Andrew Doughman

Story Archive

Q&A: Rand Paul on guns, pot, drones and his potential 2016 presidential bid: Wednesday, July 10, 2013; In the run-up to his Las Vegas visit, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul — recently dubbed the most interesting man in the political world — spoke with the Sun about drones, guns, immigrants, marijuana, the economy, and the federal government.
Titus demands answers on nuclear waste routes through Las Vegas Valley: Tuesday, July 9, 2013; TItus sent a frustrated letter today to the head of the federal Department of Energy demanding a meeting to discuss a planned shipment of 403 cannisters of bomb-grade nuclear waste from Oak Ridge, Tenn. to Area 5 at the Nevada National Security Site near Las Vegas.
Feds study feasibility of shipping radioactive waste through Las Vegas: Tuesday, July 9, 2013; A federal analysis recently found “no meaningful differences in potential environmental effects” between moving radioactive waste along current routes that avoid major population centers and “unconstrained” routes that allow nuclear waste to use the Hoover Dam bypass bridge, the 215 Beltway and the Spaghetti Bowl.
Republican state senator launches 2014 bid for lieutenant governor: Monday, July 8, 2013; State Sen. Mark Hutchison, R-Las Vegas, said today he plans to run for Lieutenant Governor in 2014.
Mandalay Bay announces plan to build country's 2nd largest rooftop solar array: Tuesday, July 2, 2013; MGM Resorts International announced today it intends to blanket the rooftop of one of its Strip properties with tens of thousands of solar panels. The solar array atop Mandalay Bay Resort’s convention center would be the country’s second largest rooftop solar project if completed on schedule in early 2014.
Harry Reid on House approach to immigration: 'That's grade school stuff': Tuesday, July 2, 2013; U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confidently said Tuesday a federal overhaul to the nation’s immigration system will pass out of Congress.
Democrat Bilbray-Kohn announces candidacy against Heck: Monday, July 1, 2013; Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., now has an official challenger in the 2014 election.
The anatomy of a legislative power play: How NV Energy will exit coal and make money doing it: Sunday, June 30, 2013; How Nevada's new state law mandating NV Energy exit the coal business came to being illustrates how money, business interests and the right friends will dictate energy cost and policy for every Nevadan for the next decade. And U.S. Sen. Harry Reid and state Sen. Kelvin Atkinson led the charge.
Without a clear definition of what ails education in Nevada, would margins tax help?: Friday, June 28, 2013; Implicit in the margins tax ballot measure are these questions: If the education system is failing, what is causing the failure, what’s the fix, and who should fix it?
Who will enjoy tax breaks for the film industry? Not who you think: Thursday, June 27, 2013; It turns out big movie producers aren’t the only ones to benefit from Nevada’s new film tax credit law. Large casinos or big businesses that owe insurance, payroll or gaming taxes to the state also win under the new law.
Lawmaking, Nevada style: Gambling on tax breaks to reap future revenue: Sunday, June 23, 2013; During Session 2013, legislators authorized hundreds of millions of dollars in potential tax breaks, most of which will benefit large businesses and organizations. The gamble for the state is this: Pay for schools, public safety, roads and other services now, or give some money away in hopes that the businesses receiving tax breaks will bring even more money to the state in future years.
Addressing mayors, Biden touches on immigration, job creation, background checks: Friday, June 21, 2013; Vice President Joe Biden touted immigration reform as he addressed hundreds of the nation’s mayors gathered for a conference in Las Vegas. He also repeatedly stressed that cities are the engines of the economy that will lead the United States in job creation.
In high-stakes business-tax fight, teachers union gets early, bold start: Wednesday, June 19, 2013; The state teachers union plans to make a $1 million campaign contribution Wednesday to jumpstart a political campaign to pass a 2 percent business tax on the 2014 ballot.
Post-session, interim work keeps Nevada legislators busy, paid: Wednesday, June 19, 2013; The 120-day legislative session ended this month, and now it’s time for the Legislature to start studying.
Margins tax advocates going after voters 17 months ahead of election: Tuesday, June 18, 2013; The campaign to pass a 2 percent business tax on the 2014 ballot begins in earnest on Wednesday. Supporters of the ballot measure will launch a website to roll out the campaign about 17 months before the Nov. 4, 2014, election, said political strategist Dan Hart, who is leading the Education Initiative campaign to pass the tax.
If NV Energy made too much money last year, should you get a refund?: Monday, June 17, 2013; NV Energy customers in Southern Nevada could soon get a rebate. A state agency is alleging that the utility essentially overcharged customers and should refund about $10 million to Southern Nevada ratepayers.
Legislature, Sandoval passed the buck on tax increases to counties: Sunday, June 16, 2013; It may seem like a riddle, but the Legislature effectively voted to raise taxes this year without ever really voting to raise taxes. That’s because legislators in several cases circumvented the two-thirds majority requirement to raise taxes and instead dumped the political toxicity of a tax vote on county commissions, whose members will vote on legislatively authorized taxes this year.
Rep. Joe Heck apologizes for son's 'offensive' Twitter rants: Thursday, June 13, 2013; Nevada Rep. Joe Heck’s teenage son has used his Twitter account to insult women, demean gay people and poke fun at President Barack Obama’s race. The Republican congressman apologized for the comments.
With legislative successes, Hispanic caucus enjoying its newfound strut: Tuesday, June 11, 2013; The new driver privilege law marks only one of the achievements of a Hispanic legislative caucus that has begun to show its strength as a major player in Nevada politics.
How the past 120 days in Carson City might affect your life: Sunday, June 9, 2013; It can be pretty easy to ignore a bunch of politicians getting together in Carson City to pass bills. Life is hectic, and if you paid absolutely no attention to what happened during the 120-day legislative session or did not know a legislative session had occurred, that’s all right. So what, exactly, did Nevada’s 63 legislators do that might affect you during these past four months? Here’s the abbreviated, condensed rundown of what happened and how it might affect you.
How your child's school could change now that the Legislature has adjourned: Friday, June 7, 2013; It makes for good politics when legislators say they're doing everything for the kids, but sometimes they're right. Parents with children in the Clark County School District can expect some major changes as a result of bills the Legislature passed during the past few months.
Failure to pass More Cops bill forces Legislature into special session: Tuesday, June 4, 2013; In a twist of political irony, Gov. Brian Sandoval, who has vowed to not raise taxes, called a short special session early Tuesday to do just that.
NV Energy bill wins passage, signaling state's shift from coal: Opponents fear a weakening of regulatory oversight, exposure to higher rates for customers; Tuesday, June 4, 2013; Legislators have officially moved Nevada out of the coal business. In a vote Monday night, the Assembly approved a shift away from coal-fired power plants and mandated investment in renewable energy and natural gas.
Legislators run out of time, opening door for special session: Tuesday, June 4, 2013; The final day of the Legislature ended in as hectic a manner as it began. When the clock struck midnight, some bills survived. Many didn’t, leaving Gov. Brian Sandoval to call a special session.
Legislature poised to pass Sandoval's $6.6 billion budget: Monday, June 3, 2013; The Legislature was poised late Sunday to approve the $6.6 billion state budget for the next two years, largely adopting recommendations from Gov. Brian Sandoval.
Gun background check bill stuck in Assembly committee: Sunday, June 2, 2013; A high-profile bill mandating background checks for all private party gun sales has hit a last-minute snag in the Legislature.
Lone legislator makes last-ditch effort to change major energy bill: Sunday, June 2, 2013; Assemblyman Ira Hansen failed today to amend a major energy bill in a manner that he said would protect Nevadans from higher energy bills.
Fits and starts as Southern Nevada lawmakers try flexing their muscles: Sunday, June 2, 2013; Southern Nevada legislators say they’re working hard to pass bills that would help Southern Nevadans, such as a measure to rework the way local tax dollars are divvied up. “The way the Southern Nevada legislators approached this session was fantastic,” said Brian McAnallen, vice president of government affairs with the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce. “Now we’re having conversations, moving forward on policy issues, having a Southern Nevada agenda, but we haven’t seen the end product.”
Medical marijuana bill in danger in the Assembly: Saturday, June 1, 2013; An Assembly Republican leaders said today nearly all of their members are disinclined to support the bill, meaning Democrats would not be able to meet the two-thirds requirement to pass the measure.
Fun for all: Kirkpatrick revises entertainment tax bill: Friday, May 31, 2013; Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick is no longer proposing to levy an 8 percent tax on things such as movies, gym memberships, greens fees at golf courses, ski lift tickets, and other entertainment.
Legislative panels endorse eliminating pay cuts for state employees: Friday, May 31, 2013; A group of legislators today voted to eliminate a 2.5 percent salary cut for state and higher education employees.
Sandoval pressured to reconsider threatened veto of gun bill: Friday, May 31, 2013; Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and the husband of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords advocated Friday for a bill mandating background checks for private party gun sales.
State employees protest salary cuts outside Sandoval's office: Wednesday, May 29, 2013; Enough’s enough, say state employees. As legislators begin to close the state’s next two-year budget, state employees today called for restoration of pay lost to several years of sustained salary cuts.
Sandoval opposes closing gun sales background check loophole: Tuesday, May 28, 2013; Gov. Brian Sandoval said Tuesday that he opposes and would veto a bill requiring private party background checks for gun purchases that Democrats support. Hours after a legislative hearing concluded for Senate Bill 221 from Sen. Justin Jones, D-Las Vegas, Republicans introduced a last-minute bill on the senate floor to compete with Jones’ background check measure.
Nevada Assembly committee grapples with gun bill: Tuesday, May 28, 2013; Fear held sway as Nevada legislators heard three hours of testimony this morning on a controversial gun background check bill. The competing spectres: an intrusive federal government or another mass shooting perpetrated by someone who shouldn’t own a gun.
As Democrats stand down on taxes, Sandoval wins the day on budget: Tuesday, May 28, 2013; Nevada’s legislators are somewhat begrudgingly closing down this year’s legislative session with a budget that looks pretty close to what Gov. Brian Sandoval proposed in January — a budget Democrats say doesn’t do enough to repair the state’s education system from cuts incurred during the recession. Although legislators have tweaked the budget here and there, nothing but the nascent economic recovery appears poised to increase the size of state government in Nevada.
Assembly takes its first stab at major NV Energy bill: Monday, May 27, 2013; In the most current iteration of Senate Bill 123, NV Energy executives have told legislators that if they get rid of their coal power plants, they should get a 550 megawatt power plant in return, as well as the right to construct or contract for 350 megawatts of renewable energy.
Deadline strikes: A look at major legislation that made, missed cut: Saturday, May 25, 2013; Legislators slogged through dozens of bills Friday, turning the Senate and Assembly chambers into arenas for legislative triumph and death.
Mo Denis and the walking dead: Majority leader keeps recycling legislation alive as 'zombie bill': Saturday, May 25, 2013; Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, resurrected one of his bills Friday after other legislators had presumptively killed it. He had earlier faced scrutiny after the Sun reported that he had authored two bills that would directly benefit his previous employer, a materials recycling facility.
Sex education bill loses its momentum, dies in Nevada Senate: Friday, May 24, 2013; A controversial bill that would have updated and standardized sex education curriculum across the state won’t advance any farther after it died in the Senate Friday.
Lucky No. 11? Legislature may take another stab at capping ER bills: Friday, May 24, 2013; Having an emergency and going to the hospital might be less financially burdensome if the Legislature passes a constitutional amendment this year. Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, wants emergency room bills to be constitutionally capped, a move she says will save constituents from expensive hospital bills incurred when they’re taken to out-of-network hospital emergency rooms.
Nevada Assembly backs resolution to end ban on gay marriage: Thursday, May 23, 2013; The Nevada Assembly voted 24-17 today to move one step closer to removing a ban on same-sex marriage from the state Constitution.
Las Vegas gas prices likely headed up, if Nevada passes fuel-tax bill: Thursday, May 23, 2013; Gas prices could increase statewide under a bill that received strong support today from lawmakers and business groups.
Hey, voters, here's a golden opportunity with a silver lining: Thursday, May 23, 2013; The Assembly today approved a resolution that will allow voters to decide on the 2014 ballot whether or not the mining industry’s tax rate should be in the state constitution.
Higher dues for homeowners at stake in HOA legislation: Thursday, May 23, 2013; Anyone living in a homeowners association in Nevada might want to pay attention to the next few weeks at the Legislature.
Democrats cry uncle on taxes, accuse Republicans of obstruction: Wednesday, May 22, 2013; If there’s one promise Democrats have kept so far this session, it’s to have a discussion about taxes. But with the majority party’s capitulation on the Senate floor Tuesday that their payroll tax hike proposal is dead, it appears that discussion is all it’s going to be.
Bill would divert some water, sewer funds to provide a little relief in North Las Vegas: Tuesday, May 21, 2013; Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, plans to introduce a bill that would give the North Las Vegas financial relief.
Last-minute bill introduced to cap emergency room charges: Tuesday, May 21, 2013; Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, wants to amend the constitution to cap costs for anybody receiving treatment in a hospital emergency room. “This is something for our constituents that is important,” she said.
Mo Denis to go to bat for payroll tax hike today: Tuesday, May 21, 2013; Perhaps nobody at the Legislature this year has been more insistent than Nevada Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis that the state must immediately put more money into Nevada’s education system.
Legislative showdown brewing over $2 million for Teach for America: Monday, May 20, 2013; A $2 million pot of money to hire more teachers for the Clark County School District could be in danger — with a contingent of Assembly Democrats apparently digging in their heels against the money.