Nevada Legislature 2013 - Las Vegas Sun News

Kindergarnter Jonathan Mondragon leads his classmates in a single-file line down the hallway for their first day of class Monday, August 27, 2012, at Cambeiro Elementary School in Las Vegas.

Full-day kindergarten for the haves and have-nots: April 14, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; Unless something changes at the Legislature, some parents will have to pay $3,200 for their child’s full-day kindergarten class in the Clark County School District next school year. At the same time, other parents won’t have to pay to send their children to full-day kindergarten in the district.

A Union Pacific train unloads its coal Friday, Dec. 10, 1999 at Nevada Power Company's Reid Gardner power station near Moapa.

In its coal decision, NV Energy bows to economic reality: April 14, 2013; By Karoun Demirjian; Experts from both sides of the political spectrum see a future in which regulations and market forces will start pricing coal plants out of the market.

Commissioners to wrestle with assemblyman's replacement, Metro budget request: April 14, 2013; By Conor Shine; Assembly District 17 could finally have a new representative to replace the expelled Steven Brooks after Clark County commissioners consider nine candidates at their meeting at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday.

UMC, owned by Clark County, is the region's only public hospital.

State lawmakers take pass on proposed leadership changes at UMC: April 13, 2013; By Conor Shine; A split between Clark County commissioners contributed to the demise of proposed legislation Friday that some argued was critical to the long-term sustainability of UMC.

Constable John Bonaventura is followed by the media following the vote in favor of an ordinance to abolish the Las Vegas Township Constable's Office after the Clark County Commission meeting at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas Tuesday, March 19, 2013.

Bill to eliminate Las Vegas Constable's Office is defeated: April 12, 2013; By Cy Ryan; The bill to abolish the office of troubled Las Vegas Constable John Bonaventura has quietly died in the Senate Committee of Government Affairs without a vote Friday.

Skeptical lawmakers move NV Energy bill forward: April 12, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; NV Energy’s big plan to say goodbye to coal and invest in renewable energy and natural gas got a rough reception at a Senate hearing today.

Another top staffer leaves Nevada governor's office: April 12, 2013; By Anjeanette Damon; Gov. Brian Sandoval's general counsel and policy director Lucas Foletta resigned today. He is the latest in a string of top staff departures from Sandoval's office.

Bill would give Clark County supermajority on state Transportation Board: April 12, 2013; By Cy Ryan; A Senate committee has passed a bill to remove the governor and three other elected officials from the state Transportation Board and give Clark County a supermajority on the panel.

One candidate in, one out for Assembly seat vacated by Brooks: April 12, 2013; By Conor Shine; The slate of candidates up for consideration to replace Steven Brooks in Assembly District 17 is changing, with one applicant added to the list and another dropping off.

Jake Dimmock, co-owner of the Northwest Patient Resource Center medical marijuana dispensary, waters plants Oct. 10, 2012, in Seattle.

Why legal pot is coming to Nevada, and why we need to prepare: April 12, 2013; By J. Patrick Coolican; It was no great feat, but as I predicted last October, Colorado and Washington have legalized pot, and Nevada is now in danger of losing our rightful place as the capital of forbidden fun. Thursday, a Nevada legislative committee approved the creation of medical marijuana dispensaries. And last week, the Nevada Legislature took up a bill to legalize recreational marijuana. It’s not going anywhere, but I applaud the Assembly Judiciary Committee for giving it a hearing.

The Legislative Building is seen at the end of the first day of the 2013 legislative session Monday, Feb. 4, 2013 in Carson City.

Legions of bills will die today, except for the zombie bills: April 12, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; Bills lacking the athleticism to sprint past today’s deadline for committee passage die a cold death of neglect, never to see a vote on the floor or life in the opposite house.

Gasoline, mining tax bills punted out of committee: April 11, 2013; By Cy Ryan; The Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development passed the buck Thursday on bills to raise the gasoline tax and to start a new system of taxing mines.

The gas prices at a Shell gas station on East Cactus Drive off of St. Rose Parkway in the southern Las Vegas Valley on Tuesday, March 20, 2012.

RTC manager says fuel tax hike needed to fund road projects: April 11, 2013; By Richard N. Velotta; Transportation experts say if lawmakers don’t approve legislation to increase revenue for street and road projects, they’d have only about $22.4 million a year for new construction — about enough to build one freeway interchange, one mile of road or one beltway segment without bridges.

Nevada Senate committee approves resolution on gay marriage: April 11, 2013; By Cy Ryan; By a party-line vote, the Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to permit same-sex couples to marry.

Nevada Senate committee passes bill setting up marijuana dispensaries: April 11, 2013; By Cy Ryan; A Senate committee has cleared a bill to permit a network of medical marijuana dispensaries, but those who sell the drug will have to pay a $20,000 licensing fee.

Controversial Tahoe bill highlights lobbyist's dual role: April 11, 2013; By Anjeanette Damon; Lobbyist Steve Robinson is a Nevada appointee to the Tahoe Regional Protection Agency board. He also works for the lobbying firm hired to pass legislation that could end up abolishing the agency altogether.

Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore inspects the product and learns about the different uses for and varieties of marijuana during a trip to a dispensary in Arizona on Friday, March 22, 2013.

Sandoval says pot shouldn't be legal for recreational use, but he's open to dispensaries: April 11, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; Gov. Brian Sandoval said this week that he’s against the decriminalization of marijuana for recreational use, but he’s open to seeing a proposal for dispensaries for medical marijuana. “I don’t support the decriminalization of marijuana,” the Republican governor said Tuesday after a meeting at the Capitol.

Effort to repeal Nevada's gay marriage ban moves forward: April 10, 2013; By Cy Ryan; Despite Gov. Brian Sandoval's belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman, the Senate Judiciary Committee is poised Thursday to approve a constitutional amendment on gay marriage.

Bill to up age for nude dancing to 21 dies in committee: April 10, 2013; By Cy Ryan; A bill that would have prevented women from dancing nude in so-called “juice bars” until they were 21 years old has died in a state Senate committee without a vote. Women can now dance nude in clubs that do not serve alcohol at age 18.

From war to gay rights, Nevada Senator Richard “Tick” Segerblom speaks his mind on all subjects.

Talking with a man named Tick: April 10, 2013; By Ken Miller; State Senator Segerblom is not afraid to tell it like he sees it—even when it comes to good weed.

Smart meters hang on a rack at the NV Energy meter shop Tuesday, March 6, 2012. NV Energy plans to install 1.3 million smart meters as part of an electrical grid modernization.

Why do you pay what you do for power?: April 10, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; NV Energy surprised the nation last week with an announcement that it’s divesting from coal and investing in natural gas and renewable energy. While many applauded the move away from coal, the announcement also spurred criticism that it would precipitously raise rates.

Kindergarten students in Dawn Wilkes class at Fong Elementary School in North Las Vegas read "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010 for Read for the Record.

53 CCSD schools to offer full-time kindergarten in 2013-14 — for a price: April 10, 2013; By Paul Takahashi; The Clark County School District is now accepting applications for tuition-based, full-day kindergarten at 53 schools next year. Since the mid-2000s, the School District has offered full-day kindergarten at some elementary schools with the resources and space to offer it. Parents can pay $375 a month to keep their 5- and 6-year-old children in school for an additional three hours a day. The tuition – which comes out to about $3,100 a year – funds teacher salaries and facilities, and also includes a $100 registration fee.

Legislators hear pros, cons of Sandoval's school choice bill: April 9, 2013; By Cy Ryan; Gov. Brian Sandoval’s bill to give tax breaks to companies that donate to private and religious schools was applauded by school choice advocates Tuesday but opposed by the state’s teachers union and school boards.

Assemblyman Steven Brooks office sits empty before the start of the 2013 legislative session Monday, Feb. 4, 2013 in Carson City. Brooks will be sworn in and then take a leave of absence to address medical issues.

County to select Brooks' replacement from field of nine applicants: April 9, 2013; By Conor Shine; Clark County commissioners will have nine candidates to consider next week when they’re expected to appoint a replacement for expelled Assemblyman Steven Brooks.

Brooks makes brief appearance in California courtroom: April 9, 2013; By Sun Staff; Steven Brooks is scheduled to return to a California courtroom next month to face charges related to a chase on Interstate 15 that ended with a violent struggle with police the same day he was expelled from the Nevada Assembly.

Unions, cities spar over bill to change oversight of fire chiefs: April 8, 2013; By Conor Shine; The ongoing battle between firefighter unions and local governments took the stage in Carson City on Monday, as the two sides sparred over a bill that North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck said could have “disastrous” results.

The coal-fired Reid Gardner Generating Station near Moapa is shown April 5, 2007. The spots near the smokestacks are "ghost" reflections of the lights on the plant, which can occur in digital cameras while shooting a point light source.

NV Energy doesn't need legislative action to shutter coal plants: April 8, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; NV Energy made waves last week with a major legislative amendment that called for divesting from coal and investing in renewable energy and natural gas. The amendment left some wondering why the proposal was before the Legislature at all.

Senators James Settlemeyer, left, and Michael Roberson talk at the conclusion of a Senate floor session Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 during the 2013 legislative session in Carson City.

Five ways the GOP's Roberson is invading Democrats' territory: April 7, 2013; By Anjeanette Damon,
Andrew Doughman; Maybe it was the procedural hijinks that redirected a priority bill to a friendly committee. Maybe it was when he plopped a surprise mining tax proposal in the laps of lawmakers; Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson has been a thorn in the side of the Democratic majority since the start of the legislative session.

In education power play, who will benefit from leadership vacuum?: April 7, 2013; By Andrew Doughman; March Madness in Nevada wasn’t just for basketball. Last month, the state’s top two education officials left their jobs in the middle of the legislative session.

Senate committee considers bill aimed at lowering NV Energy rates: April 6, 2013; By Cy Ryan; There are bills floating around in the Legislature to raise the rates of electric users in Nevada, but a Senate committee considered a plan Saturday to reportedly reduce rates for customers of NV Energy.