Latest news with #JoeLombardo
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washoe County Democrat challenging Ford in 2026 governor's race
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Washoe County Democrat has confirmed she is running for governor, according to a Northern Nevada newspaper. Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill told the Reno Gazette-Journal she would challenge Aaron Ford for the Democratic nomination. Her official announcement is expected before the end of August. Ford, currently serving as Nevada attorney general, was previously the only Democrat in the race, although former Gov. Steve Sisolak and others are considering a run. The Democratic primary winner is likely to face Gov. Joe Lombardo, who faces Republican challenger Irina Hansen of Las Vegas. Hill was elected to her commission seat in 2020, and won re-election in 2024. Both victories were by wide margins. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The biggest political fights over Trump's megabill are converging in Nevada
When it comes to President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' few places could be impacted more significantly than Nevada — one of the country's most closely divided swing states. For starters, Nevada is expecting the law's changes to Medicaid and food assistance to boot hundreds of thousands of residents from crucial social safety net programs. Like other states in similar predicaments, lawmakers will have to scramble to figure out how to find money in the state budget to keep many of those people covered. But the impacts of the law on that budget and the state's broader finances could be even more significant than in many others because Nevada has no state income tax, and therefore is extremely limited in how it can find new revenues. Then there are the new law's tax provisions related to tipped employees and gamblers that will have an outsize effect on a state whose economy relies almost exclusively on casinos and hospitality. The implementation of the new law in the coming months and years will occur as Nevada is set to play a key role in the next midterm and presidential elections. In 2026, Gov. Joe Lombardo — who has walked a fine line between offering praise for certain aspects of the megabill while pushing back against others — is seen as the most vulnerable Republican governor up for re-election. And Nevada's battleground 3rd District, represented by Democratic Rep. Susie Lee, will be a key race in the fight for the House majority. And in 2028, Nevada will likely again host critical contests for the White House and Senate. Democrats are already eager to go on offense against the law. State Rep. Steve Yeager, the Democratic speaker of the state Assembly, said he's already been contacted by many constituents who have expressed 'concern about what this bill might mean for them' and how they could be impacted by its changes to Medicaid, food assistance, energy credits, taxes on tips and gambling. Yeager added he was going 'to make sure that every single voter who goes to the ballot box here next year in 2026 knows about this bill and knows about the impact.' 'A low-revenue state' Approximately 1 in 3 Nevadans are on Medicaid, according to data from the state and KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group, due in part to a massive expansion of the program back in 2013 by then-Gov. Brian Sandoval, one of the first Republican governors to embark on Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Trump's law will institute steep cuts to Medicaid and food aid benefits mostly by establishing new work requirements, restrict state-levied fees on health care providers that are mostly used to fund Medicaid, and preclude the federal government from being responsible for reimbursing states any longer. In Nevada, as many as 100,000 people could fall off Medicaid as a result, according to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. But unlike some other states, which may be able to shift funds around in their budgets to build financial support for affected residents, Nevada's hands are largely tied. It has no state income tax and has a state constitutional provision requiring a two-thirds majority to raise revenue. 'We don't have the funds to be able to fill these critical gaps,' Yeager said. 'We're a low-revenue state. … We're in a really tough place.' Nevada is also likely to be uniquely impacted by a pair of tax provisions. Starting in 2026, gamblers will have to pay more taxes under the GOP's new law. That's because the law will limit what gamblers can deduct from their yearly taxes to 90% of their losses. Bettors can currently deduct the entirety of their losses — up until their winnings. Bettors have expressed concerns that the provision could cause professional gambling in the U.S. to fold. And Nevada Democrats say it's all but certain to impact the bustling and crucial industry in the casino-laden state. 'This means if someone wins a big jackpot in Las Vegas and then loses that one jackpot later on, they would still be liable for 10% in taxes on gaming 'income,' even though they had not brought home anything,' Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said last week on the chamber floor. 'That's not just bad math, it's bad policy.' Meanwhile, Trump and Republicans have boasted of the law's provision that they call 'no tax on tips.' Trump unveiled the concept during a 2024 campaign event in Nevada, which is among the states with the highest concentration of service workers who rely on tips. 'If you're a restaurant worker, a server, a valet, a bellhop, a bartender, one of my caddies … your tips will be 100% yours,' Trump said of the policy idea during a January visit to Las Vegas shortly after he was sworn in for his second term. The law allows for a deduction on federal taxes of up to $25,000 in tipped income. At first glance, it appears it could be a boon for workers who rely heavily on tips. But economists at the Yale Budget Lab have written that 37% of all tipped workers don't earn enough money to even pay federal income tax, meaning that these people wouldn't gain from the new deduction. In addition, critics note the cap is relatively small and that it phases out once workers enter a higher income bracket ($150,000 per year). Plus, the provision only runs through 2028. Democrats also note that the law froze nearly all of the clean energy funds the state had received under President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. Nevada, where scorching temperatures have led to soaring energy costs for voters and businesses, was among the states that claimed the most IRA funds used to incentivize clean energy investments and jobs, as well as home energy rebates. As those funds dry up, so too could financial relief for residents and businesses. 'With the undoing of some of the Inflation Reduction Act, losing monies that were in the bill, we're going to lose solar jobs — and I am confident that our power bills are going to increase,' Yeager said. A key gubernatorial race Those impacts will loom particularly large in next year's governor's race in Nevada. Even before Trump enacted the law, Lombardo, who won his 2022 election over Democrat Steve Sisolak by just 1.5 percentage points, was the only Republican governor up for re-election next year whose race was rated by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report as a 'toss-up.' Nevada Democrats have already aggressively sought to link Lombardo to the 'big, beautiful bill.' 'Lombardo will have to reckon with the damage done to Nevadans' lives and livelihoods because he was too cowardly to stand up to Trump,' said Nevada Democratic Party Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno. Lombardo, for his part, has praised some of the tax provisions in the law, but he also warned Congress not to make changes to Medicaid funding ahead of its passage. 'While my administration continues to assess this bill as it moves to get signed into law, Nevadans should be excited about the potential impacts of tax cuts, investments in small businesses and American manufacturing, and efforts to help secure our border,' Lombardo wrote on X the day before Trump signed it into law. A spokesperson for Lombardo declined to comment for this story but referred to that post on X, in which Lombardo also lauded the law's 'no tax on tips' provision. The spokesperson also referred to the letters Lombardo wrote to Congress and state legislators expressing his concerns about the bill's impact on Medicaid, plus a letter he wrote to Trump urging him to reconsider the gambling losses provision. Lombardo was also among just seven Republican governors who did not sign a May letter in support of Trump's proposed 'big, beautiful bill.' That tension underscores the bind many Republican incumbents are likely to find themselves in during next year's midterms as they seek to take credit for some of the tax-saving mechanisms of the bill while distancing themselves from the cuts that Democrats are already hammering them on — all while trying to avoid running afoul of Trump. Responding to questions about the political impacts of the law, John Burke, a spokesperson for the Lombardo-supporting Better Nevada state PAC, said in an email, 'Under Governor Lombardo's leadership, Nevada is finally getting back on track, and the people of our state are seeing results.' He pointed specifically to accomplishments on affordable housing and education. 'The Governor has been vocal about his support for eliminating taxes on tips and supports a return to previous law on gambling losses,' Burke added. State Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is so far the only Democrat who's entered the race against Lombardo, slammed the law for its impacts on health care and food assistance. He said 'servers and bartenders and hospitality workers are going to be getting played' by Republicans' 'no tax on tips' claims. This article was originally published on
NBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
The biggest political fights over Trump's megabill are converging in Nevada
When it comes to President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill, ' few places could be impacted more significantly than Nevada — one of the country's most closely divided swing states. For starters, Nevada is expecting the law's changes to Medicaid and food assistance to boot hundreds of thousands of residents from crucial social safety net programs. Like other states in similar predicaments, lawmakers will have to scramble to figure out how to find money in the state budget to keep many of those people covered. But the impacts of the law on that budget and the state's broader finances could be even more significant than in many others because Nevada has no state income tax, and therefore is extremely limited in how it can find new revenues. Then there are the new law's tax provisions related to tipped employees and gamblers that will have an outsize effect on a state whose economy relies almost exclusively on casinos and hospitality. The implementation of the new law in the coming months and years will occur as Nevada is set to play a key role in the next midterm and presidential elections. In 2026, Gov. Joe Lombardo — who has walked a fine line between offering praise for certain aspects of the megabill while pushing back against others — is seen as the most vulnerable Republican governor up for re-election. And Nevada's battleground 3rd District, represented by Democratic Rep. Susie Lee, will be a key race in the fight for the House majority. And in 2028, Nevada will likely again host critical contests for the White House and Senate. Democrats are already eager to go on offense against the law. State Rep. Steve Yeager, the Democratic speaker of the state Assembly, said he's already been contacted by many constituents who have expressed 'concern about what this bill might mean for them' and how they could be impacted by its changes to Medicaid, food assistance, energy credits, taxes on tips and gambling. Yeager added he was going 'to make sure that every single voter who goes to the ballot box here next year in 2026 knows about this bill and knows about the impact.' 'A low-revenue state' Approximately 1 in 3 Nevadans are on Medicaid, according to data from the state and KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group, due in part to a massive expansion of the program back in 2013 by then-Gov. Brian Sandoval, one of the first Republican governors to embark on Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Trump's law will institute steep cuts to Medicaid and food aid benefits mostly by establishing new work requirements, restrict state-levied fees on health care providers that are mostly used to fund Medicaid, and preclude the federal government from being responsible for reimbursing states any longer. In Nevada, as many as 100,000 people could fall off Medicaid as a result, according to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. But unlike some other states, which may be able to shift funds around in their budgets to build financial support for affected residents, Nevada's hands are largely tied. It has no state income tax and has a state constitutional provision requiring a two-thirds majority to raise revenue. 'We don't have the funds to be able to fill these critical gaps,' Yeager said. 'We're a low-revenue state. … We're in a really tough place.' Nevada is also likely to be uniquely impacted by a pair of tax provisions. Starting in 2026, gamblers will have to pay more taxes under the GOP's new law. That's because the law will limit what gamblers can deduct from their yearly taxes to 90% of their losses. Bettors can currently deduct the entirety of their losses — up until their winnings. Bettors have expressed concerns that the provision could cause professional gambling in the U.S. to fold. And Nevada Democrats say it's all but certain to impact the bustling and crucial industry in the casino-laden state. 'This means if someone wins a big jackpot in Las Vegas and then loses that one jackpot later on, they would still be liable for 10% in taxes on gaming 'income,' even though they had not brought home anything,' Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said last week on the chamber floor. 'That's not just bad math, it's bad policy.' Meanwhile, Trump and Republicans have boasted of the law's provision that they call 'no tax on tips.' Trump unveiled the concept during a 2024 campaign event in Nevada, which is among the states with the highest concentration of service workers who rely on tips. 'If you're a restaurant worker, a server, a valet, a bellhop, a bartender, one of my caddies … your tips will be 100% yours,' Trump said of the policy idea during a January visit to Las Vegas shortly after he was sworn in for his second term. The law allows for a deduction on federal taxes of up to $25,000 in tipped income. At first glance, it appears it could be a boon for workers who rely heavily on tips. But economists at the Yale Budget Lab have written that 37% of all tipped workers don't earn enough money to even pay federal income tax, meaning that these people wouldn't gain from the new deduction. In addition, critics note the cap is relatively small and that it phases out once workers enter a higher income bracket ($150,000 per year). Plus, the provision only runs through 2028. Democrats also note that the law froze nearly all of the clean energy funds the state had received under President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. Nevada, where scorching temperatures have led to soaring energy costs for voters and businesses, was among the states that claimed the most IRA funds used to incentivize clean energy investments and jobs, as well as home energy rebates. As those funds dry up, so too could financial relief for residents and businesses. 'With the undoing of some of the Inflation Reduction Act, losing monies that were in the bill, we're going to lose solar jobs — and I am confident that our power bills are going to increase,' Yeager said. A key gubernatorial race Those impacts will loom particularly large in next year's governor's race in Nevada. Even before Trump enacted the law, Lombardo, who won his 2022 election over Democrat Steve Sisolak by just 1.5 percentage points, was the only Republican governor up for re-election next year whose race was rated by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report as a 'toss-up.' Nevada Democrats have already aggressively sought to link Lombardo to the 'big, beautiful bill.' 'Lombardo will have to reckon with the damage done to Nevadans' lives and livelihoods because he was too cowardly to stand up to Trump,' said Nevada Democratic Party Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno. Lombardo, for his part, has praised some of the tax provisions in the law, but he also warned Congress not to make changes to Medicaid funding ahead of its passage. 'While my administration continues to assess this bill as it moves to get signed into law, Nevadans should be excited about the potential impacts of tax cuts, investments in small businesses and American manufacturing, and efforts to help secure our border,' Lombardo wrote on X the day before Trump signed it into law. A spokesperson for Lombardo declined to comment for this story but referred to that post on X, in which Lombardo also lauded the law's 'no tax on tips' provision. The spokesperson also referred to the letters Lombardo wrote to Congress and state legislators expressing his concerns about the bill's impact on Medicaid, plus a letter he wrote to Trump urging him to reconsider the gambling losses provision. Lombardo was also among just seven Republican governors who did not sign a May letter in support of Trump's proposed 'big, beautiful bill.' That tension underscores the bind many Republican incumbents are likely to find themselves in during next year's midterms as they seek to take credit for some of the tax-saving mechanisms of the bill while distancing themselves from the cuts that Democrats are already hammering them on — all while trying to avoid running afoul of Trump. Responding to questions about the political impacts of the law, John Burke, a spokesperson for the Lombardo-supporting Better Nevada state PAC, said in an email, 'Under Governor Lombardo's leadership, Nevada is finally getting back on track, and the people of our state are seeing results.' He pointed specifically to accomplishments on affordable housing and education. 'The Governor has been vocal about his support for eliminating taxes on tips and supports a return to previous law on gambling losses,' Burke added. State Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is so far the only Democrat who's entered the race against Lombardo, slammed the law for its impacts on health care and food assistance. He said 'servers and bartenders and hospitality workers are going to be getting played' by Republicans' 'no tax on tips' claims.
Malaysian Reserve
15-07-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
State of Nevada Adopts ODG Drug Formulary to Support Evidence-Based Care in Workers' Compensation
Bipartisan legislation makes Nevada the thirteenth state to adopt an ODG tool for workers' comp claims CARSON CITY, Nev., July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ODG by MCG, an MCG Health company and part of the Hearst Health network, announces the State of Nevada's recent passage of bipartisan legislation requiring its Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) to officially adopt the ODG Drug Formulary. The ODG Drug Formulary is a list of medications used in workers' compensation cases and is derived from evidence-based recommendations in the widely used ODG Treatment Guidelines. Nevada is the thirteenth U.S. state to implement an ODG solution with the goal of guiding safe and effective return-to-work practices for injured workers. The formulary adoption was part of Nevada Senate Bill 317 which introduces significant changes to the Silver State's workers' compensation system. The bill was signed into law by Governor Joe Lombardo (R) on June 10, 2025, after overwhelming passage in the Democrat-controlled State Assembly (42-0) and State Senate (20-0-1). The new legislation mandates the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) to implement the ODG Drug Formulary by January 1, 2027, marking a notable shift to a closed drug formulary system. The evidence-based approach is designed to promote safer medical practices while achieving long-term cost containment. To ensure an effective transition, coverage for non-formulary drugs will continue until January 1, 2028. 'The adoption of the ODG Drug Formulary represents a commitment to high-value care for workers in Nevada,' said Troy J. Prevot, MBA, PA-C, ODG by MCG's Associate Vice President of Strategic Solutions and Regulatory Affairs. 'This bipartisan legislation demonstrates the state's focus on balancing quality healthcare with fiscal responsibility, benefitting both employers and employees alike.' To help introduce the ODG Drug Formulary to workers' compensation professionals in the state, Mr. Prevot will join ODG's Director, Product Management, Pamela Bloom-Pugliese, BSN, RN, to present the session, 'The Use of the ODG Drug Formulary in the Nevada Workers' Compensation System,' at the 13th Annual Nevada Workers' Compensation Educational Conference (September 11-12, 2025) at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The ODG Drug Formulary is reviewed quarterly by clinical editors, ensuring it stays aligned with the latest scientific literature, evolving drug availability, and cost considerations. Additional information about the ODG Drug Formulary can be found at About ODG by MCG ODG by MCG, an MCG Health company, ( supports workers' comp, disability, and auto liability claims and medical management with unbiased, evidence-based guidelines that unite payers, providers, and employers in their efforts to return people confidently and effectively to health. ODG clinical guidelines and analytical tools are designed to improve and benchmark return-to-work performance, facilitate quality care while limiting inappropriate utilization, assess claim risk for interventional triage, and set reserves based on industry data. About MCG Health MCG, part of the Hearst Health network, provides unbiased clinical guidance that gives healthcare organizations confidence in delivering patient-centered care. MCG's artificial intelligence and technology, infused with clinical expertise, enables its clients to prioritize and simplify their work. MCG's world-class customer service ensures that clients maximize the benefits of licensing MCG solutions – demonstrating improved clinical and financial outcomes. For more information visit ContactArri StewartMCG HealthTel: (206)
Miami Herald
01-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Nevada could save millions with this future change to Medicaid
LAS VEGAS – Sweeping reform to how prescription benefits are managed for Nevada Medicaid patients could save the state more than $100 million in future budget cycles, according to a law passed in the Legislature this session. Pharmacy benefit managers act as a middleman in the health care industry, negotiating prescription drug benefits for insurers. The companies were initially created to work with drug manufacturers to reduce costs for health plans and patients. But mergers over the last decade have left three companies controlling 80 percent of the U.S. market. Critics blame the consolidation for a lack of transparency about drug pricing and higher prices, prompting reform efforts throughout the country as states, including Nevada, work to better regulate the industry. Nevada's five Medicaid plans each have their own pharmacy benefit manager. Senate Bill 389 requires them to switch to a single pharmacy benefit manager and implement other pricing reforms. The changes, when completed by 2030, are expected to save the state $105 million in each future two-year budget cycle, according to the bill's fiscal note. One piece of reform The switchover for Medicaid came as part of a larger effort to reform prescription drug pricing for both state-supported and private health insurance. Advocates promoted multiple reform bills in the 2025 Legislature. SB389 focused on changing how Nevada manages pharmacy benefits and pricing for the state's 738,000 Medicaid patients. It passed with near-unanimous support in the Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Joe Lombardo. Private insurance reform, however, failed on the final day of the session despite bipartisan support. Ken Kunke, executive director of the Nevada Pharmacy Alliance, said he was surprised to realize the bill - SB316 - failed to get the last procedural confirmation it needed to be sent to the governor's desk. "I was just so disappointed," said Kunke. "So much work was done on this bill, and it was finally going to be time that we could help many people in Nevada, not just the Medicaid patients. It would bring transparency, and the division would be able to actually regulate." State Sen. Rochelle Nguyen, the bill's sponsor, said she wanted to regulate the industry so that its fiduciary duty was to the patient. She said she will reintroduce something similar to it in the 2027 session. "(I'm) not going to lie and say I'm not frustrated by the process when a good piece of legislation meets its end, but it is definitely something that I'll continue to work on," Nguyen, D-Las Vegas, said. Implementing SB389 State officials have until Jan. 1, 2030, to move Nevada's Medicaid programs to a single pharmacy benefit manager. It would be responsible for reimbursing the state's Medicaid providers at rates determined by the "Nevada average acquisition cost" - a new benchmark based on the average, actual cost of prescription drugs purchased by pharmacies and other providers. The new law also prohibits the state contractor from using "spread pricing," a practice in which a pharmacy benefit manager receives a higher payment from insurers than it reimburses retail pharmacies for dispensing a drug, keeping the difference to boost its profits. Sen. Melanie Scheible, D-Las Vegas, said the legislation came from learning more about pharmacy benefit managers' role in the drug costs for patients and insurers. SB389 requires the drug procurement and reimbursement policy to generate the maximum amount of savings for the state. (Most Nevada Medicaid services have no co-pay costs for their patients, so the changes may not be noticeable to them.) "We are facing dramatic federal cuts to our health care funding, and especially Medicaid, and anything that we can do in Nevada to save a penny to help provide medical care for people going forward is going to make the difference for somebody who receives Medicaid," Scheible said. Addressing high drug costs Stacie Weeks, Nevada Medicaid administrator and incoming director of the Nevada Health Authority, said in a statement that the new law addresses the challenges that states have in purchasing for pharmacies, particularly in purchasing costly new-to-market drugs. "We're having to look at redesigning and reimagining how we purchase pharmacy (benefits) because of it," the statement said. "With no relief in sight at the federal level to fix this, our only option is to take over this role of the PBM ourselves." Advocates said they were surprised at the commercial reform bill's failure to reach the governor's desk. It had unanimous support in the Assembly and two votes against in the Senate, but it did not make it out of the Legislature because the house of origin did not vote on an amendment before the session was scheduled to end June 2 - meaning the bill died. SB316 called for stronger reporting requirements and regulations for the pharmacy benefit managers in Nevada. Opponents of the bill told lawmakers they were not against transparency but worried about the impact of regulation and proposed changes to their fiduciary responsibilities. Tom McCoy, executive director at the Nevada Chronic Care Collaborative, said he suspected the reason the Medicaid reform passed but the private insurance reform did not had to do with the fiscal impact of reducing costs in the Medicaid program. He pointed to Nevada's state budget in which revenues for the upcoming two-year budget were revised downward. "I think that it was just, timing is everything in legislation," he said. "I think the argument was solid, and the legislators said, 'Hey, if we can save some money, let's save some money.'" ___ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
