Governor

CARSON CITY – The Nevada State Democratic Party today said Gov. Brian Sandoval should immediately disclose state agency budget requests to the Legislature and public.

Some state lawmakers expressed concern at an Interim Finance Committee meeting in October that the Sandoval administration had not provided them with information about state agency requests over and above their base budget requests, known as “items for special consideration.”

The Carson City Historical Society’s Christmas party will be Sunday, December 16, 2012 at the Bliss Mansion from 2 – 4 pm. We are sure to have a festive holiday afternoon at the lovely Bliss Mansion with hors d’oeurves, wine, and two kinds of entertainment. Dr. Michael Fischer, well-known Chautauqua speaker, will treat us to his impersonation of Governor John Sparks. Afterwards, Consort Trio (a trio from the popular Consort Canzona including harpsichord, cello, and recorder) will perform. The trio will play music from AD 1400 – 1620. You won’t want to miss this delightful performance!

This morning, Governor Brian Sandoval joined the Battle Born Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the first grade class from St. Teresa School in laying a wreath as part of the Wreaths Across America Project.

CARSON CITY – The city of Reno has been selected as one of only 100 recipients of IBM’s prestigious Smarter Cities Challenge grant for 2013.

Partners in the project include the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, University of Nevada, Reno, EDAWN, Desert Research Institute and the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization.

As a matter of law, the Nevada state constitution requires a balanced budget. As a matter of economic law and history, raising taxes will never balance a budget. It never has and never will. If a budget cannot be balanced without tax increases, it will never be balanced afterwards. The reason is simple, raising taxes decreases tax revenues and strangles growth. Many Nevada taxpayers believe that our legislators seek to redistribute our tax dollars to buy votes or political power rather than serve the public good.

Ferrari Public Affairs, a Nevada-based legislative lobbying and public affairs firm, has launched a new website at www.ferraripa.com. The site showcases the company’s services and expanding team of professionals.

“The firm has evolved significantly since we opened our doors five years ago. We have helped clients succeed on the local, state and national regulatory and legislative levels and we are proud of the work and reputation we have achieved,” said Ferrari.

I told you so, again and again for four years. OK, so Obama did not cancel the elections; he did one better, he put the veneer of the "will of the people" on it. Voting is the best revenge...? He never had to say, against whom.

CARSON CITY – A majority of Nevada voters on Tuesday approved a measure sought by some state lawmakers that will now allow them to call a special session of the Legislature on “extraordinary occasions.”

The vote in support of the constitutional amendment was 54 percent to 46 percent opposed.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval announced today that the Clark County School District’s  $40 million Race to the Top grant application will move forward with the support of the Clark County Education Association.

The 3,000 bags of Halloween candy that Gov. Brian Sandoval handed out Wednesday night to trick-or-treaters at the Governor's Mansion in Carson City weren't Snickers or M&Ms or something made in Hershey, Pa.

Along with neighborhood trick or treating, a handful of Halloween events are lined up for Wednesday including A Halloween Festival planned at Carson Mall. Costumed kids, face painting, games, prizes, snacks and more are featured from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Parents and children can then move on to the Governor's Mansion for an annual Halloween meet and greet, trick or treat.

NIXON, Nev. – Wayne Burke, Tribal Chairman of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe died early Sunday morning in Nixon. Burke, hailed as a passionate advocate for Native American Veterans affairs and water rights to Pyramid Lake was 38 years old.

The Nevada Day Governor's Banquet at the Grand Sierra Resort Summit Pavilion in Reno will be shown live, beginning at 6 p.m., tonight (Thursday) by Carson City-based We Shoot Video. Go here to watch it live. For the fourth year We Shoot Video will also produce live coverage and running online streaming commentary of the Nevada Day Parade beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday.

On Tuesday, October 16, 2012 the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security held its quarterly meeting in Carson City. Gov. Brian Sandoval, chairman of the Homeland Security Commission, along with 16 commission members tackled a lengthy agenda, including committee updates, recommendations and implementation of new processes.
 

Watch the LIVE Webcasts of the Governor’s Banquet and the Parade.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s next two-year general fund budget would grow by $279 million to $6.46 billion based on the initial spending requests submitted by state agencies, information released today by the Budget Division shows.

Nevada NFIB State Director, Randi Thompson, and several Carson City small business owners, made the following statements following the first presidential debate and in anticipation for the first vice presidential debate.

CARSON CITY – The state Department of Transportation will review the costs associated with a free program that helps stranded freeway motorists in the Reno and Las Vegas areas after a report to the board overseeing the agency shows that more than $2.3 million was spent on the service in 2011.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval’s trade mission to the People’s Republic of China has announced two business agreements for companies located in Northern and Southern Nevada. A collaborative research agreement with the Desert Research Institute (DRI) was also expanded.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Division of Insurance is seeking public input on the selection of Nevada’s essential health benefits plan.
The essential health benefits plan for Nevada will be the benchmark set of health care services that will be required in all individual and small group health insurance plans starting in 2014.

CARSON CITY – Nevada voters will determine the fate of only one statewide measure in the Nov. 6 general election, but the proposal put on the ballot by the Legislature is somewhat controversial.

CARSON CITY – The state Board of Examiners today voted to settle a legal dispute with Washoe County over local tax revenue taken by the 2009 Legislature to balance the state budget.

The settlement provides an immediate payment of $1.25 million to the county, with another $6 million being allocated later for major road maintenance projects. As part of the agreement, the road projects will be moved up in the state’s funding priorities.

Flags will be flown at half-staff around Nevada in remembrance of the families and victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a proclamation ordering flags lowered Tuesday at all state buildings, from sunup to sundown.

CARSON CITY – The state Board of Examiners on Tuesday will consider settling a dispute with Washoe County over $21.5 million in local property tax revenue taken by the 2009 Legislature to balance the state budget.

The proposed settlement would provide an immediate payment of $1.25 million to the county, with another $6 million being allocated later for major road maintenance projects.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval today met with members of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce to discuss his upcoming trade mission to the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Korea.

How to meet unfunded mandates and keep up with the demands the state of Nevada has made as it shifts services to Carson City will be presented as a discussion and possible action item when the Board of Supervisors meet this week.
Carson City leaders will consider drafting a letter to Gov. Brian Sandoval with copies to the city's legislators, about changes made at the state level which have cut services and have required local governments, such as Carson City, to pick up the tab.

CARSON CITY – Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval had his moment in the national spotlight today at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, using his six minutes at the podium to talk of his humble beginnings and the need for change in the White House.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval today announced Gerald Gardner has been named chief of staff effective September 5. Gardner takes over for Heidi Gansert who has served as the governor’s chief of staff for the past twenty months and who announced her resignation yesterday.

CARSON CITY – A board overseeing the creation of the state’s health insurance exchange opted today not to seek general fund support to subsidize the fees charged to participants in the program.

The Finance and Sustainability Advisory Subcommittee of the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange Board had proposed subsidizing the monthly fee paid by enrollees with a general fund appropriation from the state Insurance Premium Tax.

CARSON CITY – The state Board of Examiners, including Gov. Brian Sandoval, today approved a contract worth up to $72 million through 2016 to set up the information technology system needed to implement the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange.

The contract with Xerox State Healthcare will allow the state to move forward with the exchange, basically a one-stop shop for purchasing health insurance. The exchanges were authorized by the Affordable Care Act, most of which was upheld in a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June.