State of the State Address

The elections in November 2014 were a great surprise to many and shock to some. The people swept all Democrats out of the state-wide offices, reversed the majorities in both houses of the Legislature, and by a 4-to-1 margin defeated the "margin" tax. We the Republican base were looking forward to restoring long-overdue sanity at the State level.

Gov. Brian Sandoval and three former governors called on state lawmakers today to pass a tax bill that would raise $438 million for education in the next two years. The plea came 72 days after Sandoval’s State of the State address in which he eschewed traditional conservative ideologies and ......

Rank-and-file teachers may applaud Gov. Brian Sandoval’s promise to pour more funds into education, but any celebration may be muted by another pledge: He said he wants to get rid of collective bargaining.

Sandoval provided no details in his State of the State address Thursday night, but even the hint that unions are in his sights is likely to ignite a partisan debate about teacher unions in the coming Legislature.

Gov. Brian Sandoval in his third State of the State address laid out a sweeping reform plan including elements designed to please progressi...

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno, who represents Carson City, issued the following statement regarding Gov. Brian Sandoval’s State of the State address: “Tonight, Governor Sandoval took a stand...

Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval delivers his annual state of the state address before a joint session of the Nevada Legislature in Carson City beginning at 6 p.m. Go here to watch it live.

This Thursday is both National Strawberry Ice Cream Day and National Hat Day. You may want some ice cream for your vocal cords after you hit the Karaoke circuit; Jimmy G’s Cigar Bar, Caterpillar’s Hookah Lounge, and the Feisty Goat Pub all want to see you wearing your performing hat tonight. On a more local level, today also brings the annual State of the State address delivered by our Governor, Brian Sandoval.

THURSDAY:

The Nevada Indian Commission will host the 2015 Tribal Legislative Forum at the former Stewart Indian School in Carson City from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15 at 5500 Snyder Ave., Building #1. The commission’s board meeting follows the Forum in Building #3 at 1:30 p.m.

While acknowledging Nevadans have more work to do before their economy and education system are healthy, Gov. Brian Sandoval touted a Silver State on the mend during his second State of the State address Wednesday evening.

As Prepared for Delivery Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013:

Madam Speaker, Mr. President, Distinguished Members of the Legislature, Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court, Constitutional Officers, Senator Heller, honored guests…...

CARSON CITY - Gov. Brian Sandoval isn't giving up many details as he finalizes his 2013-15 spending plan ahead of his State of the State address on Wednesday. But Nevada's bleak revenue picture suggests that it will likely be a mostly status quo budget with little in the way of new spending.

Sandoval said last week he continues to tweak his address, which will focus largely on both public K-12 schools and higher education, the two components that make up 55 percent of the current two-year, $6.2 billion budget.

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.”

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval said today his administration has fully complied with a requirement in state law to provide preliminary state budget data to lawmakers and their staff.

“The agency requests have been presented to the Legislature in accordance with the law,” he said. “I don’t see any problems.”

CARSON CITY – A letter from 12 U.S. Senators and 61 members of the House to the nation’s governors asking them to oppose the creation of health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act comes too late to have any effect in Nevada.

CARSON CITY – Brian Sandoval has made it clear in his first eight months on the job that he is going to be a “hands on” chief executive, as evidenced by decisions he has made to be personally involved on issues ranging from economic development to homeland security.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval said today he is making big strides in his top priority of improving the Nevada economy and growing jobs.
Sandoval said he has been making calls to businesses interested in relocating to the state and is getting ready to launch a newly revised economic development board to help the state turn the economic corner.

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s public employee retirement system saw a whopping 21 percent return on its investments in the fiscal year ending June 30, the executive officer of the agency said today.
“I believe this is the best performance we’ve had in at least 25 years with the fund,” said Dana Bilyeu, executive officer of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS).

My fellow Nevadans, good evening.

Three months ago, I delivered a State of the State Address against the backdrop of record unemployment and sharply reduced state revenue. I believed then, as I do now, that by controlling state spending and changing the way we do business, we could bring about a sustained economic recovery that would get Nevada working again. And so tonight, I’m pleased to come before you with a second and more positive report on the state of Nevada’s economy.

By Andrew Doughman
CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval tonight highlighted an improved economic output as reason to stay the course with his proposed general fund budget.
During a televised address from the governor’s mansion,the governor highlighted a lower unemployment rate and an aggregate $440 million reduction in budget cuts that comes from revised revenue projections and federal government changes.
He used his speech as a platform for patience and optimism, refuting claims from Democrats that Nevada needs more revenue.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval said today the Legislature should take up the policy initiatives he has proposed in his budget and State of the State address based on their own merits, and not be used in trade for negotiations on fee or tax increases.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval said today the Legislature should take up the policy initiatives he has proposed in his budget and State of the State address based on their own merits, and not be used in trade for negotiations on fee or tax increases.

By Andrew Doughman / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Sometimes, trying to read the CEO’s mind can be a political game.
Critics of Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed education cuts have said business owners will not move to a state that ravages its already low-performing education system with spending reductions.

CARSON CITY – Teachers could forfeit portions of their salaries awarded for obtaining masters of doctorate degrees under a new proposal.
In what could amount to a pay cut, Gov. Brian Sandoval has proposed eliminating that type of compensation in favor of $20 million in performance pay.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Construction industry groups advocating for a tax increase to fund public works projects around the state to help put people back to work made their pitch to a legislative committee today, but the Building Jobs Coalition proposal faces opposition from Gov. Brian Sandoval.

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.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – While there has been a lot of criticism directed at the details of Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed spending plan, there is acclaim for his development of a new budgeting process designed to ensure state agencies get results with taxpayer dollars.

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.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – They have names like the Landscape Architecture Board, the Nevada Arts Council and the Commission on Mineral Resources, and there are more than 180 of them functioning within Nevada state government.

By Andrew Doughman / Nevada News Bureau
RENO – When Gov. Brian Sandoval’s staff reduced funding for the Sierra Regional Center in the governor’s proposed budget, he may not have known what that would mean to the Stangelands.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Nevada fares well among the states in a new report that includes unfunded public pension liabilities as part of overall state debt.