Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Safe Nest concerned about possible shutdown

Political pundits and those whose taxes might go up aren't the only ones watching the 11th-hour attempts to pass a state budget in Carson City.

Officials of Safe Nest, a Las Vegas nonprofit that Monday had a shelter filled to capacity with 76 women and children who are victims of domestic violence, are worried about what will happen if state government slows down and payments that are already months behind fail to arrive in the mail.

"If the Legislature decides to shut down, we're in a world of hurt," said Lisa Lynn Chapman, spokeswoman for the agency, which also offers counseling and a domestic violence hotline that received more than 22,000 calls last year.

Chapman said that state welfare owed the agency $53,000 for services and had failed to pay since January.

The state also owes the agency $87,700 from the marriage license fees fund, Chapman said.

The state welfare office did not return calls and the central office of the Department of Child and Family Services would not comment.

"If things get slower than they are now and non-essential personnel in the state government go home, then we're going to have to cut back on some of our services," Chapman said.

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