Why vote? With a huge budget shortfall and a no-tax mantra the norm for many candidates, Nevada's quality of life is at stake in the coming election. Depending on who is elected, the focus of the 2011 legislative session will be on further cuts to already-slashed programs, or on a plan that includes long-term solutions and reforms to Nevada's tax system.

Nevada has already absorbed major cuts in education, public health and other state programs, depletion of the Millennium Scholarship Fund, the use of reserves and federal one-time funds, and implementation of temporary fees and taxes. With an estimated $3 billion gap looming for the 2011 legislators, we will hear again about deeper cuts and losses of whole programs, but hopefully we also will hear some strong voices for long-term revenue remedies and for protecting public services at this time of growing need.

NWL strongly opposes the alarming legislative goals that the radical right is proposing, and those goals call for vigilance and queries into candidate platforms. In other states, reproductive rights continue to be targeted, with bills or laws that would define fetal personhood, put up unwieldy barriers to abortion services, and intimidate those seeking reproductive health care, such as making miscarriages open to investigation and prosecution and by requiring state reporting of intimate personal details.

Abstinence-only sexuality education and limiting the teaching of evolution are also popular legislative goals. Many states have proposals or laws limiting immigrant rights and restricting the civil rights of various groups.

Opportunities for progressive change also are available in the 2011 session, though any requiring funding will be difficult to move. NWL is working on its priorities for the session and will be asking members for help. We will be working on these issues and to protect NWL's hard-won advances for Nevada's women and families won over the past two decades.

What You Can Do

 

Find out what your candidates have in mind. You can start with the candidate surveys in the box below, and check candidate debates and interviews and what they say on their websites, blogs and Facebook. You can also ask them personally, and tell them what you want them to do. Talk to others about your issues and the importance of voting. Writer a letter to the editor. And most importantly of all, VOTE!

 

What Candidates Are Saying
 

Several of NWL's partnering organizations have posted their candidate survey results online. We hope these are helpful as you decide who will get your vote.

American Association of University Women--AAUW Nevada: www.aauwnv.org
League of Women Voters: www.lwvlasvegasvalley.org/images/2010finalLWV.pdf
Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood Affiliates: www.nevadaadvocates.org

 

The top issue in Nevada is the specter of a $3 billion hole in the state's general fund budget of approximately $6.5 billion. While we have become somewhat immune these days to big numbers being tossed around, this is in fact a really, really big number and an even bigger problem for the state. Recently, state budget director Andrew Klinger was quoted as saying, "You could eliminate everything, and have nothing but K-12 and higher ed, and you would have a blanced budget. So the magnitude of the problem that we face, or the challenge that we face going into the next biennium, is huge."

The Nevada Women's Lobby was deeply concerned with the level of some cuts in the state budget during the 2009 legislative session. There is now the very real prospect that entire programs that NWL has advocated for over the years will be totally eliminated in 2011. As a result, it is imperative that we become part of the process to help our elected officials and agency personnel who face this daunting task make the best decisions possible. During this very difficult and challenging time we need to ensure that these decisions have the least detrimental impact to Nevada families.

 

The Nevada Women's Lobby hosts a monthly luncheon on the first Tuesday of each month (with the exception of November, when the luncheon will be held on the second Tuesday, after the election). You'll enjoy a delicious meal at Rapscallion's seafood restaurant in Reno, and will stay informed by listening to our enlightening guest speakers.

October First Tuesday Luncheon: Oct. 5, 2010
Place: Rapscallion's Restaurant, 1555 S. Wells Ave., Reno
Time: 11:30 to 1:00 (Program will start promptly at 11:45)
Program: "Domestic Violence Issues in Nevada's 2011 Legislature" with Sue Meuschke, Executive Director, Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence (NNADV). 
Cost: $20 Members, $25 Others
RSVP: 775-828-1346 or desertrosef44@yahoo.com

November First (Second)Tuesday Luncheon: Nov. 9, 2010
Program: "2011 Legislative Session Preview and NWL's Plans" with NWL Lobbyist Marlene Lockard.

For more information, check out the NWL website: http://nevadawomenslobby.org/events.htm

 

 

During the interim between legislative sessions, critical issues are reviewed by legislative interim committees. The committees schedule hearings to examine the issues and then request bill draft requests (BDRs) for the 2011 legislative session.

You can see a list of all Bill Draft Requests filed by legislators, committees, and state agencies at the following website: www.leg.state.nv.us. Click on "Interim Information" and then click on the committee in which you're interested.

NWL has been following the work of several committees and we'll follow up on BDRs that are of interest. Here are a few examples of BDRs requested to date:

Legislative Committee on Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice
#197 Revises provisions relating to adoption.
#200 Revises penalties for certain crimes relating to children.
#201 Revises provisions relating to background checks of certain persons who work with children.

Legislative Committee on Education
#86 Revises provisions governing empowerment schools.
#87 Revises provisions governing the statewide system of accountability for public schools.
#89 Creates the K-12 Public Education Stabilization Account.

Legislative Committee on Health Care
#191 Revises provisions relating to school nutrition programs.
#193 Revises provisions relating to reports of sentinel events and related events.

 
Legislative Committee on Senior Citizens, Veterans and Adults with Special Needs
#153 Makes various changes concerning Multidisciplinary Teams.
#154 Revises provisions concerning the reporting of crimes against older persons.
#155 Requires training of persons who work in certain facilities.

Study on Governance and Oversight of the System K-12 Education
#94 Revises provisions concerning the system of governance and oversight of K-12 public education.

Committees we are following that have not requested BDRs as yet are:

• Interim Finance Committee

• Advisory Committee on the Administration of Justice and its subcommittees on Victims of Crime and Juvenile Justice

• Study of Group Homes

While the term limits amendment was passed in 1996, the real impact on our system of legislating will likely be revealed for the first time next year. The 2011 Nevada Legislature stacks up to be one of the most challenging in our state's history. As veteran legislators begin preparation for the upcoming legislative session, they must also factor in the reality that while they grapple with an unprecedented budget shortfall, education reform and the always-difficult decennial issue of reapportionment, they must do so with nearly half of their members being newly elected legislators.

Because of term limits, resignations and primary losses, there is a potential that all 11 Nevada State Senate seats up for election could be filled by someone brand new to the senate. There are six of those candidates who are current assembly members vying to move up, so if elected they of course would have legislative experience.

On the assembly side, of the 42 legislators, nearly one-half or 20 seats will be new. The other seat will likely go to current state Senator Maggie Carlton.

As a result, the expected new Speaker of the Assembly John Oceguera, has submitted a bill draft request for mandatory training for newly elected legislators. This will certainly go a long way to assist the freshman class of 2011, but there is no question that there will be a major learning curve required for some of the most critical issues confronting our state.

The Nevada Women's Lobby has an opportunity to contribute its solid historical knowledge base and perspective for our very important issues and concerns. It is even more important than ever for our members to meet with their respective legislative candidates to discuss these issues and offer assistance.

 

 

Join us for a day of learning everything you need to know about the power of voting!

Date: September 25th, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Place: Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Hall, 760 N. Lamb, Las Vegas
Featured Speaker: Steve Sebelius, Political Commentator Ch. 8, Editor of City Life Magazine
Admission: Free and open to the public (no candidates or campaign information please)
Details and RSVP: www.ppaction.org/pprm/events/voter101/details.tcl
Sponsors: Nevada Women's Lobby and Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada