Latest news with #LaRueHatch
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Proposed paid family and medical leave bill would benefit estimated 1 million Nevada workers
Democratic Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch during a hearing on paid family and medical leave. (Legislative stream screengrab) Nevada lawmakers are considering vastly expanding access to paid family and medical leave, though the proposal faces harsh opposition from business and industry groups. Democratic Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch's Assembly Bill 388 would require private employers with more than 50 workers, as well as all public employers, to provide paid family and medical leave. The bill was heard by the Assembly Committee on Revenue on Wednesday. Only 4% of businesses employ more than 50 workers, according to La Rue Hatch, who attributed the figure to research by the Legislative Counsel Bureau, but that 4% of businesses employ nearly 1 million Nevadans — more than 60% of the state's workforce. In 2023, the Legislature established paid family and medical leave for state employees. La Rue Hatch described this year's AB388, as 'a natural next step' to ensure nearly a million Nevadans are able to address their own and their family's medical needs. Twelve assemblymembers and one state senator have signed on as additional sponsors. La Rue Hatch, a public school teacher in Northern Nevada, shared with the committee that in November she had jaw surgery that required six weeks of recovery. Public school teachers are not covered by the state's existing mandated paid family and medical leave law, so she relied on a union-negotiated program where members can donate their paid time off to others who need it. Most Nevada workers don't have access to an option like that, she added, and instead are left with options that lead to financial hardship. They return to work prematurely after giving birth, leave the workforce entirely to provide unpaid care to elderly parents, wrack up additional debt during extensive cancer treatments, or forgo needed medical procedures because they know they can't afford not to work while recovering. The United States is one of only six countries that does not have a national guaranteed, comprehensive paid leave program. Thirteen states have comprehensive, mandatory state paid family and medical leave. Most offer the benefit through pooled payroll taxes paid by employers and/or employees, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. La Rue Hatch told the committee she didn't believe Nevada was open to that approach. Under her bill, Nevada employers would be required to offer it as a benefit after 90 days of employment. The leave would be available for specific purposes, such as the birth or adoption of a child, treatment of a serious illness, or caring for a family member who is seriously ill. There are also specific provisions for victims of domestic abuse and families dealing with military deployment. Workers who earn up to 110% of the state's average weekly wage — about $1,200 per week or $57,000 annually — would receive 100% of their paycheck for up to 12 weeks. Workers who earn more than that would receive 60% of their wage or 60% of 150% of the state's average weekly wage, whichever is less. (That 150% threshold currently translates to workers who make about $1,600 a week or $78,000 annually.) La Rue Hatch said the sliding scale and cap acknowledges that the lowest wage earners may not be able to survive off only part of their paycheck. AB388 is supported by numerous unions and worker advocacy groups, including the Communication Workers, SEIU, AFSCME, Washoe Education Association and Make It Work Nevada. 'Employees and workers are people,' said Erika Washington, executive director of Make it Work Nevada. 'They are human beings… We believe that being able to support, advocate, love and support our families is indeed a human right and a reproductive justice issue. Everyone has somebody they would drop everything for, and it's our responsibility to care for our families and each other.' Ben Challinor with the Alzheimer's Association testified that paid family and medical leave could benefit the estimated 84,000 Nevadans who provide unpaid care for someone living with Alzheimer's or dementia. Business groups, including the Vegas Chamber, Nevada Resort Association, Retail Association of Nevada, and several chambers of commerce, are opposed to the bill, arguing they oppose mandates that force solutions that need to be addressed business by business. They also claimed it will drive up costs for business. 'If the government of the State of Nevada believes it is important to pay people in this state to not work for 3 months, then the State of Nevada can pay for that,' said Tray Abney, Nevada state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). He continued: 'Bills with incredibly large fiscal notes or impacts to the state budget have a very hard time getting passed out of here. We don't always seem to have the same concern for the fiscal notes that affect private sector job creators.' In her closing remarks, La Rue Hatch argued that paid family and medical leave is an economic benefit that pays itself off in increased productivity and less turnover at business. 'Ikea offers 16 weeks' of paid family and medical leave, she said. 'CitiBank, 16 weeks. Bank of America, 16 weeks. Google, 18 weeks paid leave after 90 days of employment. Huge corporations making significant profits have figured out how to take care of workers. It is not mutually exclusive.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers propose study bill on what it would take to build regional rail systems
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada rendering of a proposed light rail along Maryland Parkway. In 2019 the RTC opted to enhance bus lanes instead. Reno Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch brought forward legislation on Tuesday she hoped would be the first step to potentially bring a regional rail system to Southern and Northern Nevada. Assembly Bill 256, heard Tuesday at the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections, would create a Regional Rail Transit Advisory Working Group to assess the need for mass transit via rail in the state's largest metro areas, as well as potential funding sources for such a system. The group would submit legislative recommendations for the 2027 Legislative Session. 'A fully functioning regional transit system with rail is not a-one session bill,' La Rue Hatch said. 'This is the first step in getting there.' Rail transit would ease traffic and congestion while reducing emissions that exacerbate climate change, La Rue Hatch said. There have been previous efforts to assess feasibility of rail transit systems in Las Vegas and Reno by regional transportation groups, La Rue Hatch noted. State lawmakers even passed legislation in 2017 authorizing Southern Nevada to pursue a light rail system. Upon consideration, Southern Nevada officials in 2019 opted to enhance the bus system instead. La Rue Hatch said there was 'never a plan for how we would make those things get off the ground,' adding discussions and studies assessing regional rail systems were 'all happening in silos' without much coordination. 'The legislature is not fully informed on how we can help support this,' she said. The aim of the bill would be to consolidate efforts, build on the work that's already being done and bring recommendations to the legislature, she said. La Rue Hatch was joined by Gabe Christenson, legislative director for SMART TD, which represents railroad conductors, and Anne Macquarie with the Nevada Rail Coalition, an advocacy group made up of railroad unions and environmental groups, in presenting the bill to the committee on Tuesday. Christenson said with an increased number of people relocating to Nevada, transportation infrastructure is struggling to keep up with demand. 'Building new roads or even expanding existing roads is a massive financial endeavor that takes a very long time,' he said. 'In many cases, by the time the projects are done, it's already time to start expanding again.' While it would be up to the working group to assess funding sources to pay for a potential rail system, 'there are billions of dollars available annually in the form of federal grants for new passenger rail projects,' he said. Neither Christenson nor any of the lawmakers discussed how efforts by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, an unelected adviser and director of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, to slash government services and funding federal cuts could stymie efforts to use federal dollars for a potential regional rail system. The legislation also proposed looking at state, private and nonprofit dollars as potential funding sources. Macquarie said rail systems bring economic benefits to communities. 'Property taxes in the areas surrounding stations can quadruple when they're developed with businesses that serve rail passengers,' she said, while contributing 'to meeting the state's environmental, economic and quality of life goals.' The working group outlined in the bill would include representatives from Clark and Washoe Counties, both counties Regional Transportation Commissions, state lawmakers, labor unions, as people with expertise in rail transit. The study bill received overwhelming support from business groups and environmental organizers. Reno Ward 4 City Councilwoman Meghan Ebert was the lone local elected official to testify in support of the bill. Ebert, who represents a more rural area of Reno, said the number one concern she hears from constituents is about the lack of transit infrastructure and 'ways to get in and out of the North valley into the rest of Reno.' 'I think this is a great option to move this forward and find ways to include light rail or whatever type of train system the study decides is feasible,' Ebert said. Both the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County supported the proposal. Michael Hillerby, a lobbyist with the RTC in Washoe, said the county is in the middle of its own feasibility study using outside consultants, but didn't specify a timeline for when it would be completed. The Vegas Chamber also supported the bill, requesting the working group include a member from the chamber as well. La Rue Hatch said she was open to adding a representative for a trade association or Chamber of Commerce. The committee took no action on the bill.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
As time change nears, Nevada considers opting out of daylight savings
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Don't have a heart attack, but daylight saving time is less than two weeks away. If a Nevada lawmaker has her way, it will be the last time the state 'springs ahead.' Citing a study that suggests cardiac arrest incidents spike on the Monday following the time change, Democratic Assem. Selena La Rue Hatch is sponsoring Assembly Bill 81 (AB81). Heart attacks aren't the only reason it's an issue that's gaining national attention. Representatives hear about it often from constituents who don't see the point, and even President Donald Trump has supported the end of daylight saving time. 'These are not just folks that are upset about losing an hour of sleep or having to change their clocks,' La Rue Hatch said Monday as she presented the 'lock the clock' act to the Assembly Government Affairs Committee. She said Democrats and Republicans alike are on board. 'There are documented negative health effects that come from observing daylight savings time and changing our clocks twice a year. We know that in the weeks following the clock change there are worsened health impacts. Strokes, heart attacks go up, digestive issues increase, medical outcomes are worsened. And in fact, many health organizations endorse permanent standard time as being more natural, more in line with our circadian rhythm and healthier for our bodies,' La Rue Hatch said. The bill wouldn't stop daylight saving time from coming on Sunday, March 9, 2025, but when Nevada 'falls back' to standard time on Nov. 2, the state would remain on permanent standard time. There's national support to go permanently to daylight saving time, but federal law prohibits that. States are only allowed to opt out of daylight saving time. Several states are already fighting that fight. La Rue Hatch cited a Michigan study that found a 24% increase in cardiac events on the Monday following the time change. But there's a separate study by the Mayo Clinic that shows only minimal effects across a sample of more than 36 million people. End to daylight saving time among bills for 2025 Nevada Legislature She also cited mental health impacts — anxiety and depression. And while she sees that as a teacher, La Rue Hatch said it's also a factor on the job and on the roads, where car crashes increase. 'We have measurable productivity decreases when we change the clocks,' she said. Nevada wouldn't be the first state to opt out. Arizona did it in 1968 and Hawaii did it in 1967. There's a growing chorus in support of the change in California, Oregon and Idaho. Utah is one of the states fighting to go to daylight saving time permanently. If a patchwork of states make the change, it could confuse travelers who already have trouble keeping track of time zones. Those time zones don't adhere to straight lines on a map. Nevada is on Pacific Time along with California, Washington, most of Oregon and northern Idaho. Neighboring Utah and Arizona are on Mountain time, one hour earlier, along with Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, portions of five other states — and one county in eastern Oregon. When Arizona remains on standard time and Nevada observes daylight time, the clocks in the two states are the same. La Rue Hatch said old reasoning that the time change helped farmers and ranchers really isn't a factor these days. 'As someone who grew up on a ranch, let me tell you, the cows are getting up at the same time, no matter what the clock says,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Precious water: Nevada lawmakers have decisions ahead on conservation bills
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Why should some mining companies and geothermal energy projects get a pass on rules surrounding groundwater extraction? That's the basic question behind a bill in the Nevada Legislature, one of several proposed laws surrounding water issues this session. Assembly Bill 109 (AB109), dubbed the 'water application fairness bill,' challenges a loophole that allows some companies to escape regulatory reviews that come in the permitting process. 'Consumptive use' of water gets a fresh look in AB109. The bill doesn't go along with the thinking that nothing has really changed if the water is returned to where it was removed. 'Yes, you can return water to the source after it's pumped. But that pumping throws off aquifers. And it unstabilizes and unbalances aquifers. And so even if you return ever drop, you can still have major impacts on an aquifer and water can go in different directions and go to different places,' according to Kyle Roerink, executive director of the conservation-minded Great Basin Water Network. 'And so then you're harming springs, which are surface expressions of groundwater and you're harming the overall stability when you pump large quantities, even if it's returned,' Roerink said. He said AB109 fixes that, simply by requiring the permit and ensuring no one is exempt. Union workers written up, fired for using sick days; Nevada lawmaker moves to close loophole Democratic Assem. Selena La Rue Hatch is sponsoring AB109. 'During my work with the Interim Natural Resources committee it came to my attention that there was a loophole in Nevada law that may need closing. As we all know, as the driest state in the nation, our water is precious and limited. Therefore, under our current laws, all water used in the state must be put to beneficial use,' La Rue Hatch said Friday. 'To ensure this, all water uses must be reviewed by the State Engineer to ensure water is available, existing water rights will not be harmed, and the water will indeed be put to beneficial use while protecting the public interest. Unfortunately, there are some select industries who are not subject to this review and are able to use the waters of Nevada without this critical oversight,' she said. 'My intention with this bill is to ensure that all industries go through this same process and that our water is protected. This bill brings clarity to a confusing section of statute and ensures parity for all water users while protecting the water that we all hold so dear,' La Rue Hatch said. Farmers and companies involved in hard-rock mining have to apply for groundwater permits, and this bill would remove exceptions for geothermal projects and new mining methods — including some lithium mining techniques. Groundwater is serious business in Nevada. A number of endemic species live in springs that could dry up with overpumping, and 10% of the Las Vegas valley's water comes from wells, even if all you ever hear about is the 90% that comes from Lake Mead. A fiscal note for the bill indicates there are about 450 active geothermal projects across the state. Albemarle, the company that operates the only active lithium mine in the U.S. at Silver Peak, west of Tonopah, states on its website: 'We carefully measure water withdrawals and continuously monitor groundwater systems, both freshwater and brine, to confirm there are no adverse impacts to the nearby water resources.' Roerink calls it 'the most important water bill that we can pass this session' and points out that it protects wildlife, property rights, due process, the public interest, and even mining companies by ensuring their competition has to follow the same law. Another piece of legislation is the first proposal of its kind in Nevada. WATER CONSERVATION PLANS: AB134 would create a beneficial use that is a 'non-use' — a strictly conservational use, Roerink said. The bill goes beyond protecting springs for wildlife, and it's about more than fallowing fields to save water temporarily. He's concerned about the risks if water 'profiteering' takes hold in Nevada. 'We're an organization that's really cautious about true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool Nevadans who make a living off their water. We want to make sure that we're protecting those interests as well as being conscious that there's going to be less and less water to go around in the years to come,' Roerink said. He sees AB134 as a way to limit conflict over water in communities. The Great Basin Water Network sets out these concepts for what the bill would do: Protect the conserved or saved portion of their right from use-it-or-lose-it provisions in the law for entities that make demonstrable investments in water conservation practices. Prohibits entities from 'conserving' the entire amount of a permitted, certificated, or vested water right. This prevents abuse from speculators. Offers alternatives to buy-and-dry proposals that take water and people off the land, invite invasive weeds, and upend rural community dynamics. Makes provisions voluntary and limited for up to 10 years. Renewals would be allowed after the terms of the Water Conservation Plan expire. After a Water Conservation Plan expires, a water user could resume putting that water to use again for non-conservation purposes. The proposal respects the principle of 'enlargement,' which means another water user couldn't use the 'conserved' or 'saved' water that's flowing downstream. EXPANDING EXISTING WATER CONSERVATION INITIATIVES: Based on an existing program from 2007, AB9 could provide a way to expand conservation programs while putting safeguards in place to prevent speculative uses of water rights. Roerink sees it as a 'halfway' step that might be more acceptable to lawmakers. The bill is still in its formative stages, but it's expected to get a bill hearing next week. WATER OMNIBUS AND CLEANUP: AB104 renews the effort to retire water rights, buying back those rights from individual users across the state. That was happening with the use of COVID money, Roerink said, but it was completely through administrative channels with no framework under state law. This bill would set up that framework, but it does not request any funding for buybacks. This bill is also scheduled for a hearing next week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawmaker hopes to extend paid family leave law to Nevada's private sector
Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch during the 2023 Legislative Session. (Photo by Trevor Bexon for Nevada Current) Only a fraction of Nevadans work for an employer that is required to offer paid family and medical leave, but one state lawmaker is hoping that might change this year. Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch last week announced she submitted a bill draft request aimed at expanding the availability of paid family and medical leave in Nevada. In 2023, state lawmakers unanimously approved a bill establishing up to eight weeks of paid family and medical leave for state employees. Employees, who must meet certain qualifications, are paid 50% of their regular wages. 'My goal is just to build on that work and continue expanding the number of people eligible, as well as (expanding) the types of leave that are available,' La Rue Hatch told the Nevada Current. Specifics — such as who would be eligible for the leave, how many weeks of leave they would be eligible for, and what percentage of their wages they could receive — are still being worked out, La Rue Hatch said, but the idea is to expand the availability of paid family and medical leave to additional public employees and those in the private sector. She expects it to match or exceed what last session's bill established for state employees. La Rue Hatch, a public teacher within the Washoe County School District, is among the tens of thousands of public employees in Nevada who were not covered by last session's bill. But she says her desire to tackle the issue was driven by conversations with constituents about how the lack of paid family and medical leave was causing financial and emotional hardships. 'I talked to a (University of Nevada Reno) student who had to go back to work within just a couple of weeks of giving birth and has serious health complications that came from that,' she said. 'I've had students (whose) family members have had serious, long-term illnesses and their parents can't take off to care for them.' She added, 'This is a real issue that is affecting people across the state.' The Reno Democrat intends her paid leave bill to cover post-birth recovery and bonding time for new parents, as well as time caring for ill family members. She also wants to include paid leave for victims of stalking or sexual assault and exigency leave for members of the military. Nevada does not have broad paid family and medical leave requirements for private employers. The state is only five years into requiring large employers provide any kind of accrued paid time off. In 2023, state lawmakers passed a bill requiring businesses receiving tax abatements through the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) to offer paid family and medical leave. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed the bill, but its provisions were resurrected and made law as part of a special session bill that gave $380 million in public subsidies to the Athletics for a baseball stadium on the Las Vegas Strip. That paid family and medical leave requirement, which only applies to businesses with at least 50 employees, requires the businesses to offer at least 55% of a worker's salary for up to 12 weeks. Leaders from GOED in spring of last year told lawmakers the requirement has brought 'some headwinds' and resulted in at least one company not relocating to Southern Nevada. According to GOED's most recent annual report, more than half of the companies that have received abatements from the State of Nevada since 2012 had fewer than 50 employees, and 14 of the 25 companies approved for abatements in 2023 planned to have fewer than 50 employees. Chambers of commerce and businesses typically oppose legislation mandating paid family and medical leave. 'With any bill in the Legislature, there's always opposition,' said La Rue Hatch of potential pushbacks to her proposal. 'My door is always open for folks that want to come talk about that. But I will say, 13 other states have paid family medical leave and businesses are operating just fine in those other states.' Feb. 5 marked the 32nd anniversary of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, better known as FMLA, which protects many employees from losing their job while taking up to 12 weeks leave after qualifying events, like giving birth or needing to take care of an ill family member. FMLA only requires unpaid leave, and generally only applies to employees who've worked at least a year at a business with more than 50 workers. According to a report released this month by the National Partnership for Women & Families, nearly half of all workers nationwide, and 66% of workers in Nevada, are ineligible for FMLA. The United States is one of only six countries that does not have a national guaranteed, comprehensive paid leave program. Several groups expressed early support for La Rue Hatch's legislation. 'Nevadans have family members who need or will need care in the future and worrying about having to choose between your job or family member is a choice no one should have to make,' said Nevada State AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Susie Martinez in a statement. Mi Familia Vota Civic Engagement Director William Moore noted that 'Latinos have significantly less access to paid family leave compared to other groups in Nevada.' Amy-Marie Merrell, co-executive director of The Cupcake Girls, a nonprofit that assists sex workers and survivors of sex trafficking, said a lack of paid family leave creates financial hardships that traffickers exploit. 'When workers–especially parents, caregivers, and survivors–have access to paid leave, they can recover from medical issues, bond with their children, and care for their families without falling into financial crisis,' she said in a statement. 'This helps break cycles of poverty and exploitation, making communities safer and more resilient.' Representatives from the Children's Advocacy Alliance, Northern Nevada Central Labor Council, SEIU Local 1107, Nevada State Education Association, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society also expressed support for paid family and medical leave.
