Opening remarks
Merry Clean Energy Week!
If you’d like to take a break from celebrating National Daughter’s and National Son’s Day on social media, celebrate Clean Energy Week! Last week Governor Sisolak signed a proclamation officially declaring September 26 – 30, 2022 Clean Energy Week in Nevada. To learn more about Nevada’s energy sources and its progress toward its Renewable Portfolio Standard target of 50% by 2030, check out this excellent report authored by The Governor’s Office of Energy Director David Bobzien.
Important Dates
| General Early Voting | October 22 – November 4 |
| General Election | Tuesday November 8, 2022 |
ICYMI
Reno City Council votes to fill Ward 3 vacancy by appointment process
Seaman sues fellow Las Vegas City Councilwoman Fiore, alleges assault
NGM hosts tour for analysts and investors
Video of bighorn sheep rescue at Lake Mead viewed over 20M times
ECONOMY
Nevada unemployment rate unchanged in August
Nevada’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in August was 4.4 percent — unchanged from July. But that is significantly better than the 6 percent rate recorded in August 2021.
The non-seasonally adjusted rate — the “raw” rate — however, inched up two-tenths in August to 5.2 percent. The problem area remains Clark County which is home to the vast majority of Nevada workers and remained at 5.7 percent.
August passenger counts at Reid airport hits record
This week, the Clark County Department of Aviation reported that Harry Reid International Airport had the highest number of August passengers and the most passengers ever for a three-month period. The airport reported 4.64 million passengers in August, two months after a record 4.86 million passengers passed through its gates in July.
Domestic passenger arrivals ruled the month. The 4.31 million domestic passengers, including market leader Southwest Airlines’ 1.64 million, produced a 17.8% increase over August 2021. International flying soared by 209.4%to 245,248 passengers.
ENVIRONMENT
With funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Bureau of Land Management has signed a $918,000 cooperative agreement with the State of Nevada to restore wildlife habitat and reduce wildfire risk. The cooperative agreement and initial funding are the first step in a five-year project that can go up to $10 million. The Division of Wildlife’s work on BLM-managed Federal land will occur under Good Neighbor Authority, which allows the BLM to authorize state and local agencies to plan and execute cross-jurisdictional restoration efforts.
South Lake Tahoe may outlaw single-use plastic water bottles as microplastic contamination grows
Last week, the South Lake Tahoe City Council took steps toward establishing a municipal and commercial ban on single-use plastic water bottles in the city. A proposed ordinance would prohibit the use of single-use water bottles smaller than one gallon at city facilities, permitted activities and special events. The sale of single-use plastic water bottles of the same size would also be outlawed. If approved, the local law would go into effect in April 2024.
A first reading of the ordinance received unanimous support from the council. A final reading will go before the council Oct. 4
HEALTHCARE
Sisolak, Cannizzaro detail next steps for public health insurance option
The Nevada Indy’s article on the next steps for the 2021 public health insurance option. Preliminary findings from a study of Nevada’s public health insurance option suggests it could generate $300 million to $400 million in health care savings for consumers and the state during its first five years. The figure was shared Friday during a virtual meeting featuring comments from Gov. Steve Sisolak and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas). During the 2021 legislative session, Cannizzaro sponsored SB420, which created the state-managed public health option that won’t debut until 2026. The governor signed the bill, which passed on party lines in the Legislature, into law after the session.
SB420 included a requirement for state officials to contract with an outside firm to conduct an actuarial study of the public option. Many of the projected savings, state officials said, would come through a federal waiver Nevada Medicaid intends to submit for approval by March.
According to the state health department, the savings from the implementation of the public option could be reinvested through a federal waiver that would “buy down premium costs” for Nevadans in the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. The savings would be put in a state trust fund and used as subsidies to improve health care affordability for Nevadans.
Saint Mary’s Health Network is pleased to announce it has welcomed Derrick Glum, MBA, FACHE as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Glum joins Saint Mary’s Health Network and Prime Healthcare with nearly 20 years of healthcare experience, most recently serving as the Regional Chief Operating Officer/Hospital Administrator for two hospitals in the greater Phoenix area – Mountain View Medical Center and Florence Hospital. Prior to that, Mr. Glum served as a System Vice President for Renown Health and was the CEO of Tahoe Pacific Hospital in Reno, Nevada.
HOUSING
‘We are ready to build’: Long-planned Coyote Springs still pushing ahead
Coyote Springs has a golf course and infrastructure but not a single house. Clark County commissioners are scheduled next month to consider renewing a 575-home subdivision map. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in the project. The developers, the Seeno brothers from the San Francisco Bay Area, are not giving up.
INFRASTRUCTURE
States Get Final OK to Build Highway EV Charging Network
Interesting news out of DC, all 50 states received final approval Tuesday to begin construction on a first nationwide network of EV charging stations that places one roughly every 50 miles (80 kilometers) along interstate highways, part of the Biden administration’s plan to spur widespread adoption of zero-emission cars.
The Transportation Department said it had OK’d EV charger plans from a last set of 17 states, triggering the release of $1.5 billion in federal funds to all jurisdictions nationwide — or $5 billion over five years — to install or upgrade chargers along 75,000 miles (120,000 kilometers) of highway from coast to coast, with a goal of 500,000 EV chargers nationwide. Plans for the other 33 states and the District of Columbia were approved earlier this month.
What we’re doing this Interim
The 2021 Nevada Legislature passed Assembly Bill 443, Legislation that fundamentally changed the way the Legislature operates between Sessions. The newly formed Interim Standing Committees have begun meeting, hearing overviews of their mission and setting agendas for the next eleven months.
Click here to view a list of upcoming Joint Interim Standing Committee meetings.
Click here to view the list of Bill Draft Requests (BDRs) for the upcoming 2023 Legislative Session.
2021 Redistricting Maps
The new boundaries would give 14 of the 21 state Senate districts and 27 of the 42 Assembly districts a voter registration advantage for Democrats over Republicans of more than 4.5 percent.
The Nevada Independent
Please see the links below to view the new district lines for Nevada Assembly, Senate and Congressional delegation.