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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
15 quiet casualties of the 2025 legislative session
(Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) The pharmaceutical middlemen who play a role in inflating consumer drug prices escaped additional regulations by state lawmakers, after the Nevada State Legislature failed to pass a bill designed to curb how much profit they can make. Democratic state Sen. Rochelle Nguyen's Senate Bill 316 would have established 'guardrails' for pharmaceutical benefit managers, such as requiring PBMs to pass along to consumers rebate savings they receive from the drug companies. Nguyen led the legislative effort but a bipartisan group of eight other lawmakers signed on, including Republican state Sen. Jeff Stone, a pharmacist, and Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus, a medical doctor. The Senate and Assembly passed different versions of SB216, both with broad bipartisan support. Only Democratic state Sens. Dina Neal and Fabian Donate opposed. However, those votes came in the waning days of the legislative session, and the Senate did not get around to voting on whether to accept the Assembly's amendments. Here are 14 other bills the Nevada Current has covered that fell short (or really far) from becoming law during the 2025 Legislative Session. Pet store ban. Assembly Bill 487 originally sought to ban retail pet sales statewide, following the lead of several municipalities that banned them within their borders. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Natha Anderson, passed the Assembly with bipartisan support. It appeared stalled in the Senate but, right before a key deadline, was heard by a Senate committee and amended into a study bill. When it returned to the Assembly for concurrence, Anderson moved for the chamber to reject the amendment. A trio of lawmakers from both chambers were chosen for what's known as a 'conference committee' to try and reconcile the differences between the chambers. But it appears no action was taken. That means retail pet sales remain legal in municipalities without bans. Education management organizations. Senate Bill 318 (State Sen. Skip Daly, D) would have banned charter schools from contracting with for-profit education management organizations. The bill passed the Senate on party lines, with all Republicans opposing. It was referred to the Assembly Education Committee but was never given a hearing. That committee is chaired by Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett, who is also the executive director of a Las Vegas charter school contracted with Academica, the largest EMO in the state. Third-party ticket vendors. Senate Bill 431 originally attempted to remove an exemption Nevada-based sports teams have from the state's 8% live entertainment tax on tickets. That is an effort Democratic state Sen. Dina Neal has pushed in prior sessions. This year, the bill was amended into a bill to apply LET to tickets resold by third-party vendors like StubHub. Some of the funding would have supported public transit. The amended bill passed the Assembly with bipartisan support but was never given a floor vote in the Senate. Farm worker protections. Senate Bill 172 (State Sen. Edgar Flores, D) sought to bolster protections for farm workers and amend overtime pay laws to include agriculture workers. The bill passed the Senate on party lines, with all Republicans opposing, but got stuck in the Assembly. Free phone calls for prisoners. Senate Bill 323 (State Sen. Melanie Scheible, D) would have created a pilot program to provide free phone calls at Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center. The bill passed the Senate with 20-0, with one senator excused from the vote, but died on the Assembly side. Traffic cams in construction zones. Assembly Bill 402 (Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett, D) would have authorized traffic monitoring cameras in construction work zones when workers are present. The bill passed the Assembly with some bipartisan support, but then got stuck in the Senate Finance Committee. It was one of two 'red light camera' bills introduced into the session this year. The other missed a legislative deadline earlier in the session. Prison food study. Assembly Bill 246 (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) proposed a study on food quality, waste and nutrition within Nevada Department of Corrections prisons. The bill was considered and passed by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, but died in the chamber's Ways & Means Committee. Graduate assistant unions. Assembly Bill 191 (Assemblymember Natha Anderson, D) would have given graduate assistants the right to collectively bargain for better pay and conditions. The bill got stuck in the Assembly Ways & Means Committee. Commerce tax. Assembly Bill 276 (Assemblymember P.K. O'Neill, R) would have adjusted the commerce tax threshold to inflation. The bill got stuck in the Assembly Ways & Means Committee. Weight-loss drugs. Senate Bill 244 (State Sen. Roberta Lange, D) would have expanded the types of obesity treatments covered by Nevada Medicaid, including approving weight-loss drugs like Ozempic for wider use. The bill got stuck in the Senate Finance Committee. 'Second Look' Assembly Bill 91 (Assemblymember Erica Roth, D) is known as 'second look' legislation and would have created an avenue for those incarcerated to have sentences reviewed by the State Board of Parole Commissioners after they've served extended periods of time. The bill passed the Assembly on party lines, then died in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Lombardo's health care bill Senate Bill 495, known as the Nevada Health Care Access Act, was Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's health care bill. It passed the Senate on party lines, with Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus urging her caucus to oppose the bill over amendments added by Democrats related to freestanding emergency rooms. The Assembly did not vote on the bill. SNAP app. Assembly Bill 474 would have required DWSS to create a 'Smart Surplus Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.' The bill was criticized by local food banks, but passed the Assembly 40-1. Only Democratic Assemblymember Venicia Considine opposed. It was heard by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee but never voted out. Artificial intelligence. Senate Bill 199 (State Sen. Dina Neal, D) would establish guardrails around artificial intelligence. The bill passed out of a Senate committee in early April but saw no activity after that.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Teachers union looks to lawmakers to allow court-authorized strikes, reform arbitration process
Teachers strike posters line a whiteboard in a Clark County Education Association conference room on Aug. 23, 2019. (Photo by: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) The Clark County teachers union is pushing legislation to speed up the arbitration process and allow teachers to petition district court to allow them to legally go on strike. If the Legislature doesn't pass the proposal — or if Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes it — the union says it is prepared to make their case directly to Nevada voters through their 'right to strike' initiative, which is already slated to appear on the 2026 General Election ballot. Clark County Education Association, which represents the approximately 18,000 teachers and licensed professionals within the Clark County School District, is backing Senate Bill 161. The bill would establish an expedited arbitration process for teachers unions and school districts, which could kick in if a contract has not been reached 75 days before the start of a new school year. More controversially, the bill would also establish a pathway for K-12 public school teachers to legally go on strike, something they are currently prohibited from doing. The bill, which was given an exemption from standard legislative deadlines, received its first hearing Wednesday night in the Senate Committee on Government Affairs. The bill was immediately passed out of committee on a 5-2 vote and is headed to the full Senate for possible consideration. State Sen. Rochelle Nuygen, the Las Vegas Democrat sponsoring the bill, told the committee that the threshold set in SB 161 to authorize a strike is high. Teachers would have to make the case that their proposed strike would be 'equally or less detrimental' to students than remaining in schools that are failing them through existing policies or conditions. The strike would also not apply to special education services, food services, mental health counseling, and after-school supervision. Nguyen characterized it as a nuanced approach that meets the spirit of the state's existing anti-strike law while addressing the established pattern of prolonged arbitration between the fifth largest school district in the country and its largest bargaining unit. In contrast, the right-to-strike ballot initiative would be a 'blunt instrument,' she argued. Nevada state law prohibits legislators from altering a law established through the initiative petition process for two regular sessions (so, four years) after it is approved by voters, so lawmakers couldn't quickly alter it if issues arose. 'That's the choice,' CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita told the Nevada Current in an interview. 'The choice is: This is going to be on the ballot in '26. We have the resources to run a successful campaign. We've done field research. We have the support.' Bradley Schrager, an attorney who represented the teacher's union in numerous cases two years ago, pointed out in the bill hearing that CCSD and CCEA have reached a negotiation impasse and gone into arbitration four times in the past decade. 'There's only five two-year cycles in a decade,' he added. The pattern of prolonged arbitration means teachers are routinely beginning the academic year without new contracts in place, which can be demoralizing and lead to poor teacher retention, argued CCEA members who spoke in support of the bill. That was the case in 2023, when the Legislature and Lombardo approved a K-12 education budget they routinely described as 'historic' in its funding levels, only to see another impasse and months of public bickering between the district and union. That year, a contract agreement was reached in December, halfway through the school year. That fall, a significant percentage of teachers at a handful of schools coordinated 'sickouts,' leading to those schools closing for one day. The court ruled it strike activity, which put the union at risk of punishment. SB 161 'forces cooperation at a very early time,' said Schrager, and evens the playing field between the union and district. But not everyone agrees with that sentiment. Tom Clark, a lobbyist representing the Nevada Association of School Boards and the Reno+Sparks Chamber of Commerce, suggested teachers strikes would wreak havoc on communities, make national news, and cause pain and suffering to families. Tens of thousands of children could be left without childcare, he added. 'That's the leverage the strike gives to one side of the equation,' he said. 'That imbalance does nothing for negotiations, does nothing for the benefits of students, the teachers, the families, the people in our community that rely on the vital public service that our teachers and our schools provide.' The Nevada State Education Association, whose affiliate units include teachers in non-Clark counties and support staff in CCSD, is opposed to the bill on the grounds it would give teacher's unions an unfair advantage over other bargaining groups. NSEA and CCEA have an antagonistic relationship with one another. The Nevada Association of School Superintendents is also opposed, with lobbyist Mary Pierczynski arguing that states like Nevada have outlawed teacher strikes 'for very good reason.' 'The emphasis tonight has been on Clark County and CCEA but there are 17 school districts in our state and they will all be impacted,' she added. CCSD did not participate in the hearing and has not expressed a public position on the bill. When contacted by the Current for comment, the district's media relations department stated it is tracking the bill. 'District staff work with legislators to monitor changes made to the language in bill drafts. CCSD provides public comment on bills as appropriate throughout the process as the legislation progresses,' continued the statement. Nguyen in her presentation emphasized the bill is not a criticism of Jhone Ebert, CCSD's new superintendent, who started last month. Nguyen said she and others working on the bill are 'rooting for her success.' This year's legislative session is scheduled to end on June 2. That leaves SB 161 a little over three weeks to pass both chambers of the Legislature and make it to the governor's desk.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nevada charter schools keep falling behind on retirement contributions, says PERS
NV Prep is one of two charter schools currently in a repayment plan for PERS. ((Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) Charter schools made up five of the nine public employers in Nevada that at some point over the past 2 years fell more than 90 days delinquent on retirement contributions, state lawmakers learned Wednesday. The Public Employees' Retirement System of Nevada — better known as PERS — is now backing a bill in the state Legislature to establish a mechanism that allows them to recoup the delinquent contributions. 'The category of employer we've had the most trouble with is charter schools,' PERS Executive Officer Tina Leiss told lawmakers on the Assembly Government Affairs Committee Wednesday. With other types of public employers, such as local government, PERS is able to turn to the Nevada Department of Taxation, which has the authority to withhold payments of public dollars to the county, city or agency behind on the payments. 'Over the years we've been able to use that process successfully,' Leiss added. 'With charter schools there really is, right now, no one that we can go to that has authority over them.' Senate Bill 418 would enable the State Superintendent of Public Schools to withhold a charter school's per-pupil dollars in order to pay PERS. That option would only be available after the charter school is more than 90 days behind. The bill was unanimously approved by the Senate earlier this month and heard by the Assembly Government Affairs Committee on Wednesday. No groups have registered opposition to the bill. Any public employer falling behind on PERS contributions is a problem because it affects people's ability to retire. PERS cannot pay out a person's pension if the employer is behind on their contributions. Kent Ervin, who follows the Retirement Board as part of his work with the Nevada Faculty Alliance, called it 'outrageous and simply unacceptable.' 'These public charter schools have deducted the PERS contributions from employee's paychecks but did not forward even those amounts to PERS. Some have also not reported the service credits,' he said, referring to the amount of time a person has worked in a PERS-eligible position, which affects pension levels. 'It's a disgrace.' With charter schools, there is the added concern that they could shut down and never pay what they owe, leaving the state on the hook. 'I'm not picking on charter schools,' Leiss said, 'but charter schools are one of the few government entities that cease to exist. Our cities, counties, school districts, fire departments don't close.' Two charter schools — TEACH Las Vegas and Eagle Charter Schools, both in Southern Nevada — were delinquent on PERS payments before they shut down last year. PERS was paid the amounts owed as part of the closing of those schools. According to a memo from Nevada State Public Charter School Authority Executive Director Melissa Mackedon to the Charter School Board, NV Prep and Equipo Academy are on PERS contribution repayment plans approved by the Nevada Retirement Board. PERS staffer Teresa Chalmers told lawmakers that, as of April 12, the two charter schools had a combined outstanding balance of $266,120. The SPCSA memo lists a third charter school, Sage Collegiate, as being delinquent as of mid-April. The school was also identified by the SPCSA as being delinquent in late 2023, though it caught up. At least two other schools were identified by SPCSA as being delinquent but have since caught up. Leiss said that at one point charter schools had a combined $1 million in contributions delinquent. She also said she had no insight into why charter schools might be more prone to falling behind on PERS contributions than other public employers.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Broad coalition backs extending gas tax indexing in Clark County
Terrible's, the regional gas station chain, did not participate in the hearing for AB530 but is running opposition ads on their digital billboards. (Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) Clark County's decade-long practice of adjusting gas tax for inflation should continue for another decade before being subject to reapproval by voters, a broad coalition believes. Fuel revenue indexing — often referred to as FRI — adjusts the county's portion of fuel tax to inflation and has been a major source of funding for roadway projects in Southern Nevada since going into effect in 2014. FRI is currently scheduled to sunset at the end of 2026 unless voters approve an extension next year. RTC foresees future revenue shortfall if gas tax indexing allowed to expire For years, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) has warned that ending fuel revenue indexing will decrease roadway funding by two thirds — from $300 million to $100 million annually. A funding shortage that severe would result in canceled projects and the inability to keep up with roadway maintenance, according to RTC CEO M.J. Maynard-Carey. RTC's solution to the problem is Assembly Bill 530, which would allow the Clark County Commission, by a two-thirds vote, to extend FRI an additional decade beyond its current sunset date. Continuation beyond 2036 would require voter approval. Gas Tax in Clark County Federal: 0.184 State: 0.23 County: 0.10 FRI: 0.23 Other: 0.014 TOTAL: $0.758 per gallon, as of April 1 The Nevada State Legislature and then-Gov. Brian Sandoval first gave Clark County the authorization to use fuel revenue indexing in 2013. The Clark County Commission approved FRI for 2014 through 2016. In November 2016, Clark County voters extended FRI through 2026. That ballot measure passed with nearly 60% support. RTC currently receives 24.6 cents of the total 75.8 cents per gallon fuel tax, according to Maynard-Carey. Warren Hardy, chair of the RTC's Transportation Resource Advocacy Committee (TRAC), said the committee has 'looked at every aspect' of funding over several years and determined that 'FRI is the cornerstone.' 'If we are not able to extend FRI, we can fold our tent and go home on a whole bunch of issues related to transportation in Southern Nevada,' he said. 'I've said it's existential, and I stand by that.' TRAC Vice Chair Danny Thompson called AB530 'the most important bill to Southern Nevada this session.' More than $1 billion has been generated through FRI since 2014, according to Maynard-Carey. The money has supported 702 projects — 501 completed, 105 in construction, and 96 in the design phase. The loss of FRI would be compounded by increases in fuel efficiency and the adoption of electric vehicles, which already result in fewer taxable gallons of fuel being sold, added Maynard-Carey. More than 30 groups threw their support behind the bill during its hearing Thursday in the Assembly Committee on Growth & Infrastructure. Among them: Clark County and its five cities, multiple skilled trades unions, multiple building and construction industry groups, two universities (UNLV and Nevada State), two chambers of commerce (Urban and Vegas), Southwest Gas, and the Nevada Resort Association. 'Fuel tax is the best, most efficient way to collect those dollars that pay for our roads,' said Paul Enos, a lobbyist for the Nevada Trucking Association, which supports the bill. Just five groups opposed AB530, mostly on the grounds that the county commission should not be able to circumvent voters and that taxes are already too high. 'This takes away the right of the people,' said Janine Hansen of Nevada Families for Freedom and the Independent American Party. 'They were promised 10 years ago they would be able to vote on this. … Are we afraid of a vote by the people? Do we believe in democracy?' That same criticism was lobbed against a 2023 FRI bill that passed the Legislature with bipartisan support only to be vetoed by Gov. Joe Lombardo. That bill would have allowed the Clark County Commission to extend FRI indefinitely without a direct vote of the people. (That bill would have aligned Clark with Washoe County, which also indexes their fuel tax to inflation but has no sunset clause. Nevada's other counties do not index their fuel tax.) 'The arguments in favor of fuel revenue indexing are compelling, but a decision on this issue, which impacts household budgets every day, is most appropriately rendered by the voters,' Lombardo wrote in his 2023 veto message. Democratic Assemblymember Howard Watts, a sponsor of both FRI bills, said AB530's requirement to put the issue in front of Clark County voters in 2036 is meant to address such criticism. 'A final vote of the people has been maintained,' he said. 'We do respect the will of the people while also wanting to make sure that we can continue to provide this critical source of revenue for transportation infrastructure in our state.' Lombardo's office did not respond to the Current's request for comment on AB530.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nevada one of several states considering boosting antitrust protections
The office of Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who last year joined several other states in an ultimately successful effort to block a proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, did not respond to a request for comment about the bill. (Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) Nevada could be the first state to adopt legislation that would boost its ability to fight or address antitrust concerns. Senate Bill 218 would adopt the Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act, which would require companies to submit to state attorneys general the same notices and information they are already required to provide federal agencies prior to mergers or acquisitions. 'It does not require the attorney general to try and stop the merger,' emphasized state Sen. James Ohrenschall, the bill sponsor, during his presentation Thursday to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. It only requires that the AG be made aware of the proposal so they can analyze the impact of a merger or acquisition on industries, markets, and consumers in the state. The legislation was drafted by the Uniform Law Commission, a longstanding national nonprofit, nonpartisan group behind other broadly adopted state legislation, including the Uniform Commercial Code and the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act. Ohrenschall serves as a ULC commissioner. The pre-merger notification act has been introduced into eight state legislatures this year, including California, Utah and Colorado, according to ULC. States have the same right to enforce the federal merger law, said Dan Robbins, who chaired the ULC committee that drafted the act, but they may not find out about a proposed merger for months after their federal counterparts do. 'What often happens is a state will learn about it in a newspaper and say, 'Oh my goodness… I might want to take a look at that,'' said Robbins. 'What the state then needs to do is issue subpoenas and go into litigation, spending taxpayer dollars to get information that it could already have.' That's not good for businesses, he continued, which don't want states to come in months after they believe a deal is closed and say they have concerns. Under SB 218, Nevada would be notified only if the Silver State is the primary place of business or if the business has more than $25 million in net sales within the state. The attorney general's office would be prohibited from charging any fees for filing. Nevada already requires certain health care companies to inform the state about potential mergers. Lawmakers passed that legislation in 2021 over growing concerns about the consolidation of healthcare companies, particularly by private equity firms. SB 218 as introduced would expand notice to all companies making filings to the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division as required by the federal Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. The filings would be confidential at the state level, just as they are at the federal level. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford did not participate in the legislative hearing Thursday. The Current asked Ford's office whether he is supportive of the bill but did not receive a response by publication time. Ford last year joined several other states and the FTC in an ultimately successful effort to block a proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons. In 2019, Ford took action against a proposed merger between Sprint and T-Mobile, which was resolved with a $30 million settlement for Nevada. The Nevada Resort Association submitted an amendment to exempt businesses regulated by an administrative or regulatory agency. NRA Lobbyist Misty Grimmer told the committee those in the gaming industry are already required to give similar notice to the Nevada Gaming Control Board for approval of mergers and acquisitions of any size, so the act would be duplicative. The attorney general serves as legal counsel for the state's gaming division. State Sen. Skip Daly expressed concern the wording of the proposed amendment might be too vague and used by other industries lawmakers don't intend to exempt. Ohrenshall, Grimmer and the committee's legal counsel said they would work on refining the language of the amendment. The state legislation is being introduced against the backdrop of President Donald Trump firing two members of the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces antitrust laws. 'When people hear this news,' one of the commissioners who was fired told the New York Times 'they need to think about the billionaires behind the president at his inauguration.'
