Columnist Sandy Thompson: How will children fare in Legislature?

Sandy Thompson

Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001 | 10:38 a.m.

Sandy Thompson is vice president/associate editor of the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached at 259-4025 or e-mail at thompson@lasvegassun.com

THE RECENT report card issued by the Children's Advocacy Alliance on how Nevada children are faring was no surprise.

The overall grade for health, safety and security, education and the teen years was a C+. While that's still a "passing grade," we should be doing a lot better.

The rating is only a progress report -- a guide to be used by legislators when they consider programs and funding for children's issues.

Historically, children have not fared well in the Legislature, according to Bobbie Gang, a lobbyist for the Nevada Women's Lobby.

Hopefully that will change with the 2001 Legislature. Gang says more children's issues will be considered this session, which begins next month, because of the emphasis of several legislative interim committees. Those committees have been conducting hearings on a new child welfare system, children's health and juvenile justice.

"Anything that has had the spotlight on it stands to gain," Gang says.

Her top priorities are improving health care and health care access for children, ensuring the safety of women and children, and making changes in the public education system so that every child and every school have the best opportunities to learn.

There will be plenty of room for growth in those areas. For example, the Children's Advocacy Alliance gave Nevada an F because of our 47th ranking in the nation for children born without health insurance. Nevada ranks 45th in immunizations for 2-year-olds, which prompted a D+ from the alliance.

The overall grade for education was a D because the majority of Nevada students are not proficient in reading, the per-pupil expenditure is woefully low, and the high school dropout rate is high.

Gang's job is to get legislators to listen to and understand the issues facing women and children. But she will be only one of a capital city full of lobbyists. And she doesn't have their big bucks to wine and dine legislators to keep their ear.

Despite some frustrations, Gang says it's invigorating to be at the Legislature. She has been with the Nevada Women's Lobby since 1991. The nonprofit group's purpose is to lobby on behalf of women and children. Its members are not wealthy society matrons, Gang says. "These are women who have experienced the welfare system or have been abused or have had children with illnesses or those who work in the public system, and they know what's needed."

The Children's Advocacy Alliance will be an interested "observer" this session, looking out for children's interests. Its main concerns are the new child welfare system and allowing youths to stay in foster care until they're 21; educational programs on teen pregnancy; and allowing nonprofit agencies and shelters to assist homeless minors.

The alliance will track legislators' voting records on children's issues and plans to release another report card at the end of the session.

"People do want to work on the problems," Gang says. "The biggest obstacle is money."

Although dollars will be tight, legislators usually have money for "pork" -- the term used for pet projects. They divvy up these funds at the end of the legislative session.

Gang has a direct message for those legislators: "Children like pork, too."