Gibbons

Two Nevada-based programs have been recognized by the federal government for having led the nation in efficiently using at least $18 million in federal stimulus money for energy projects, the Governor's Office has reported.
The Nevada State Office of Energy and the Nevada Housing Division have received letters from the U.S. Department of Energy commending their efforts at leading the nation by quickly and efficiently infusing federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds within Nevada communities. 

The Stewart Father’s Day Powwow Committee in partnership with the Nevada Indian Commission and the Stewart Alumni will host the 2010 Stewart Father’s Day Powwow at the former Stewart Indian School in Carson City, Stewart Campus, 5500 Snyder Avenue.

CARSON CITY – Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers agree the 2011 legislative session will likely see a debate about the future of Nevada’s public employee pension program, but differences remain over whether radical change is needed to protect the state from a multi-billion long-term unfunded liability.

Part 2 of a Series on Key GOP State Senate Primary Races
CARSON CITY – While Republican voters have a rare chance to chart the course of the GOP Senate caucus in the upcoming primary, the candidates described by some political observers as the establishment choice say they too are true fiscal conservatives who believe in core party values.

Part 1 of 2 on Five Key State Senate Races
CARSON CITY – Over the past several legislative sessions the state Senate Republican caucus has shown a willingness to work across the aisle with Democrats, with some GOP lawmakers voting more than once for tax increases as a way to balance the budget.

CARSON CITY – A member of the citizen’s panel appointed by lawmakers to chart Nevada’s future for the next 20 years expressed concern today about whether the process to be followed to complete the effort conforms to meet the requirements of the state Open Meeting Law.

In the waning hours of the special session this past February, legislators hurriedly introduced and passed Senate Bill 5, a bill intended, among other things, to remove the sunset on part of a half-percent sales tax passed in 2003.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons announced yesterday he is pursuing an initiative petition to subject labor negotiations between unions and local government entities to the open meeting law to give taxpayers access to the discussions.
Some Republican lawmakers welcomed the idea, saying the Democrat-controlled Legislature has been unwilling to consider such a proposal.

Executives from P3 Development were introduced to the members of the Carson Nugget Redevelopment Advisory Committee tonight, saying they were looking forward to working as partners with Carson City and the Nugget.

For a play-by-play of the meeting, check out the live blog here.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Jim Gibbons is touting his successes in implementing recommendations from his SAGE Commission on ways to improve efficiencies and save money in state government, but many of the proposals remain in progress or will require action by the 2011 Legislature.

CARSON CITY — Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley spoke today about a number of issues concerning both Nevada and the nation, including immigration reform and Nevada’s projected budget shortfall.

CARSON CITY — Nevadans who intend to vote early in the primary and general elections this year will likely find themselves in the dark on the question of who has contributed to the campaigns of the candidates.
Despite efforts in past legislative sessions to improve the transparency of campaign contributions received by candidates, lawmakers have failed to make meaningful reforms to the reporting process.

The Carson City Shade Tree Council will be hosting its annual Arbor Day Celebration on April 30, 2010. The celebration will be held in the park across from the State Library on the corner of Stewart and Musser Streets and will begin at 5:30 p.m. and is scheduled to last an hour.

RENO – The three Republican candidates vying to become the next governor of Nevada engaged in a spirited discussion Friday on issues ranging from taxes and public education to the future of Yucca Mountain.

CARSON CITY – Two of the four Republican candidates seeking to replace Sen. Randolph Townsend in state Senate District 4 in Washoe County attacked one another’s records in a debate televised today on the Nevada NewsMakers program.
Assemblyman Ty Cobb said one of his opponents, Ben Kieckhefer, has called for “revenue enhancements” which Cobb said is support for a tax increase. Kieckhefer denied the charge.

CARSON CITY – A legislative panel was told by the Department of Motor Vehicles yesterday that a new version of a regulation implementing Real ID in Nevada is being drafted that will allow residents to keep the older, traditional license if they choose to do so.

On Tax Day it was my day off so I thought I'd go to the Tea Party in front of the Legislature to check out the scene. As a Progressive in my first Tea Party, I found it both exhiliarating and stomach turning. Despite my patchouli scented locks and my tie dyed hat, no one seemed to recognize me as "the enemy" so I browsed and schmoozed freely all over the area. Met 2 ex-coworkers there who were protesting with signs and I even got my picture taken with Govenor Gibbons! (I'll attach it here if I can.) He was real nice.

A crowd of about 600 people gathered around the courtyard surrounding the Nevada State Capitol for the tea party rally. Many held signs condemning big-government policies, calling for Senator Harry Reid’s defeat, protesting tax increases, and ridiculing President Barack Obama.

With veiled threats to the governors of Nevada and several other states last month by a far-right militia group, the amount of anti-government fervor may be boiling over nationally, but all is peaceful today in Carson City as more than a thousand have gathered at the Capitol to protest President Barack Obama, Sen. Harry Reid and health care.

Oh, and taxes. But there were far more anti-Obama and Harry Reid signs and a few Hitler ones than anything remotely about the IRS, today being the filing deadline for federal income taxes.

This morning in a statewide media conference call moderated by the Nevada News Bureau, candidate Brian Sandoval fielded questions on numerous issues including the 2003 Supreme Court ruling on the two-thirds legislative supermajority needed to increase taxes, tax policy, the Tax Pledge, budget cuts and higher education salaries, renewable energy mandates and the state’s health care reform lawsuit.

From Rory Reid Campaign:

Rory Reid recently announced his plan to rebuild and transform education in Nevada. So far, the response from people across the state – and even across the ideological spectrum – has been overwhelmingly positive.

From Emily Richmond, one of the state’s most experienced education reporters:
Rory Reid’s reform plan: Boost education, boost economy
(Las Vegas Sun, 3/23/10)

CARSON CITY – A Las Vegas attorney running for attorney general as a Republican against Democrat incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto, and who called for a State Bar investigation into her release of a letter to the press about a potential legal challenge to the federal health care law, is now himself the subject of a bar inquiry.
Attorney Jacob Hafter called the inquiry ridiculous.
“It just shows the type of protection these incumbents have,” he said.

CARSON CITY — There haven’t been any arrests or any contraband seized since security was tightened at the state Capitol in the wake of a March 31 letter warning Gov. Jim Gibbons to resign.
In fact, Gibbons hasn’t been in his Carson City office since a group called Guardians for a Free Republic sent notices to Gibbons and governors in other states to quit or it would quietly commandeer state offices.
Click here to read the Las Vegas Sun story: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/09/no-arrests-or-incidents-security-heightened-capito/

Four attorneys with ties to the issues and parties of Nevada’s health care reform lawsuit gave their perspectives to media and political bloggers during a Nevada News Bureau-hosted conference call this afternoon.
Mark Hutchison, lead counsel for Governor Gibbons’ newly retained pro-bono team, said he plans to participate in a conference with US District Court Judge Roger Vinson next week as part of the process to join Florida and other states in an amended complaint challenging the federal government on provisions in the recently passed health care legislation.

CARSON CITY – Nevada has crafted the proper policies of low taxes and small government that has helped it weather the current recession, and these same policies have positioned the state to respond favorably when the economic recovery takes hold, according to a report released today by the American Legislative Exchange Council.

CARSON CITY – A member of the Gibbons administration said today he believes Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto violated attorney-client privilege when she commented on legal work she is doing on behalf of the governor.
The comment was made by Deputy Chief of Staff Lynn Hettrick during an interview on the Nevada NewsMakers television program. The discussion centered on Gibbons’ decision to move forward today with a challenge to the federal health care law without the participation of the attorney general’s office.

The recently-passed health insurance reform bill will lead to major changes for Nevada’s Medicaid program.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s  leading gubernatorial hopefuls all acknowledge the importance of ensuring the long-term health of the public employee pension program, but the three Republican candidates – Gov. Jim Gibbons, former federal judge Brian Sandoval and former North Las Vegas mayor Mike Montandon – each say it is time for significant changes.

In an act of defiance against the advice given him by Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto, Governor Gibbons appears to be arranging to have private counsel, acting on his behalf as Governor, file suit against enactment of the recently passed National Health Care Reform Act.

A dozen community and labor groups from Nevada have signed onto a letter to Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto urging her to support, not file suit, over federal health care reform.
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons this week demanded the Attorney General join a lawsuit filed by 14 other Attorneys General to block implementation of federal health care reform, a package of changes that critics of the lawsuits claim are needed in Nevada, where an estimated 400,000 men, women and children lack health insurance coverage.