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Washoe Schools Chief Heath Morrison A Finalist For 2012 Superintendent Of The Year

By Sean Whaley | 5:37 pm January 4th, 2012

CARSON CITY – Washoe County School District Superintendent Heath Morrison has been named a finalist for the 2012 National Superintendent of the Year.

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) selected Morrison and three other superintendents as the four finalists in the national program.

“I am exceptionally honored and humbled,” Morrison said. “There are some amazing educational leaders in this country who are doing phenomenal work to improve the lives of the nation’s children.

Washoe County School District Superintendent Heath Morrison.

“Being selected as a finalist for this award is truly an acknowledgment of the amazing efforts of the educators in Washoe County and a result of hard work and effort by many people in the district and in our community,” he said. “Our reform efforts have led to improved student achievement and increased opportunities for every child’s future.”

AASA will announce the winner of the 2012 National Superintendent of the Year on Feb. 16 at the National Conference on Education in Houston, Texas. The program, which is sponsored by ARAMARK Education, ING and AASA, celebrates the contributions and leadership of public school superintendents.

“When we called for educational reform several years ago, we were looking for a superintendent who would inspire change and re-energize our community in support of education,” said Washoe County School Board President Barbara McLaury. “Heath is exactly that type of leader. He has stimulated genuine change that is making a difference in the lives of our children.”

Student achievement has continued to make significant improvements under Morrison’s leadership. Between 2009 and 2011, the district’s graduate rate jumped 14 points from 56 percent to 70 percent with increases in every student subgroup.

The Washoe County School District also has witnessed academic gains in test scores and has successfully narrowed the achievement gap in many subject areas.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid praised Morrison’s leadership and advocacy at a time of budget reductions.

“Despite the budget restrictions, Dr. Morrison has helped institute dramatic educational reforms in the district and has demonstrated his commitment to ensuring that Nevada students are able to compete in the global economy,” he said.

Gov. Brian Sandoval, who also provided a letter of recommendation, said: “Dr. Morrison is a strategic thinker who builds string relationships in his community and policymakers in the state capital. He is respected by his peers in all of Nevada’s school districts and I know he enjoys very close relationships with members of the Nevada Legislature as well.”

 

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Nevada Delegation Split on Latest Payroll Tax Cut Bill

By Elizabeth Crum | 4:08 pm December 19th, 2011

Nevada’s congressional delegation is currently split 3-2 on the latest bill temporarily extending the payroll tax cuts.

Rep. Shelley Berkley favors the measure passed by the U.S. Senate (by an 89-10 vote Saturday) and supported by Sen.s Harry Reid and Dean Heller.

However, both Rep.s Joe Heck and Mark Amodei say they oppose the two-month extension of the payroll tax cuts on the basis that it is too short-term.

House Speaker John Boehner this morning said Republicans will most likely vote down the measure, objecting to the temporary fix and saying he favors the year-long extension approved last week. He now wants to establish a conference committee to negotiate a different deal.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement earlier today that he is not going to call the Senate back into session:

“My House colleagues should be clear on what their vote means today. If Republicans vote down the bipartisan compromise negotiated by Republican and Democratic leaders, and passed by 89 senators including 39 Republicans, their intransigence will mean that in 10 days, 160 million middle-class Americans will see a tax increase, over 2 million Americans will begin losing their unemployment benefits, and millions of senior citizens on Medicare could find it harder to receive treatment from physicians.”

Sen. Heller said there was “no question” that the payroll tax cuts and unemployment insurance benefits should be extended for one year, but that there was “no reason to hold up the short-term extension” while a longer-term deal is worked out.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, Heller’s Democratic opponent in the U.S. Senate race, also spoke in support of the short-term Senate measure on the House floor today, saying the hold-up is “thanks to the Tea Party extremists in the House of Representatives.”

But Rep. Joe Heck this afternoon put out a video statement explaining his strong opposition to the two-month measure, part of which is based on his objection to returning to this same debate in February.

Rep. Mark Amodei, the newest member of Nevada’s congressional delegation, also put out a statement saying, in part:

“To enact a 60-day extension of these important programs instead of a year, which would give doctors, patients, seniors, taxpayers and those looking for predictability and stability in their personal lives and jobs, is a can-kick of Olympic proportions. I have yet to hear of a reason for 60 days instead of 12 months. Conclusions for political sport are all that I see so far.”

If House Republicans do not pass the measure and the Senate does not return to Washington D.C. to negotiate a new bill, the payroll tax cuts will expire on Dec. 31.

 

 

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Group Fighting Excessive Federal Regulation Grows To 170 Members In Nevada, 1,000 Nationwide

By Sean Whaley | 4:36 pm November 22nd, 2011

CARSON CITY – A group established by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) to fight against excessive federal regulations now has 170 members in Nevada and 1,000 nationwide, the organization announced this week.

The coalition Small Businesses for Sensible Regulations says its mission is protecting small businesses and American jobs from the impacts of costly federation regulations.

Dry cleaners. / Photo courtesy of Simon Law via Flickr.

Coalition Chairwoman and former U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln said of the 1,000 member mark hit Monday: “Small businesses across America are rallying behind the need for sensible regulations. With federal regulatory requirements being finalized daily in Washington, small businesses are struggling to balance compliance costs and paperwork with their ability to fill orders, add staff, and stay afloat.

“As our coalition grows, we stand united in calling on President Obama to halt the issuance of new regulations until much needed reforms are made to the rule-making process,” she said.

Randi Thompson, Nevada state director for NFIB, said today that the cause has hit a nerve with small businesses throughout the state. The group has reached out to about 3,000 businesses so far.

“I’d say more than anything it is folks that are impacted by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency),” she said. “But the EPA is touching everything, from construction to dry cleaners to truckers. They’ve got such a broad reach, that that’s probably the most frustrating agency for Nevada businesses.”

A wide variety of businesses have joined, from landscapers to dentists to dry cleaners to construction companies, Thompson said.

“It is a broad spectrum of businesses,” she said.

Not everyone is convinced that federal regulations are hampering job growth.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in a speech on the Senate floor on Nov. 15 called the idea a myth, citing the Labor Department that found “only a tiny fraction of layoffs have anything at all to do with tighter regulation.”

Nevada coalition members recently traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with their elected representatives to discuss their concerns, and it is shaping up as an election issue in 2012, Thompson said. The group met with the Republican members of Nevada’s delegation.

Earlier this month, NFIB President Dan Danner and Senator Lincoln submitted a letter to President Obama urging adoption of five principles into the regulatory process that would help balance the rule-making system.

The standards include giving a seat to small businesses throughout policy discussions, and focusing on providing assistance to small businesses instead of levying costly penalties. The letter also asked that regulators conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis of all new rules, and base policy decisions on validated science and hard data. Finally, it called on lawmakers to make the regulatory process more transparent and accountable to the public.

The Nevada NFIB highlighted the concerns over excessive regulation in October when Reno businessman Raymond Pezonella described the cost of excessive regulation on his soil sampling business.

GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval, upon taking office in January, ordered a freeze on most regulations as a pro-business move. He also recently wrote to President Obama asking to help ease the permitting process for mines.

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Audio clips:

Randi Thompson, Nevada state director for NFIB says EPA regulations are a major concern of Nevada businesses:

112211Thompson1 :24 for Nevada businesses.”

Thompson says she is not surprised by the level of concern:

112211Thompson2 :32 make a difference.”

 

 

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New Poll Shows Sandoval with Strong Crossover Support, Reid as Unpopular as Ever. Also, Nevadans Love Baseball.

By Elizabeth Crum | 1:42 pm November 4th, 2011

A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Gov. Brian Sandoval’s approval numbers hovering in the mid-40s, with 45 percent of the voters in the state approving of him and 38 percent who disapprove. He continues to show relatively strong crossover support with 26 percent of Democrats approving of him.

Other survey findings:

– Sen. Harry Reid’s plus/minus numbers are holding steady with 42 percent of voters approving and 52 percent disapproving. Reid’s numbers are even worse with independent voters who show him at 31/65 approval/disapproval.

– Nevadans are divided on the Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party protest movements. By a narrow margin, more see Occupy Wall Street favorably (42/40) while seeing the Tea Party negatively (43/45).

– If Nevada voters had their choice, they’d most like a major league baseball to come to the state. A MLB team was the first choice of Nevadans by 27 percent, followed by 23 percent who would like an NFL team, 13 percent who want an NBA team, and 8 percent who would most prefer an NHL team.

– San Francisco sports teams are the most loved by Nevadans. The Giants lead the MLB pack with 21 percent fan support to 16 percent for the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers and Yankees both have 14 percent support, followed by 13 percent for the Cubs, 9 percent for the Angels and 5 percent for the Braves.

– As for NFL teams, the 49ers are most beloved by Nevadans with 19 percent fan support compared to 12 percent for the Cowboys, 11 percent for the Packers and Raiders, 9 percent for the Steelers, 8 percent for the Broncos, 7 percent for the Cardinals, and 5 percent for the Chargers.

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RNC Ad Takes Issue With Harry Reid’s Public vs. Private Sector Jobs Claim

By Elizabeth Crum | 2:00 pm October 20th, 2011

The RNC is out with an ad highlighting remarks made by Sen. Harry Reid on the floor yesterday (I have provided the context for the clip right below the ad):

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Here’s the link if your browser has trouble with the embed:

http://youtu.be/lKe9EZEBQ80

Reid’s unedited remarks:

“The massive layoffs we’ve had in America today — of course they’re rooted in the last administration — and it’s very clear that private sector jobs are doing just fine. It’s the public sector jobs where we’ve lost huge numbers, and that’s what this legislation’s all about. And it’s unfortunate my friend the Republican Leader is complaining about that. I would also note that my friend said the House passed another bill. Well, they pass lots of bills, but they rarely go anyplace.” (Sen. Reid, Floor Remarks, 10/19/11)

Couple notes, Dear Readers (some of these numbers gleaned from this analysis):

According to the most recent estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 21,985, 000 government employees. The last time we were near that number was 2006. The number of public employees peaked at 22,980,000 in May of 2010, some of it due to Census-related hiring (estimates at the time were that the Census would create roughly one million temporary jobs). The total was estimated at 22,582,000 when Obama took office. Bottom line, over the past few years, the total number has hovered right around 22-23 million with differences of no greater than one million between the high and low points. By percentage, that’s about a 4.5 percent loss from peak to low.

The most recent total number of private-sector employees (from September) was 109,349,000, with a peak in January 2008 at 115,610,000. The most recent low was 106,772,000 in February of 2010. So:  the difference between the most recent peak to the most recent low: 8,817,000 (and presently we are about 6 million away from the peak). By percentage, that’s about an 8.2 point loss from peak to low.

Politifact dug up some numbers and weighed in on this, too, if you want to take a look at their assessment.

Update/note:  Reid’s remarks relate to a jobs bill you can read about here.

 

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In Case You Missed It: This Week in Nevada Politics

By Elizabeth Crum | 10:07 am September 15th, 2011

Here is my latest ICYMI installment with a nice round-up of snippets, blurbs and links, Dear Readers.

Presidential Race

This week, Gov. Sandoval endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry for governor.

On the eve of the CNN/Western Republican Leadership Conference presidential debate in Las Vegas next month, a national Democratic-aligned group will convene a summit here.

A CNN poll says the Republican Party is split right down the middle between tea party supporters and those who do not support the movement.

RNC chief Reince Priebus this week said there still time for other candidates to get in the GOP race.

2nd Congressional District

After an easy win on Tuesday, Mark Amodei took office this morning as the newest U.S. House member representing Nevada. The oath was administered by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Amodei was sworn in along with Bob Turner, a Republican from New York who won his own special election.

The Nevada House delegation seniority, per @RollCall now goes as follows: Rep. Amodei is No. 433, Rep. JoeHeck is No. 382, and Rep. Berkley is No. 147.

A spokesman for Sharron Angle says she will be watching Nevada’s newest congressman closely.

Is a special election in Washoe County in September 2011 a national bellwether? Former Nevadan and Politico reporter Molly Ball says yes, but on the morning of the election Steve Sebelius disagreed and yesterday @RalstonFlash Tweeted the following:

Hey, Harbinger 2012 Caucus, some #s for you: NV voters NOT eligible for #nv02 special represent 65% of NV electorate. Breakdown: 46%D-32%R.

Translation:  The 2nd congressional district does not represent or reflect state voter registration statistics, nor is a special election comparable to a regular/presidential year general election, so people shouldn’t read too much into Amodei’s 20-point win in the district and/or 10-point win in Washoe County.

Congressional Candidates Without Borders

State Sen. John Lee headed to D.C. this week to talk about his congressional candidacy with Sen. Harry Reid and other Democratic Party leaders.

U.S. Senate Race

The conversation continues re: Rep. Shelley Berkley’s advocacy for legislation that benefitted her husband’s medical practice (the original New York Times story is here). Jon Ralston penned a good column saying there are (at least) two ways to look at the situation.

And Berkley tells the LVRJ she now thinks she should have disclosed.

Miscellaneous

Gov. Sandoval wants to talk to Washoe and Clark Counties about their refund requests.

UNLV might go ahead with an arena project, sans taxpayer dollars.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is being asked for clarification on its recent ruling on Yucca Mountain.

Jane Ann Morrison wrote an interesting piece this week about the constitutional reasons for the “leap frogging” of Nevada’s high court judges as they take turns being Supreme Court chief.

Reid had a 20-minute Twitter town hall this week.

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Yucca Mountain Is Dead Again

By Elizabeth Crum | 3:09 pm September 10th, 2011

In a long awaited ruling, the federal nuclear safety agency has said Nevada can close down Yucca Mountain once and for all. Or not.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) tie vote neither upheld nor rejected a lower board’s ruling on the proposed nuclear waste repository, leaving the legal status of Yucca Mountain construction application in limbo.

The Obama administration had asked Congress to zero out the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) work on Yucca as a follow up to the prior  termination of funding at the Department of Energy (DOE) project. The NRC has directed that all project casework be wrapped up by the end of the month.

Sen. Harry Reid said he is happy it is nearly over:

“Today’s decision by the NRC brings the Yucca Mountain saga closer to its final conclusion,” Reid said. “I am pleased that the commission is ready to wrap up all work on Yucca licensing by the end of this month.”

Aerial view of the crest of Yucca Mountain / U.S. Department of Energy photo

But is the nuclear waste storage project really dead? Court cases or actions by Congress and other governmental bodies may yet revive it.

A federal appeals court ruled in July that legal challenges to the Obama administration’s decision to withdraw from developing Yucca Mountain were premature and that no final decision could be made until the NRC acted.

South Carolina, Washington and other petitioners challenged the federal government’s Jan. 2010 decision to withdraw “with prejudice” the DOE application to the NRC. The states argued that withdrawal of the application violated the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act as well as the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.

Chief Judge David Sentelle wrote in the majority opinion for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that the petitioners’ fear that the federal government might never find a place to store their nuclear waste was “not unreasonable.”

In a separate opinion, Judge Janice Rogers Brown noted that petitioners might have a valid argument in that NRC may have violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to act quickly enough.

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, a group of state utility regulators, and the Nuclear Energy Institute, the nuclear industry’s lobbying arm, stand in support of the petitioners and will likely be involved in future lobbying and lawsuits.

The U.S. House of Representatives had voted in July for an energy bill that contained $35 million for Yucca Mountain along with a directive that the NRC and the DOE move forward with the licensing process. A corresponding Senate bill contained no mention of Yucca, and Reid has said there won’t ever be one on his watch.

Closing down Yucca Mountain “once and for all” can happen if the DOE’s license application is denied by NRC and its decision is upheld through a final non-appealable decision rendered by a federal court, or if Congress amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and the president signs the legislation.

 

 

 

 

 

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In Case You Missed It: The Week in Nevada Politics

By Elizabeth Crum | 3:24 pm September 9th, 2011

These “ICYMI” posts are getting quite a few hits so I guess you like them, Dear Readers. Here’s this week’s round-up (plus a few from before the holiday weekend):

Presidential Race

My three cents on the President’s speech Thursday night.

Magellan’s 9/2 survey had Gov. Rick Perry up over Gov. Mitt Romney by 5 points (29-24 percent) in Nevada. Herman Cain, Rep. Bachman and Rep. Paul all came in at 6 or 7 percent.

Romney rolled out his economic and jobs plans in North Las Vegas this week. Can a visit from Perry be far behind?

Special Election in CD-2 (September 13)

State Senator Mark Amodei’s says he’d be “honored” to have your vote in his final television ad of the campaign.

State Treasurer Kate Marshall has been walking a tightrope as she runs as a Democrat in a conservative district, but Steny Hoyer’s visit cleared things up a bit.

The two underdog candidates fight on.

Reuters reports.

U.S. Senate Race

Rep. Berkley did not heart this story in the New York Times. The Las Vegas Sun sees nothing wrong. Steve Sebelius says she should have abstained. Jon Ralston says either way, it spells trouble for her campaign.

Dean Heller AGAIN demanded transparency from the so-called debt-cutting SuperCommittee via his fourth press release on the issue.

Congressional Delegation (and Hopefuls) in the News

Rep. Joe Heck gets heckled at a panel on job creation.

Does Sen. Harry Reid always get what he wants? Maybe not, but he can still do stuff like this.

The Washington Post fact checks a Reid job claim related to the FAA bill.

Dina Titus is not letting the lack of district lines stop her from putting together a great money team for her congressional run…somewhere.

Cities and Counties

A Clark County union negotiating expert says the SEUI is bargaining in bad faith. The county wants the Local Government Employee Management Relations Board to compel the union to meet more often and bargain in good faith. The SIEU responded calling the claim “disingenuous” and the complaint “frivolous.”

The Clean Water Coalition is shutting down but at least someone in the state has some money.

As first reported by me on Twitter, some folks in North Las Vegas are going to try to recall Mayor Shari Buck. But only 50 signatures were collected Tuesday at their kick-off rally.

Miscellaneous

Is the Nevada GOP finally getting its organizational act together such that it can inflict pain on the Democrats in 2012? The dean of Nevada politics says maybe.

The Nevada Supreme Court opened its fall term with a hearing on a freedom of speech argument by a political advocacy group.

A complaint against Bank of America was filed recently by Attorney General Catherine  Cortez Masto. She and many state AGs also signed a strongly worded letter of concern/complaint (and asks questions “in lieu of a subpoena”) against an alleged sex trafficking website.

Ralston blasts the state teachers’ union for its “report card” on lawmakers.

DOT is contemplating an Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Act (RRIF) loan of $6 billion to the DesertXpress project.

 

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Battle-worn Byron Georgiou is Out of U.S. Senate Race

By Elizabeth Crum | 10:03 am August 10th, 2011

Las Vegas millionaire and Shelley Berkley-challenger Byron Georgiou this morning announced that he is dropping out of the Democratic race for the U.S. Senate:

After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to terminate my campaign for the Democratic Party’s 2012 nomination for the United States Senate.

I continue to believe that my background and experience well qualify me to serve in the Senate. However, at this time, I have concluded that I can more effectively contribute to resolution of the serious economic issues facing our state and nation through my work in the private sector, in the areas of clean energy, health care information technology, and broadband development.

I thank my many supporters, my staff, my friends and my family for their confidence in my candidacy.

With respect,

Byron

The businessman — a millionaire who made a name for himself as one of the attorneys who recovered $7.5 billion for investors in Enron Corporation – has been under fire for months by Democratic Party operatives who first tried to persuade and then later attempted to force him out of the race against Rep. Berkley.

Among other things, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid called the candidate’s credentials and ethics into question even though Reid was largely responsible for appointing Georgiou to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC), a panel tasked with examining the causes of the recession. Reid even went so far as to say he was “misled” about Georgiou’s resume and regretted appointing Georgiou to the commission.

But Georgiou was determined and said he refused to drop out, even seeming energized by the attacks. He told the Las Vegas Sun he believed the criticisms were politically motivated and “part of the continuing efforts of the Shelley Berkley campaign to disparage my candidacy.”

A spokesman for Reid stood behind the criticism and told the Sun that while Georgiou was on the FCIC, he was making public and private statements that were in violation of the ethics code for the commission.

Although many political analysts agreed the attacks on Georgiou looked like a coordinated effort to force him out of the senate race, Reid was not the first elected official to question whether all Georgiou’s work for the FCIC was ethical. California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa’s House Oversight and Government Reform committee has this year been investigating whether Georgiou and FCIC lead investigator Chris Seefer may have broken the commission’s ethical rules regarding conflicts of interest and confidentiality.

If unchallenged by any other candidate, Berkley will face appointed U.S. Sen. Dean Heller in the 2012 race as he seeks to hold the seat for the Republicans.

Update (compliments of Steve Sebelius at SlashPolitics who provided both of the below comments):

Rep. Shelley Berkley said this today in response to Georgiou’s announcement.

I have nothing but the utmost respect for Byron Georgiou. He has an impressive record as a businessman and public servant and I know that he will continue to contribute to the betterment of our state and country in the years to come.

And Sen. Harry Reid said this:

While Byron and I have had our differences in the past, I’m heartened by his decision today.  His is an important voice and perspective on the causes of the financial crisis.

Byron and his fellow Financial Crisis Inquiry Commissioners performed a significant public service by investigating and identifying for the President, the Congress and the American people the causes of the economic crisis that continues to grip our nation.  Their report remains the most comprehensive accounting of the causes of the crisis and what we should do to avoid a repetition.  Byron’s decision allows him to focus even more of his energy, time and considerable talents on what he is obviously very passionate about — ensuring that what happened never happens again.

Byron has had a diverse and distinguished career in business, law and public service.  I have the highest regard for his professional expertise, and am confident that Byron will continue to contribute to Nevada and America in the years to come.

Quite the 180. As Sebelius quipped in his blog header, “Can you feel the love tonight?”

Update:

Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Roberta Lange issued the following statement regarding Byron Georgiou’s decision to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race:

We thank Byron Georgiou for his years of public service and wish him well in his future endeavors. This election will be a clear choice between Shelley Berkley’s commitment to getting Nevadans back to work and Dean Heller’s job-killing TEA Party agenda that would gut Social Security and end Medicare by putting the health of Nevada seniors into the hands of profit-first private insurance companies. With Nevada suffering from the worst unemployment in the Nation, we need Shelley Berkley in the Senate to fight to create jobs, not a politician like Dean Heller who has consistently thrown Nevada’s seniors and middle class under the bus to protect tax breaks for corporations that ship American jobs overseas.


 

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Harry Reid Pushes New Super PAC

By Elizabeth Crum | 6:00 pm June 22nd, 2011

A fund raising solicitation from Sen. Harry Reid to supporters this week touted a new political action committee called Majority PAC. Reid said in the missive that there “can be no greater priority than protecting the Democratic majority in the Senate.”

The effort was first reported by Open Secrets blog.

Majority PAC is a “super PAC” which means it can raise unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations and unions. Super PACs exist due in part to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling.
Super PACs cannot donate to candidates. Instead, the money they raise is used to produce and place political ads for or against politicians. Like independent expenditure committees, super PACs cannot coordinate with campaigns.

 

However, as Open Secrets points out, super PACs often have close ties with the politicians they are working to elect.

Majority PAC’s leadership includes longtime Reid strategist Rebecca Lambe and Reid’s former chief of staff, Susan McCue.

Reid’s direct appeal to supporters for Majority PAC re-raises questions about how lawmakers can or cannot raise money for outside groups without violating federal election laws.

Advocates for campaign finance regulation generally oppose super PACs and want the FEC to enforce the legal prohibition on the practice of soliciting unlimited contributions from either individuals, groups or corporations. 

Reid’s fund-raising email for Majority PAC says Reid is “only asking for a donation of up to $5,000 from individuals and federal PACs. He is not asking for funds from corporations, labor unions or other federally prohibited sources.”

In other words, Reid is asking only for contributions from individuals within the federal limits. In so doing, he is setting a safe example for other elected officials.

During the last election cycle, conservative groups spent roughly twice as much as their counterparts on the left ($190 million to $94 million) on political messaging including independent expenditures and electioneering communications, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

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In Redistricting Battle, Political Parties Argue Over “Who Loves Hispanics More”

By Andrew Doughman | 7:00 pm May 11th, 2011

CARSON CITY — A Republican Hispanic governor will soon decide the fate of a Democratic redistricting plan that has both political parties embroiled in a debate over fairness to Nevada’s Hispanic population.

Legislative Republicans, who voted against the plan, and Democrats are each claiming they truly have the best interests of Nevada’s largest minority population in mind as they consider the boundaries of new political districts.

As political columnist Jon Ralston asked on Twitter: “who loves Hispanics more?”

But some people in the Hispanic community object to the odes both parties are singing about fair political representation for the Latino community.

Is the Hispanic community being used?

“It’s quite obvious,” said Fernando Romero, president of the nonpartisan Nevada group Hispanics in Politics.

He said he does not like the Republican plan for Congressional districts because it lumps all Hispanics together in one big group. But he also does not like the Democratic plan, which he said fractures key Latino communities into different districts.

“We are throwing the Democratic plan out of the window,” he said.

Romero said that he and other Hispanic advocacy groups will introduce their own plan for Congressional and state Senate and Assembly districts by the end of this week.

At stake is the power of a new voter bloc comprising 26 percent of Nevada’s population and one of every seven voters in Nevada, a number that could be higher if historically low levels of voter registration in the Hispanic community improve.

The Latino factor also makes Nevada a “key state” during the 2012 presidential elections.

“When you consider we’re about to enter a presidential election year, the Hispanic community is a community everybody is eyeing,” said Javier Trujillo of the Latin Chamber of Commerce.

Political parties could spend millions in attempts to sway Hispanic voters to the left or right, but every 10 years politicians are free — in fact, mandated — to choose the voters themselves. That is their business this year as the Nevada Legislature embarks on the decadal ritual of redrawing political boundaries in accordance with U.S. Census demographic data.

So far, both parties have accused each other of violating the federal Voting Rights Act, which addresses redistricting rules for ethnic minorities, in favor of partisan gain.

“They’ve clearly put their partisan interests ahead of what is morally right for the Hispanic community, and they’ve violated federal law in the process,” said Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas.

Democrats said nearly the same thing in a press release:

“Republicans opposed these maps on a party line vote while trying to mislead Nevadans on the purpose the Voting Right Act to mask their own partisan agenda.”

The Democratic plan passed out of the Senate and Assembly on Tuesday and now awaits Gov. Brian Sandoval’s signature or veto. It creates Congressional districts with Hispanic populations ranging between 20.5 and 33.6 percent of districts’ total populations.

A Republican proposal that did not receive a vote has Hispanics comprising between 14.4 percent and 50.7 percent of Congressional districts’ populations.

Republican Proposed Congressional Districts

District Population Deviation GOP% DEM% HVAP% BVAP% Total Hispanic%
CD 01 675,138 0 32.0% 45.5% 17.7% 9.9% 20.6%
CD 02 675,138 0 42.8% 35.7% 16.6% 1.9% 20.4%
CD 03 675,138 0 40.8% 37.5% 12.2% 5.5% 14.4%
CD 04 675,137 -1 20.8% 57.8% 44.3% 14.2% 50.7%

Democratic Proposed Congressional Districts

District Population Deviation GOP% DEM% HVAP% BVAP% Total Hispanic%
CD 01 675,138 0 31.9% 47.9% na na 33.6%
CD 02 675,138 0 42.8% 36.0% na na 20.5%
CD 03 675,138 0 34.4% 44.1% na na 29.2%
CD 04 675,137 -1 35.0% 43.1% na na 22.9%


Nevada’s explosive population growth between 2001 and 2010 earned Nevada one more congressional district, giving Nevada four seats.

UNR political scientist Eric Herzik said during an interview today that behind the squabbling about numbers lies the political reality of the Hispanic vote.

“The issue is not whether the districts are in compliance with federal law,” he said. “This is politics, partisan politics. …They’re both about trying to maximize party influence in districts.”

He said minority groups, including Latinos, tend to vote Democratic.

During the 2010 election, Hispanics overwhelming voted for Democratic candidate Rory Reid in the gubernatorial race and incumbent Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the Senate race.

“If you diffuse the Latino vote, you can create more Democratic-leaning votes,” he said.

Likewise, he said the Republican proposal to create a district with more than 50 percent Hispanic population is a “shield” and the Republican party’s public concern is not the “root of their complaint” with the Democratic proposal.

“It works better for them if they can give up one overwhelmingly Democratic district,” Herzik said.

The historical data, however, only goes so far.

Romero contended that Latinos are independent-minded and value fair representation over agreement with Democrats.

“If we did follow party lines we would support the plan the Democrats issued,” Romero said. “We don’t.”

 

 

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Reid: Senate Ethics Committee Must Release Ensign Findings

By Elizabeth Crum | 1:36 pm April 27th, 2011

As reported by Steve Tetrault, Senator Harry Reid said earlier today the Senate Ethics Committee is not only “obligated” to issue the findings from its 22-month investigation of Senator John Ensign but that it must also refer any potential criminal violations to the Department of Justice for their consideration.

Ensign will not be under the jurisdiction of the Senate as of his resignation on May 3, but his departure does not preclude the ethics panel from releasing information after he is gone.

 

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Year Of Dramatic Campaign Spending Increases Marks Anniversary Of Citizens United Decision

By Andrew Doughman | 12:54 pm January 21st, 2011

One year later, the impacts of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case are plain to see.

On Jan. 21, 2010, the court ruled that corporate and union donations to political candidates cannot be limited under the First Amendment.

The impact?

During this past Senatorial election, Democratic-incumbent Harry Reid and Republican challenger Sharron Angle together spent about $44 million on their campaigns. Including outside spending, that number is probably above $50 million.

That’s compared to about $8 million spent during the 2004 and 2006 Senate races, when campaign financing laws were still on the books.

At the Congressional level, Democrat Dina Titus and Republican Joe Heck battled it out this year, spending a combined $4 million in a contest Heck ultimately won. That’s actually less than the $4.65 million spent in the 2008 race between Titus and Republican-challenger Jon Porter. But outside spending in the 2010 race accounted for an extra $4.5 million in 2010 compared to $1.8 million in 2008.

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down a provision of those financing laws in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

In striking parts of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act – better known as the McCain-Feingold Act – the court allowed corporate donors to give unlimited amounts of money to political candidates or to spend independently on behalf of candidates.

The spending numbers above only track the spending declared by candidates, excluding money spent on their behalf. In the Reid-Angle race, many of the donors to Angle’s campaign were individuals, whereas Reid raked in donations for corporations.

Following the ruling, President Barack Obama said the ruling “gives the special interests and their lobbyists even more power in Washington … while undermining the influence of average Americans who make small contributions to their preferred candidates.”

His 2008 Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, also criticized the decision. Along with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, McCain had been a sponsor of the campaign reform law, the provisions of which the court struck down.

Former state Senator Bill Raggio, in an interview on the Nevada NewsMakers program on Jan. 13, also questioned the high level of spending on campaigns in general and in the Reid-Angle race in particular: “I think the money that is spent on campaigns, particularly this last campaign season, was obscene. In just this state alone, $50 million between these two candidates for the U.S. Senate.

“I certainly want to support free speech and the ability of people to back candidates and to fund candidates, but I think there should be some reasonable limit. It may be something that has to be self imposed by individuals or candidates or groups, but I think it was obscene.”

Other groups, however, praised the ruling. The National Rifle Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce had both supported Citizens United during the trial. The Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, also issued a statement in support.

“To make campaign spending equal or nearly so, the government would have to force some people or groups to spend less than they wished. And equality of speech is inherently contrary to protecting speech from government restraint,” the statement read.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the decision, Citizens United released a celebratory statement today. Their lead counsel in the case, Theodore B. Olson, said that the decision is the “most important in history.”

“What that decision said is that individuals, under the First Amendment, cannot be inhibited, cannot be restrained, cannot be threatened, cannot be censored by the government when they wish to speak about elections and the political process,” he said. “What could be more important than that?”

One year later, the rancor aroused by the decision appears not to have quieted.

Republicans are pushing for removing more campaign financing restrictions while Democrats are lining up to propose a constitutional amendment to limit corporate spending.

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Harrah’s Hearts Harry

By Elizabeth Crum | 4:14 pm November 2nd, 2010

In case you have not yet seen it, Dear Readers, check out my story about the lengths to which Harrah’s executives in Las Vegas went to try to help the Harry Reid campaign during early voting last week. It was featured on the National Review front page and made national headlines today.

We will be talking more about this story tonight during elections coverage on KTNV Channel 13 Action News. Tune in.

Here also is the video from my chat with Neil Cavuto on Fox News this afternoon:

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A Day Late

By Elizabeth Crum | 2:23 pm October 30th, 2010

A Sharron Angle flyer encouraging early voting arrives in my mailbox one day too late:

I never vote early, anyhow, Dear Readers.

Lots of people did, though, and here’s where we stand.

Oops!

As I was typing, Secretary of State Ross Miller just Tweeted these statewide early voting totals, excluding Eureka County:

Dems:  162,774

GOP:  156,150

(That puts the GOP down by just 6,624 votes statewide)

Other:  60,665

Key factors going into Tuesday:

– enthusiasm and turnout by both parties, i.e. whether or not the GOP can overcome the Dems’ 60,000 edge in voter registration

– how the nonpartisan voters break (Angle needs them )

– how many Rs Angle loses to Reid, “none,” or third party candidates

– how many Ds Reid loses to Angle (she claims they exist), “none,” or third party candidates

It’s almost over, Dear Readers.

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