Opening remarks
I had a blast seeing “The Boss” with My Bride at T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas last Friday.
2024 is going to be fun, entertaining, stressful (if you’re a candidate) and exciting. We’re looking forward to keeping you up to speed on what we know and what we hear. We’ll be sending out interesting news, political insights and of course an ongoing list of candidates that have filed for office.
Feedback is important so please let us know if we get something wrong, would like us to cover an issue or just want to tell us how great things are going.
-Tom
Important Dates
| Primary Early Voting Begins | May 25 |
| Primary Election | June 11 |
| General Election | November 5 |
| 2025 Legislative Session | February 3 |
2024 ELECTION
Today is the last day for candidates who have filed to withdraw their name from the official ballot. Usually, a candidate does not withdraw their name, but it does happen on occasion.
Our one-stop-shop election tracker is back, where you can find the list of candidates for each office, links to their campaign websites and the voter registration breakdown for each district. Check it out!
Nevada’s Top-Down Voter Registration System Delayed
The Nevada Secretary of State has delayed the rollout of the state’s new centralized voter registration system from April to July due to unresolved issues identified during a test run. This means the system will not be live for the state primary elections in June as originally intended but should be operational for the November general election. The SOS made this decision following a request from the Nevada Association of County Clerks and Election Officials, who expressed concerns about the system’s readiness ahead of the June primary elections. The new system aims to unify the current fragmented system, which relies on the 17 individual counties maintaining separate records. State officials have touted the new system as a way to allow for comprehensive maintenance of voter history, reduce time needed to validate voter registration applications, have standardized training among election officials and allow for more election transparency.
Biden lays out housing agenda during visit to Nevada
During his stops in Reno and Las Vegas last week, Biden focused on the importance of affordable housing, especially in Nevada, which faces a significant shortage. He emphasized the need to “build, build, build” and mentioned his administration’s efforts to lower housing costs, such as increasing single-family home construction starts and allocating permits. Biden also criticized Trump’s policies, particularly on tax breaks for the wealthy and health care costs, positioning Democrats as the party fighting to keep prescription drug costs down.
Biden’s visit came the same day that Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo released a letter urging Biden to release more federal land to build more housing. The president didn’t address the governor’s letter or whether the release of more public lands is the right solution to Nevada’s housing shortage.
ICYMI
Direct File, a new free tax preparation process from the federal government is being tested in Nevada
Nearly half a million Nevadans are eligible for a new service allowing them to directly file their taxes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for free.Nevada is one of 12 states included in the Direct File pilot program, a new tool that permits low- and middle-income filers with simple tax situations to file directly with the agency online. The Department of the Treasury estimates that 480,000 Nevadans are eligible for Direct File. In the 2022 tax season, about 1.85 million Nevadans filed individual income and employment returns — meaning about a quarter of filers are eligible this tax season.
HOUSING
Nevada Medicaid recently received federal approval to use funds to cover housing and supportive services through Medicaid’s managed care providers. The pilot program will help an estimated 20,300 Nevadans who had identified themselves as homeless when applying for Medicaid. In addition to help with rent and food, the services covered under the new pilot program will include specialized case management, housing transition services, and housing-related deposits.
Before the pilot program can begin operating, the four Medicaid managed care plans will have to submit plans to cover the services to CMS for approval. The companies are expected to submit their plans to cover the services by the end of March.
HEALTH CARE
Nevada Medicaid must cover abortion services, judge rules
Last week, a Clark County District Court Judge ruled that Nevada Medicaid must cover abortion services. This decision is seen as a victory for abortion rights advocates, aligning with Nevada’s Equal Rights Amendment which was approved by voters in 2022. The amendment ensures equality under the law and prohibits sex-based discrimination, which the ACLU argued was violated by the Medicaid abortion coverage ban. Previously, Nevada Medicaid did not fund abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the pregnant person, following the Hyde Amendment’s guidelines. However, this ruling could change that, although it’s not clear if the state will appeal the decision.
Governor Lombardo Announces Plans for Behavioral Health Care Services for Nevada Children
Governor Lombardo announced last week his administration plans to invest over $200 million in new Medicaid funds for children’s behavioral health services over the next three years. The plans include the expansion of services in Medicaid for children with behavioral health needs over the next six to nine months, pending federal approval. It also includes strategic investments in the state’s behavioral health provider system that aim to increase quality of care and implement a service model that will ensure children with behavioral health needs receive the care they need in the least restrictive environment.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Zoning plans approved for movie studio proposed in Summerlin
Last week, Clark County Commissioners unanimously approved the zoning plans for a film production studio backed by the Howard Hughes Corp and Sony Pictures. The plan proposes 13 structures to be built on 30 acres at Flamingo Road and Town Center Drive. A film tax incentive package was introduced in the Nevada legislature last year with support from Sony and film star Mark Wahlberg, but the bill ultimately died in committee without receiving a vote. Lawmakers are expected to reintroduce the measure in next year’s session.
TSA unveils first self-screening security lane at Las Vegas airport
The Transportation Security Administration unveiled the country’s first self-service screening system last week at Harry Reid International Airport. As of yesterday, PreCheck passengers can participate in the pilot program designed to modernize checkpoints and give travelers more autonomy. Instead of TSA officers ushering passengers through the two-step process, travelers will scan their own bags and themselves. This will allow them to set their own pace and minimize their interactions with TSA employees. TSA will still check IDs and oversee secondary screenings of bags and pat-downs of passengers. Officials said the objective is not to accelerate screenings but to improve the passenger experience.