Cy Ryan

Carson City Bureau Chief

Cy has been a reporter at the state capitol in Carson City for a half-century. He has reported on nine governors. He has worked for the Sun 21 years.

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Story Archive

'We need to modernize': Senate OKs annual legislative sessions — and possibly in Las Vegas: Tuesday, April 16, 2013; By a party line vote, the Senate Tuesday voted to allow the Legislature to meet in Las Vegas, permit the pay to be raised by 50 percent and to have annual sessions.
Nevada governor names new general counsel: Tuesday, April 16, 2013; A senior deputy in the State Attorney General’s Office has been named general counsel to Gov. Brian Sandoval.
Nevada driver’s licenses could be issued for 8 years: Tuesday, April 16, 2013; Drivers in Nevada would be allowed to renew their licenses every eight years, instead of every four, under a bill that has passed the Senate Transportation Committee.
In bid to keep controversial bills alive, legislators unload on committee: Monday, April 15, 2013; When senators were unable to reach agreement on controversial bills by the deadline Friday, they passed the buck to the Senate Finance Committee on such issues as energy, gambling and transportation.
Senate OKs bill to require ward-only voting in Henderson: Monday, April 15, 2013; Despite opposition by a majority of Republicans, the Senate pushed through a bill Monday that orders Henderson and three other cities to require candidates be elected from wards rather than the cities at large.
Bill to eliminate Las Vegas Constable's Office is defeated: Friday, April 12, 2013; 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.
Court says warehouse workers must be paid for time in security checks: Friday, April 12, 2013; A federal appeals court has ruled that warehouse workers in Las Vegas and Fernley should be paid for time they spend going through security checks at the end of their shifts.
Bill would give Clark County supermajority on state Transportation Board: Friday, April 12, 2013; 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.
Gasoline, mining tax bills punted out of committee: Thursday, April 11, 2013; 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.
Nevada Senate committee approves resolution on gay marriage: Thursday, April 11, 2013; 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: Thursday, April 11, 2013; 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.
Effort to repeal Nevada's gay marriage ban moves forward: Measure might not have Sandoval's support, who has reiterated his conservative position; Wednesday, April 10, 2013; 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: Wednesday, April 10, 2013; 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.
Nevada gaming revenue up 15.1 percent in February, as Las Vegas Strip sets record: Wednesday, April 10, 2013; Casino gaming revenue was up 15.1 percent in February compared to the same month last year, while the Las Vegas Strip posted a record win of $956.4 million, up 31.1 percent.
Legislators hear pros, cons of Sandoval's school choice bill: Tuesday, April 9, 2013; 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.
Hearing set for suspended judge to challenge accusations: Tuesday, April 9, 2013; Suspended District Judge Steven Jones will have a chance on June 24 to challenge accusations that he misused his office to help his lawyer-girlfriend.
NLV casino agrees to fine over Control Board complaint: Monday, April 8, 2013; A complaint has been filed by the state Gaming Control Board against the Lucky Club casino in North Las Vegas that it allowed an unregistered employee to work unlawfully in gaming activities for nearly a year.
Project to widen I-15 in Las Vegas falls behind schedule: Monday, April 8, 2013; Construction on the giant Project Neon in Las Vegas hasn’t started yet but it’s already behind schedule.
CCSD high school graduation rates among lowest in Nevada: Monday, April 8, 2013; The Clark County School District is near the bottom in Nevada in the percentage of students who graduate after four years of high school.
Senate committee considers bill aimed at lowering NV Energy rates: Saturday, April 6, 2013; 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.
Lawmakers consider cost of reopening Las Vegas juvenile detention center: Friday, April 5, 2013; The state is planning to reopen a shuttered juvenile detention center in Las Vegas, but there’s a question whether the state or a private contractor should run it.
Court upholds conviction of man in killing over dog: Friday, April 5, 2013; Although there was an error in Justice Court, the Nevada Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of Michael Patterson, convicted of killing another man in an argument over a dog in Las Vegas.
Nevada officials mark Holocaust Memorial Day: Thursday, April 4, 2013; Henry Kronberg says he had nightmares for years of the time he spent in Nazi prisons and concentration camps during World War II and it must be prevented from ever happening again.
Justices uphold conviction in Las Vegas shotgun slaying: Thursday, April 4, 2013; Although there was an error in Justice Court, the Nevada Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of Michael Patterson, convicted of killing another man in an argument over a dog in Las Vegas.
Senate committee OKs plan to allow Legislature to meet in Las Vegas: Thursday, April 4, 2013; The $146.29 daily salary for state legislators ends today, but a new plan is moving forward to allow lawmakers to double their salary, hold part or all of sessions in Las Vegas and meet annually instead of every two years.
Sandoval names new director of Wildlife Department: Wednesday, April 3, 2013; Gov. Brian Sandoval has named Tony Wasley, who has worked for the state Department of Wildlife for 16 years, as its new director.
Nevada Senate says OK to raising max speed limit to 85 mph: Wednesday, April 3, 2013; Despite opposition from a bloc of Democrats, the Senate approved a bill authorizing the speed limit to be raised to 85 mph on some stretches of freeway, mostly in rural areas. The vote was 15-6 on SB-191, which now goes to the Assembly.
Bill intends to give Clark County more control of highway dollars: Tuesday, April 2, 2013; Motorists in Clark County pay the majority of gas taxes to build and maintain highways but they are getting shortchanged, says the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
New option mulled for school construction in Clark County: Monday, April 1, 2013; Clark County voters in November rejected a proposal to raise the property tax to build new schools and renovate existing ones.
Sandoval earmarks extra $25 million for Nevada schools: Monday, April 1, 2013; Gov. Brian Sandoval says he is adding $25 million to his education budget over the next two years to provide more full-day kindergarten classes and programs for students with limited or no proficiency in English.
Nevada Senate votes to remove mining's protected tax status: Monday, April 1, 2013; The Senate on Monday approved a proposed constitutional amendment to strip the mining industry of special tax protection. Sen. Ruben Kihuen, D-Las Vegas, said the proposal would give future Legislatures the chance to determine tax rates on mines.
Minimum wage in Nevada to stay at $7.25 per hour: Monday, April 1, 2013; The state’s minimum wage of $7.25 per hour will remain the same as it has been since 2009, state Labor Commissioner Thoran Towler announced today.
Juror's dismissal enough to overturn Las Vegas murder conviction: Friday, March 29, 2013; The Nevada Supreme Court has overturned the second-degree murder conviction of Carlos Orellana because of an error by a district judge in excusing one juror.
Lawmaker says marijuana dispensaries could be open in a year, if bill passes: Friday, March 29, 2013; Medical marijuana dispensaries could be open in Nevada in a year if a bill to allow them passes the Legislature this session, a lawmaker pushing the measure said.
Nevada unemployment falls to 9.6 percent, lowest since 2008: Friday, March 29, 2013; Nevada’s unemployment rate fell to 9.6 percent in February, the lowest since December 2008.
Bill aims to restrict teenage use of tanning beds in Nevada: Wednesday, March 27, 2013; Teens are now prohibited from smoking and drinking and a bill is in the Legislature to limit them from going to tanning salons to gain that “healthy look.”
Bill raising speed limit to 85 mph passes Senate committee: Wednesday, March 27, 2013; A bill to raise the maximum speed limit from 75 mph to 85 mph on some stretches of freeways in Nevada was approved today by the Senate Transportation Committee on a 4-1 vote.
Legislative fight highlights angst over sports betting kiosks: Tuesday, March 26, 2013; A key senator says he doesn’t think the small slot machine arcades and taverns that offer sports and horse race betting kiosks are siphoning off business from major casinos.
Nevada Senate committee hears debate over gay marriage: Tuesday, March 26, 2013; Gay couples, ministers and representatives of casinos and a wedding chapel lined up Tuesday in support of a proposed constitutional amendment to permit same-sex marriages in Nevada.
Court rejects appeal of man who claims God told him to kill his daughter: Monday, March 25, 2013; The Nevada Supreme Court on Monday rejected the appeal of Las Vegas killer William Redman, who maintained he was acting on orders from God when he stabbed his 12-year-old daughter to death.
Lawmakers say governor’s program for English-language learners inadequate: Monday, March 25, 2013; Legislative budget officials today attacked Gov. Brian Sandoval’s program to set aside $14 million to help students not proficient in English, calling it too little for all of the students who need assistance.
Skorkowsky, other educators press for more money to reduce class sizes: Saturday, March 23, 2013; A parade of educators told legislative budget committees Saturday that more money must be poured into reducing class sizes in the elementary grades to help students advance.
Study decries poor defendants' access to lawyers in rural Nevada: Friday, March 22, 2013; Criminal suspects who are poor may be held in jail in rural Nevada counties for weeks or even months before they are able to talk to a defense lawyer, a study says.
ACLU says Nevada law restricting sale of medical marijuana unconstitutional: Friday, March 22, 2013; The American Civil Liberties Union says Nevada’s medical marijuana law is unconstitutional because it restricts people from filling a legal prescription.
First-time jobless claims fall 7.1 percent in February: Thursday, March 21, 2013; The number of people filing first-time claims for jobless benefits fell to 15,993 in February, a drop of 7.1 percent from the same month last year.
Nevada Senate votes to cover transgender people under hate crimes statute: Thursday, March 21, 2013; The Senate on Thursday approved a bill adding transgender people to the list of those covered by Nevada’s hate crimes statute.
Lawmakers skeptical of spending $692,000 for new prison death chamber: Wednesday, March 20, 2013; Legislators expressed skepticism Wednesday that Nevada needs to spend $692,000 on a new death chamber at the state prison in Ely.
Retired Nevada judge appears to be recovering from car accident: Tuesday, March 19, 2013; Retired Nevada Supreme Court Justice Bob Rose has been transferred to Renown Medical Center in Reno for treatment after being injured in a one-car rollover in Fallon on Saturday.
Court deals setback to Desai in murder case: Monday, March 18, 2013; The Nevada Supreme Court has denied the pretrial petition of Dr. Dipak Desai, accused of second-degree murder in the death of one of his patients in the 2007 hepatitis C outbreak in Las Vegas.
Bill in Legislature would penalize some Medicaid recipients with fees: Monday, March 18, 2013; Those who become eligible for Medicaid under the new federal law would be hit with a fee if they went to hospital emergency rooms with non-emergency ailments or injuries under a bill introduced in the Nevada Senate on Monday.