State Legislature

SPARKS — Former Republican Party of Nevada Chairman Mark Amodei yesterday blew out the competition and became his party’s nominee for the 2nd congressional district special election on Sept. 13.
Amodei needed 162 of 323 member votes to win. He pulled in 221 votes compared to state Sen. Greg Brower who earned 56 votes and retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Kirk Lippold who received 46 votes.

Mile High Jazz Band celebrates Nevada Arts Day at Comma Coffee, across the street from the State Legislature, with a program of big-band jazz featuring vocalist Sheryl Adams. The performance will be outdoors in the courtyard, weather permitting.

Admission is $5 at the door, free for age 18 and under.
Information: 775-883-4154 or milehighjazz.com

By the Nevada Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
The State of Nevada announced today that it has reached agreements between the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) and Eureka County, Elko County and Clark County (Mt. Charleston) to continue to provide “all-risk” emergency services to these counties.

These services were scheduled to be transferred back to the respective counties June 30, 2012, per Gov. Brian Sandoval’s recommended budget now being considered by the Nevada State Legislature.

Statewide taxable sales for February increased 4.3 percent over last year and represents a 5 percent increase for eight consecutive months, the state's Department of Taxation reports today. Carson City saw a 10.4 percent increase over last year, likely because of the State Legislature session.

This is "do-or-die" day for a number of bills before the state legislature in Carson City, which must pass today or be dead for this legislative session. They include a measure that is designed to get more local businesses to install rooftop renewable-energy devices. You may have heard of net-metering, where home owners install renewable energy systems and sell power back to the grid. This bill (SB184), is designed to reach the next level, small and mid-sized business.

A light agenda on Tuesday for the Carson City School District Board, with a discussion on bond projects, an update on proposed education cuts by the State Legislature and recognition of the district's Educators of the Year.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William Street.

CARSON CITY – Bills related to immigration at the Nevada State Legislature did not make it past an important deadline last week.
One bill from Assemblyman Pat Hickey, R-Reno, would have required Nevada to use an electronic database to verify a person’s employment eligibility.

By Teresa Moiola / Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs
The Nevada Arts Council presents "Thick Dreams," a series of mixed media artwork by Nick Larsen, in its Carson City office now through June 3 as part of the Office eXhibition Series. An artist talk and reception will be held Thursday, April 14 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

By Don Quilici
Mark your calendars for April 24-26 for the highly-popular John Riordan Invitational Fishing Derby. John is the Assistant General Manager for the Carson Station Hotel and Casino in Carson City, and this will be the 14th version of his annual, fun-filled, fishing event at Topaz Lake.
His derby is traditionally co-headquartered at the Topaz Lake Marina and the Topaz Lake Lodge at Topaz Lake, which lies along the Nevada-California state line about 40 miles south of Carson City.

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YBP Event @ State Government Day

Carson City LEADERSHIP & Young Business Professionals in conjunction with Reno’s LEADERSHIP and Young Professional Network invite you to State Government Day.

Hear from our State’s leaders, Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki, Speaker John Oceguera and Secretary of State Ross Miller with tours of the State Capitol, Supreme Court, State Legislature and the State Library & Archives

Cost: $12 includes lunch

Only a few spaces available so RSVP Now!
882-1565 or ybp@carsoncitychamber.com

RENO, Nev. — An additional round of budget reduction proposals totaling $13.8 million was announced at the University of Nevada, Reno today.

Today’s announcement follows the University’s March 2011 announcement of $26 million in proposed budget reductions, according to a news release issued by UNR officials. When combined, the proposals represent a reduction of $39.8 million and the elimination of 318 positions. A total of 1,600 students are directly impacted by the proposed academic program reductions.

(This article is from Around Carson, at http://aroundcarson.com/2011/03/21/rally_at_the_legislature/)

Here is the Carson City road construction report for Monday through March 13:

Clearview Drive is closed between Edmonds Drive and Line Drive for construction on the next phase of the Nevada Department of Transportation freeway project. Detours are marked. The road is expected to reopen by November of 2011.

Utility work will occur on Russell Way between Northridge Drive and Long Street on Monday, March 7. Two-way traffic will be maintained with flaggers.

A number of Silver City residents will go before lawmakers today to show their support of a proposed amendment to Nevada's eminent domain law that would remove the ability of a private person or business to exercise the law for the purposes of mining.

The current law on eminent domain (Chapter 37 of the Nevada Revised Statues) allows private individuals to take private land from property owners without their consent, for the purposes of mining. Testimony on this bill will be heard by the Judiciary Committee of the Nevada State Legislature today at 9 a.m. in room 2149.

The twisted and weathered woods of the Great Basin environment become imaginative and sometimes whimsical works of art in a new exhibit at the Western Nevada College Main Gallery.
Sculptor Larry Williamson exhibits his "Great Basin Work," Monday, Feb. 14-Friday, March 25, with a free, public reception on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 5-6:30 p.m.

Williamson's carved creations are fabrications of his mind and his materials - aged pieces of wood found on the floor of the Great Basin. What transpires is an imaginative recount of the landscape that has surrounded him most of his life.

CARSON CITY – Nevadans could pay up to $625,684 to consultants who are helping the state implement the controversial federal health care reform law under a state contract.
The contract with Massachusetts-based Public Consulting Group allows up to that level of spending through June 30, 2012.

CARSON CITY – Mention government transparency and “Twitter” probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
A communication technology that gives users 140 characters to share where they just had lunch or “Tweet” trivia about the weather and celebrities doesn’t immediately scream “politics” either.
But Nevada state legislators, lobbyists and journalists are finding more and more use in Twitter because the platform allows information gathering and governing at high speed.

CARSON CITY – The logic of Gov. Brian Sandoval goes something like this: If you’re going to make me do it, let me do it my way.

The Washoe County Republican Party board unanimously endorsed former Assemblyman Greg Brower and former Assemblywoman Patty Cafferata to replace retiring Sen. Bill Raggio.
In a statement released Jan. 13, the board agreed that Brower and Cafferata were the most-qualified candidates because of their prior legislative experience.

By Andrew Doughman / Nevada News Bureau
State Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, announced his retirement today, ending a 38-year career in the state Senate.
He released a statement this morning making his resignation effective Jan. 15, 2011, citing mobility problems as the chief reason for his retirement. He said the time has come for him to “step aside” and make way for someone “who can give the position a 100 percent effort.”

Plans to install solar panels at five Carson City schools can proceed on schedule, a district court judge ruled today.

Carson City District Court Sr. Judge Deborah Agosti said it was her opinion that the Carson City School District acted within the scope of the law when it came to a joint bid opportunity with the city of Sparks to install the panels.

On Monday the Northern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council filed a petition in Carson City District Court to stop progress on the nearly $11 million project.

Eighteen members of the local chamber's popular Leadership Carson City program now join more than 300 graduates, having successfully completed the program earlier this month.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 session, which begins Jan. 13. The Leadership program has been offered annually by the Carson City Chamber of Commerce since 1989.

HENDERSON, Nev. – The Henderson Chamber of Commerce’s IMPAC Committee has announced its support of ballot questions 3 and 5.

IMPAC serves as a comprehensive, non-partisan political committee that contributes to the creation of a favorable business climate in Henderson as it relates to issues at the state and local level.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – With the Nevada campaign season kicking into high gear in the four weeks remaining before election day, candidates and their supporters are also starting to focus on what could mean the difference between victory and defeat: voter turnout.

Nevada News Bureau staff
Nevada’s state and local governments have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars over the past two years through lavish and wasteful spending – in some cases by outright theft – according to a new study from the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI) and Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW).

By Nevada News Bureau staff
Republican Congressional candidate Joe Heck said today he expects the race between him and incumbent Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., to be decided by no more than 2 percentage points in the November general election.

By Andrew Barbano
Longtime Nevada labor leader Danny Coyle died of cancer in Carson City early Saturday morning, July 17. He was 74 years old.
At the time of his death, he was president of the retiree chapter of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 4041/AFL-CIO, an organization he founded. He was concurrently legislative vice-chair of the Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans. He had also served as president of AFSCME Local 4041/AFL-CIO.

The state has signed a four-year $12 million contract with AT&T for telecommunications services, including private network, managed internet services and security, now making AT&T the primary communications provider in Northern Nevada.

Ok, so we know who won. But did yesterday's vote tell us anything?

I wrote earlier about how the outcome of the supervisors races could give us a clue on how the public views the Nugget Project, AKA the Carson City Center Project.

Karen Abowd, the only candidate to openly support the project, did come in first in her primary with 31 percent of the vote in a six-way race.

With early voting under way for the Nevada primaries, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chad Christensen yesterday maintained that he will come out on top, despite polls showing him trailing well behind candidates Sue Lowden, Sharron Angle, and Danny Tarkanian..