, was announced on Monday as the new administrator of the state’s Division of Outdoor Recreation, created in the 2019 legislative session as a way to promote recreation businesses and promote conservation efforts.
Elections | Legislature
Group files ballot initiative to overhaul state Senate, add ranked-choice voting
November 6th, 2019 - 2:00am According to paperwork filed with the secretary of state’s office last month, a public school teacher in Beatty named Benjamin Pennington has filed documents signaling an intent to begin collecting signatures for a proposed initiative petition that would reduce the terms for state senators from four to two years and align their districts with the boundaries of the state’s congressional districts.
Election 2020 | Legislature
Terms limits, higher ambitions mean at least 11 open seats in the Legislature in 2020
October 28th, 2019 - 2:00am About a dozen seats in the Legislature will have no incumbent in the race in the 2020 election, setting the stage for some fierce competition when candidates formally file to run in March, according to an analysis from The Nevada Independent.
Election 2020 | IndyBlog | Legislature
Appointed lawmakers Marcia Washington and Greg Smith will not run for Legislature in 2020
October 25th, 2019 - 2:00am Democratic Sen. Marcia Washington, whom county commissioners appointed in March to serve the remainder of former Senate Majority Leader Kelvin Atkinson’s term after he resigned, says she will not run for re-election. Democratic Assemblyman Greg Smith also will not seek re-election.
Criminal Justice | IndyBlog | Legislature
Democratic Assemblyman Ozzie Fumo to run for Nevada Supreme Court
October 24th, 2019 - 5:17pm Fumo, a criminal defense attorney whose experience includes work as one of O.J. Simpson’s defense attorneys when the former football player appealed his 2008 kidnapping and armed robbery conviction, was first elected to the swingy Assembly District 21 in Las Vegas in 2016.
Legislature | Local Government | October 1 | State Government
Humboldt residents will file to recall sheriff after commissioners signed ‘Second Amendment sanctuary’ resolution
October 24th, 2019 - 2:00am Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Allen’s decision to enforce new red flag laws, which allow for temporary confiscation of guns for people a judge deems “at risk." has spurred a campaign to have him recalled. Dawn Principe, owner of Sage Hill Arms gun store in Winnemucca and member of the 1,600-member Facebook group behind the recall campaign, said members plan to file a notice of intent on Thursday.
Elections | Legislature
GOP state Senate candidate asked 2016 opponent for forgiveness on recall efforts, help with job search
October 24th, 2019 - 2:00am Buck, who ran against Woodhouse in 2016 and announced her intent to run for the term-limited senator’s seat again last week, was listed on documents filed by recall organizers in late 2017 as the candidate to replace the incumbent in a drawn-out and ultimately failed recall effort.
Election 2020 | IndyBlog | Legislature | Local Government
Sen. Mo Denis to face fellow lawmaker McCurdy in Clark County Commission race
October 23rd, 2019 - 12:56pm Democratic Sen. Mo Denis said he will file in March to run for termed-out Lawrence Weekly’s Clark County Commission seat, setting up a face-off with his Democratic colleague, Assemblyman William McCurdy II, who announced this summer that he would also be running.
Health Care | Legislature
Indy Q&A: NAMI executive Sandy Stamates on stigma, new resources and a better way to talk about mental illness
October 21st, 2019 - 2:00am NAMI recently marked their Mental Illness Awareness Week, October 6-12, which Congress started designating in 1990 to bring attention to mental illness. NAMI offers classes for family members of those affected and highlights celebrities who have dealt with mental illness themselves, to fight the stigma that still surrounds mental health.