Officials with the Washoe County Registrar of Voters on Wednesday gave the news media a tour of their recently updated office and talked about efforts to balance transparency and ballot security. Jamie Rodriguez, government affairs manager for Washoe County, showed the chain of custody for ballots and how precautions are taken so no ballot is… [Read More]
Nevada Latinos take center stage in midterms as electorate grows, shifts
Esmeralda Villeda, born and raised in Las Vegas, has been politically engaged since high school, using her position as president of Rancho High School’s Hispanic Student Union to remind others of the importance of municipal elections and voting. But, now 28, her political values have evolved. A few years ago, she changed her voter registration… [Read More]
Sisolak: Nevada to spend big on housing, broadband via federal funds
Gov. Steve Sisolak on February 23, 2022, laid out plans for how Nevada will spend nearly $2 billion in federal pandemic relief money to confront some of the state’s most pressing issues, namely scarce affordable housing, incomplete broadband connectivity and poor access to child care. The governor, in a rare, off-cycle State of the State address at… [Read More]
From voting to car seat rule changes, new Nevada laws take effect Jan. 1
With the new year comes, yet again, another new set of laws on the books. More than 55 bills enacted by the Legislature in 2021 take effect either in whole or in part today. They include several health care-related laws — making changes to Medicaid services, establishing a pathway for people to obtain birth control without a… [Read More]
Effort to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day advances in one rural county, stalls in another
For the first time, Mineral County today is celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a significant move for a county in rural Nevada, where Native communities still face obstacles to getting recognized, even as Indigenous Peoples’ Day is increasingly celebrated across the nation. In the past, the Western Nevada county, where a portion of the Walker River… [Read More]
Limits on police use of force, expanded sick leave and CBD for pets among new laws kicking in
Of the hundreds of bills passed by the Legislature during the 2021 session, roughly 150 began to take effect Friday, including a law prohibiting the suspension of a driver’s license over unpaid fines or fees and policies aimed at limiting police use of force. The new laws taking effect also include a requirement that employers… [Read More]
First round of pandemic-related food assistance dollars from 2020-2021 school year will reach families’ pockets this month
Low-income families with children will get a boost in their grocery budgets later this month, when the state distributes its first round of pandemic-related food assistance dollars for last school year. The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program — extended as part of the federal American Rescue Plan — will provide the families of eligible… [Read More]
Latinos, other minorities fuel Nevada’s population growth ahead of redistricting
Latino populations in Clark and Washoe counties surged by 23 percent and 30 percent over the last decade, and white residents declined by 14.5 percent and 3.8 percent over the same period, respectively, according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau, kicking off the battle to redraw legislative districts across the nation. Nearly 320,000… [Read More]
‘All eyes are on Congress’ after latest blow to DACA program bars first-time applicants
Maria Nieto Orta was driving home to Las Vegas last week from a family vacation in Utah when she found out about a federal judge’s decision to close the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, to first-time applicants. “I just remember being super sad about it, and kind of sitting in silence… [Read More]
Sisolak announces COVID-19 vaccine incentive program with $1 million grand prize
Gov. Steve Sisolak announced on Thursday a new state-run incentive program that will award some $5 million in prizes — including a $1 million grand prize — to Nevada residents who get the COVID-19 vaccine. The announcement of the program, called “Vax Nevada Days,” comes as the state lags behind President Joe Biden’s goal of having 70 percent of adults at… [Read More]