caucus

The states of New Hampshire and Iowa believe they have some God-given right to essentially pick who our presidential candidates will be by holding their nominating contests before all other states.

It's a mighty undemocratic way to operate a democracy.

This week has brought a new low. New Hampshire, acting like the typical spoiled child, is complaining that Nevada Republicans can't hold their caucuses on Jan. 14, which is only four days after the primary in the Granite State.

There is an ongoing internal brouhaha over the Nevada Republican Party's proposal to allow same-day voter registration so that non-Republicans can show up at the GOP presidential caucus in February...

The Carson City Democratic Women's Club will meet at Grandma Hatties Restaurant at 11:30 AM to order lunch. At noon, Brenda Silis of Capital City Initiatives will present a family who has worked their way out of poverty through this program. There will also be discussion on progress with the Nevada Day Float and preparation for the February 2012 Presidential Caucus. All women are welcome to attend

School just started and every Republican state lawmaker has already received a failing grade from Nevada’s teachers’ union.
The Nevada State Education Association (NSEA) has released its 2011 legislative session report card and the 16 Assembly and 11 Senate Republicans all earned an F, according to the statewide association.

State Treasurer Kate Marshall and former state senator Mark Amodei sparred over Medicare reform, campaign ads and even the uprising in Libya in an hour-long debate airing on the statewide news program Face to Face on Monday and Tuesday.

CARSON CITY – Nevada state Democrats today called on Republican presidential candidates to disclose the names of their campaigns’ major fundraisers – known as bundlers – in the name of transparency.
President Barack Obama on July 15 released his list of major fundraisers, which he also did in 2008. The disclosure is not required by the Federal Elections Commission.

The Carson City Republican Central Committee invites all Carson City registered Republicans to attend the monthly meeting, held at the Sheriff's Office located at 911 Musser St. Come join us and get involved with the Republican Party.

Plans are underway for the Special Election, the 2012 Caucus, the County Precinct Meeting, the County Convention, supporting the candidates and many more events. Volunteers are always needed at headquarters.

For more information visit our website at www.ccrccgop.com, or call headquarters at 775 841-1800.

CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval has enough Republican votes to pass the budget deal announced in this final week of the Legislature, but that doesn’t mean all conservative lawmakers are happy about it.
Some Republicans will support the governor and vote in favor of the fiscal compromise consisting of hard-won reform bills and the extension of some taxes that were set to expire. Many others will likely cast “no” votes in a principled protest against tax extensions.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval and legislative leaders from both parties announced a budget agreement today that will see tax increases and restorations of funding to public and higher education in exchange for significant policy reforms in education and collective bargaining.
The agreement came on the 115th day of the session, and virtually guarantees that lawmakers will adjourn the 2011 session by Monday as the constitution requires.

CARSON CITY – The Sandoval administration is pursuing two paths in an effort to resolve a potentially massive budget shortfall, seeking clarification from the Nevada Supreme Court on the case that created the issue and working with lawmakers on potential additional revenues should they be necessary.
Dale Erquiaga, senior adviser to Gov. Brian Sandoval, briefed a number of interested parties on the developments since the state’s high court dropped the potential budget bombshell on the Legislature yesterday.

CARSON CITY – Republican state senators who are refusing to go along with a call by Democrats to increase funding for the state budget say bills they have sponsored are being held hostage as a result.
Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, said Assembly Democrats, who have a 26-16 majority, “called back” seven Senate bills that had already been voted on and sent to the Senate for final action.

CARSON CITY – On Assemblyman Harvey Munford’s desk lies his teacher’s edition of an American government textbook.
The former high school history and government teacher said he brought it as a guidebook to the legislative process. But he has not used it much.
“It wasn’t applicable to a whole lot of things,” he said.
Munford, a Democrat from Las Vegas, describes himself as “disillusioned” with the Legislature.

By Sean Whaley
RENO – Texas Congressman Ron Paul said today he will decide “before June” whether to make another bid for president as a Republican candidate in 2012.
Paul, 75, in an interview before a breakfast at the Washoe County Republican Party office, formed an official exploratory committee on Tuesday in advance of GOP debates set for May.

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – Two bills that would close loopholes and increase transparency in Nevada’s election and campaign finance laws won approval in the Assembly today with no time to spare.
Secretary of State Ross Miller is seeking the bills restricting the use of multiple political action committees to bypass campaign contribution limits and requiring electronic filing of campaign contribution and expense reports by most candidates.

By Sean Whaley
CARSON CITY – After a lengthy hearing in the Assembly today on what several witnesses said were the catastrophic effects of Gov. Brian Sandoval’s budget recommendations for higher education, Republican members held firm with the executive branch in a series of funding votes.

CARSON CITY – It was not until 30 minutes before midnight that a six-hour debate in the Assembly ended with a promise to talk more later.
After listening to presentations outlining more than $1 billion in “major reductions” to the K-12 budget, legislators debated their willingness to compromise or negotiate about Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed general fund budget.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican who is evaluating a run for president in 2012, said today he would be willing to reconsider whether Yucca Mountain is a suitable site for the long-term disposal of nuclear waste.

CARSON CITY – The third of three campaign finance reform bills being pushed by Secretary of State Ross Miller this session passed out of an Assembly committee today, but an important provision regulating political action committees was removed.
Lawmakers say the deletion of a key provision of Assembly Bill 81 is only temporary.

CARSON CITY – Nevadans would no longer see education board representatives on their ballots if a proposal before the Legislature passes.
Assembly Bill 548, recommended by an education task force, would give the governor the power to appoint the superintendent and state board of education.

CARSON CITY – A major campaign finance reform bill that would require most candidates to file their contribution and expense reports electronically narrowly passed out of an Assembly panel today on an 8-7 vote.
The bill would also move filing deadlines up to give voters more time to review the political donation and expense information before casting their ballots.

CARSON CITY – A major campaign finance reform bill that would require most candidates to file their contribution and expense reports electronically narrowly passed out of an Assembly panel today on an 8-7 vote.
The bill would also move filing deadlines up to give voters more time to review the political donation and expense information before casting their ballots.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A two-hour review by the full Senate today of Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed two-year, $5.8 billion general fund budget spent a lot of time on what his spending plan could mean well into the future.

Press Release — Today from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., the University of Nevada Latino Student Advisory Board will host a Cesar Chavez commemoration under the rotunda in the Knowledge Center just south of Lawlor Events Center next to the Crowley Student Union. Fiesta Mexicana will dance and Sen. Moises Denis, D-Las Vegas, will speak.

"We are hosting this event because we want to honor Cesar Chavez and his contributions to civil rights," said student leader Carla Castedo, a senior psychology major.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval will propose a change to the retirement system for new state employees that would reduce their current pension benefits by one half and cut the long-term liability for taxpayers by the same amount, his chief of staff said today.

A rally in support of American workers will be held in front of the Legislative Building in Carson City on Saturday, Feb. 26. The event is sponsored by the Carson City Democratic Central Committee and the Nevada Rural Democratic Caucus.
It is part of a nationwide event by Move-On and People for the American Way in an event called "50-State Mobilization to Save the American Dream." Rallies will be held at state legislative buildings across the country.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Freshman Republican state Sen. Michael Roberson got a lot of people’s attention last week when he engaged in a brief but spirited line of questioning at a Judiciary Committee hearing with mining industry lobbyists.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
The Washoe County Commission today selected former state Assemblyman and U.S. Attorney Greg Brower to replace retired GOP state Sen. Bill Raggio in the 2011 session of the Nevada Legislature.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Secretary of State’s office today ruled in favor of the Assembly Democratic Caucus regarding a complaint about its failure to report the receipt of funds from its members.
The caucus did not report more than $120,000 received from Assembly Democrats on its campaign contribution and expenditure reports filed this year.

By Nevada News Bureau staff
CARSON CITY – Nevada Republican Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval announced today his selection of 29 Nevadans to serve on his transition advisory team, including Bill Bible, former president of the Nevada Resort Association, and state Sen. Dean Rhoads, who backed Sen. Harry Reid’s re-election bid.
The diverse group of community leaders from across Nevada will provide input and feedback to Sandoval on a wide range of issues.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A campaign report filed by the Senate Democratic Caucus shows the group’s political action committee received about $20,000 before ending a short-lived proposal to give lobbyists access to lawmakers in exchange for campaign contributions.