Opening remarks
Is it really over?
On Friday, May 6, 2022 Governor Sisolak announced that he intends to end the COVID-19 State of Emergency on May 20, 2022. The Governor issued the first Emergency Directive related to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12, 2020. Now more than two years later, the State is signifying we are out of this pandemic.
It’s true that a lot of the measures in the Order and subsequent 51 Directives tied to the Order have already been lifted (masks, number of people in public spaces, social distancing, etc.) so what impact will lifting the Emergency Order have on everyday Nevadans? Not much.
However, during two Special Legislative Sessions and the regular 2021 Legislative Session, the Emergency Order set the timeline for when we would be back to “normal.” Many of the bills that were passed, especially in the world of healthcare, are tied to the expiration date of the Emergency Order.
Directive 11 allowed health care providers to operate in Nevada under a “waiver” (i.e. not a full license) from the regulatory board that governs them. This directive also expires on May 20 so if you’re a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or healthcare worker that is operating in Nevada under a waiver, best to call your licensing board and make a formal application or you will lose your ability to practice in the state of Nevada. I’m told there’s a little flexibility but be proactive.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been living this nightmare for over two years. We have become accustomed to the “new normal” but the lifting of the Emergency Order could change the rules that we currently follow. We advise everyone that operates in Nevada under a professional license to reach out to the appropriate governing board to make sure the rules won’t change on May 20, 2022.
The answer to the question “is it really over” is: Maybe. However, the rules that have governed how we operate are, so it’s important that we remain proactive in our approach to the Pandemic.
Important Dates
| Primary Early Voting | May 28 – June 10 |
| Primary Election | Tuesday June 14, 2022 |
| General Early Voting | October 22 – November 4 |
| General Election | Tuesday November 8, 2022 |
ICYMI
The Rank in Ranked-Choice Voting, According to Top Democratic Officials
What do Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, Governor Steve Sisolak, Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, and Speaker Pro Tempore Steve Yeager all have in common besides being the state's top elected Democrats? They all oppose a 2022 ballot initiative to establish open primaries and a ranked-choice general election, arguing that switching to a ranked-choice system would only confuse the Nevada electorate about how to vote and how votes would be tabulated and is too risky of a move if things go wrong. This initiative, spearheaded by the Nevada Voters First PAC, has stated they have collected the necessary 140,777 signatures to appear on the 2022 general election ballot ahead of the June 29th deadline.
Latino Voter Mobilization PAC Launches “Multi-Million Dollar Anti-Laxalt Investment Ahead of 2022 Nevada Senate Race”
Somos PAC plans to spend $4 million on a statewide TV and digital ad campaign targeting Latino voters as the group aims to keep the first and only Latina in the Senate in office. The ads will air in both English and Spanish over the next two months. The Latino vote is being heavily sought after in Nevada this election cycle, by both political parties:
Economic News
CDFI Created in Southern Nevada Using Settlement Funds
This week, Nevada’s Board of Examiners approved the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development’s (GOED) contract with Access Community Capital in Southern Nevada to administer a minority-focused direct loan program, targeting startups and early-stage businesses based on the utilization of $6 million from the Attorney General’s office T-Mobile and Sprint settlement. The allocation to GOED was approved by the Nevada Legislative Interim Finance Committee on April 8, 2022.
Education News
Washoe School Board Confirms Susan Enfield as its New Superintendent
In a 6-1 vote, the Board of Trustees approved Dr. Enfield's employment contract last week. The contract is a four-year deal starting July 6th. It includes a $310,000 base salary, adjusted annually, plus benefits. Current Superintendent Kristen McNeil announced last year her plans to retire from the role at the end of June. You can read The Nevada Independent's outgoing interview with McNeil here. The Washoe County School District has had five superintendents in the past decade, including Enfield.
Environment News
Nevada Awarded $5.4 million for Ecosystem Restoration
Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that $68 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be allocated toward conserving and strengthening ecosystems and economies. Nevada will receive:
EPA Announces $1.9 Million Nevada Investment to Revitalize Communities
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $1,934,000 investment in Nevada to revitalize communities across the state by cleaning up contaminated and blighted properties and redeveloping them for productive reuse. The funding in Nevada will be provided through four EPA Brownfields Assessment grants, which are supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Humboldt County, The City of Las Vegas, The Henderson Redevelopment Agency, and the Nye Communities Coalition were selected to receive Brownfields Assessment Grants. A "brownfield" is a property that has been deemed as a contaminated, polluted, or hazardous site and is slated for revitalization through a specialized EPA program.
Washoe RTC Unveils 100% Clean Bus Fleet
The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Washoe County has retired its last diesel-powered bus in its fixed-route bus fleet, marking a clean-air milestone for the Commission 13 years ahead of schedule. The bus fleet now operates with 100% alternative fuel buses; one third of the fleet is fully electric, while the remainder are electric-diesel hybrids.
Housing News
Rosen, Cortez Masto Announce More Than $48 Million in Federal Funding for Affordable Housing in Nevada
Last week, Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen announced Nevada will receive more than $48 million in grant funding form the Department of Housing and Urban Development to support affordable housing initiatives. Below is a breakdown of the funding:
Culinary Union Announces Launch of "Neighborhood Stability" Ballot Initiative
The Culinary Union, one of Nevada's largest and most influential unions, announced this week they plan to launch a campaign "to win Neighborhood Stability," an effort to combat rising rent and home prices across the state. Whatever the outcome of this ballot initiative come November, expect affordable housing to be a 🔥hot topic🔥 during the 2023 Legislative Session.
Infrastructure News
Cortez Masto, Rosen Announce Nearly $5 Million in Grants for Rural Airports in Nevada
Last week, Nevada's Senators announced the Federal Aviation Administration awarded Nevada just shy of $5 million dollars in federal grants, funded via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to support infrastructure updates to rural airports throughout the state. The funding will be distributed as follows:
Nevada Childcare Providers to get $30 Million in Grants
Last week, the Interim Finance Committee approved a $30 million grant program to help childcare providers. Grants will be awarded to providers to expand their capacity to take care of children. The money will pay for immediate upgrades and expansions to take care of more families. According to the state's ARPA funds tracker, Nevada has allocated a little over $396 million for childcare programs.
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.
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.