Politics - Las Vegas Sun News

Legislative panel seeks to redirect funding to Southern Nevada colleges: May 15, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; Legislators today recommended shifting money from northern colleges to southern colleges almost immediately, rejecting Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposal to phase in the cuts to rural college budgets.

Why will consumers outside insurance exchange pay fees?: May 15, 2013; By Cy Ryan; Due to confusion about fees charged in the federal Affordable Care Act, the Silver State Insurance Exchange has issued a clarifying statement on the issue.

Commission's vote to oppose NV Energy bill 'ticks off' legislator: May 15, 2013; By Cy Ryan; The state Public Utilities Commission today said NV Energy’s bill in the Nevada Legislature to close the Reid-Gardner coal-powered plant was fatally flawed and would not protect Las Vegas customers from higher rates.

Deal reached to preserve bistate compact protecting Lake Tahoe: May 15, 2013; By Anjeanette Damon; Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and California Gov. Jerry Brown have reached an agreement to keep the two states in a decades old compact to protect the environment around Lake Tahoe, agreeing to ease some barriers for development and mollifying the concerns of some environmentalists.

Democratic leaders, from left, Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, and Assembly Majority Leader William Horne, D-Las Vegas, answer media questions following Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval's State of the State address at the Legislature in Carson City on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013.

Democrats circle the wagons against 'Family Fun Tax' foes: May 15, 2013; By Anjeanette Damon; Democratic lawmakers showed little restraint when opponents of Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick’s admissions tax took to the microphone Tuesday to beg for exemptions to the 8 percent levy she wants to assess on nearly all forms of recreation.

Debate over sex-ed bill devolves amid fears of 'worst-case scenario': May 15, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; While it may be difficult for parents to talk about sex with their kids, Nevadans have had no trouble talking about sex with the Nevada Legislature.

Obama: IRS actions 'intolerable,' 'inexcusable': May 14, 2013; By Josh Lederman, Associated Press; Obama says IRS targeting of tea party was 'inexcusable,' employees failed to apply law fairly

Dean Heller, candidate for Nevada's U.S. Senate seat, speaks during a debate with Shelley Berkley on the "Ralston Reports" television program at the KSNV-Channel 3 studios Monday, Oct. 15, 2012.

Heller says IRS can't be trusted to oversee Obamacare: May 14, 2013; By Karoun Demirjian; The scandal over the Internal Revenue Service’s apparent targeting of conservative groups is paving the way for a politically charged spinoff.

Nevada cutting wellness insurance plan for government employees: May 14, 2013; By Cy Ryan; Public employees enrolled in a state wellness insurance plan designed to keep participants healthy are going to be hit with a big increase in premiums in 2015.

Reid defends Obama on two scandals, but not on a third: May 14, 2013; By Karoun Demirjian; It’s only Tuesday, but it's shaping up to be one of President Barack Obama’s roughest weeks on the job. The White House is fighting back the flames of three scandals.

The third and final night of the 2012 Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, June 10, 2012.

Electric Daisy Carnival, Speedway to fight proposed entertainment tax: May 14, 2013; By Anjeanette Damon; Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, is expected to take critics head on today at the first public hearing of her proposed entertainment and admissions tax, an 8 percent levy on everything from concerts and sporting events to gym memberships and strip clubs. Chief among them is the Electric Daisy Carnival, the massive outdoor music festival that draws an estimated 345,000 attendees to Las Vegas each summer.

Analysis: In a new era, another try at amnesty: May 14, 2013; By Cindy Chang, Los Angeles Times; In 1986, lawmakers decided the problem of illegal immigration had to be dealt with. More than 3 million people were living in the United States after crossing the border illegally or overstaying their visas. A new law signed by President Ronald Reagan gave legal status and a path to citizenship to most of those unauthorized residents. Less than 30 years later, the number of immigrants living in the country illegally is thought to have nearly quadrupled, and the baggage of amnesty looms over new efforts to reform the nation’s immigration laws.

Nevada Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Henderson, speaks out against a Democratic redistricting plan during debate on the Senate floor Tuesday, May 10, 2011, at the Legislature in Carson City, Nev. The Senate passed the plan on a strict party-line vote. Sen. Shirley Breeden, D-Henderson, is at left.

With time running out, Democrats' tax plans spark partisan firefight: May 14, 2013; By Anjeanette Damon,
Andrew Doughman; When Senate Democrats on Monday released details of a tax increase they say is needed to adequately fund education, they swung a partisan hammer that shattered the patina of cooperation that had dominated this legislative session.

Sandoval threatens veto of Democratic tax plans, proposes more education spending: May 13, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; Gov. Brian Sandoval said today he opposes and would veto two Democratic tax plans that would hike payroll taxes and implement new taxes on consumers for entertainment and admissions to movies, gyms, and other businesses.

Nevada senators react to IRS targeting of conservative groups: May 13, 2013; By Karoun Demirjian; Circulating snippets of a yet-to-be-released report fueled a sharply escalating sense of scandal in Washington, D.C., on Monday, as indications that the Internal Revenue Service had been singling out conservative groups prompted rebukes from officials all the way up to the White House.

Monday, May 6

Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey says it's unlikely his caucus would support any tax reform that would actually raise revenue, but spoke favorably of Speaker Kirkpatrick's forthcoming live entertainment tax bill. Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick is calling it quits after two decades in office. Watch »

Monday, April 29

State Sen. Kelvin Atkinson on marriage equality, Sen. Mark Hutchison on why Republicans want to tax mining more and progressive activist on immigration reform pending in Congress. Watch »