Vote Nevada Supporters,

We had a wonderful discussion with University of Montana Professor Wade Davies about the role basketball played for Native American women in boarding schools. 

The boarding school experience was a tragic government-driven attempt to strip Native Americans of their culture, but the embrace of basketball by both Indigenous young men and women while at the boarding schools demonstrated their resilience and strong dedication to their culture and identity.

I am sure you will enjoy listening to Professor Davies’s presentation and answers to participants’ questions.  You can view the recording here: https://vote-nevada.news/Indigenous-Women-Basketball

If you would like to read the article I referenced during the Zoom recording, it is here: https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2020/04/15/how-native-americans-made-basketball-their-own/ideas/essay/

If you would like to purchase his book, you can do so here: https://www.amazon.com/Native-Hoops-American-Basketball-1895-1970/dp/0700629092

And if you would like to ask Professor Davies any questions, his contact information is here: https://www.umt.edu/history/people/?ID=676

Sondra 

Vote Nevada Supporters,

Thanks to everyone who attended the Advocacy During the Interim Zoom session.  You can find the Zoom recording, our PDF Guide to the Legislature’s Interim Session webpages, and a Google form for sharing issues you would like to work on during the interim session here: https://vote-nevada-blog.org/advocacy-during-the-interim/

Thanks for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here

Vote Nevada Supporters,

I hope everyone is enjoying the Nevada Day weekend! (I voted against changing Nevada Day to the last Friday in October!!) 

We have two important upcoming events:

Saturday, November 4^th, from 9 to 10 am, via Zoom, Vote Nevada is offering an Advocacy During the Interim Training Session.  Join us to learn about how interim legislative committees work, how the Governor builds the state budget, and the bill creation process for the 2025 legislative session. A lot happens during the interim while most Nevadans are not engaged, we need to change that dynamic.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Advocacy-During-Interim

Monday, November 13^th, from Noon to 1 pm, join Vote Nevada and the CSN Native American Alliance for a discussion with University of Montana Professor Wade Davies about how Native American girls used basketball to cope with the boarding school experience.  You can RSVP here: t.ly/ut8BD

Thanks to those of you who reached out to me about the questionable information circulating about ranked-choice voting, especially assertions that voters simply cannot understand the process.  To address this, I am creating an online simulation of Alaska’s 2022 election cycle, which used a process identical to Ballot Question 3, so voters can evaluate ranked choice voting for themselves.

And, to celebrate my and Nevada’s REAL birthdays on October 31^st, I’m doing a Facebook fundraiser to bring in a few dollars to keep Vote Nevada running for 2024.  If you would like to participate, you can contribute here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/317621261002355/

Thank you for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra 

Vote Nevada Supporters,

The topic of today’s Vote Nevada meeting was Assembly Bill 400. The bill allocates $140 million dollars in grants to address early childhood literacy.  We reviewed the bill’s language as well as information about the grant process on the Department of Education website. We concluded by discussing concerns about possible outcomes.

The three entities that can apply for an AB 400 grant are school districts, sponsors of charter schools, and education-related nonprofit organizations.  So, our discussion focused on whether every school will have an equitable opportunity to receive help from one of the grants.  And if some schools are excluded, how many Title One schools could be excluded?  Are parents and students at the mercy of school administrators who may not file to receive part of a grant?

You can view the meeting recording here: https://vote-nevada.news/Recording-Review-AB400

You can read AB 400 here: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/82nd2023/Bill/10344/Text

You can review the grant process here: t.ly/z_1ux

I am reaching out to the State Superintendent to ask for some clarifications regarding the distribution of the bill’s funds.  When I have more information, I will share it with you all. 

We have three more upcoming events, so, please attend if you can.

Tuesday, October 24, 6 to 7 p.m., via Zoom.  Join Vote Nevada as we welcome Scott Youngs from the UNR Assistive Technology Resource Center.  We will discuss how assistive technology can bridge the gap between an exclusionary society and an inclusive society that removes barriers for disabled Nevadans. RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Bridging-Disability-Gap

Saturday, November 4, from 9 to 10 a.m., via Zoom.  Join us for our Advocacy During the Interim Training to review what happens during the interim legislative session and how to advocate for future legislation.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Advocacy-During-Interim

Monday, November 13, from Noon to 1:00 p.m., via Zoom, the CSN Native American Alliance is offering a Lunch and Learn session with Professor Wade Davies about the connection between women’s basketball and indigenous culture. You can RSVP here: t.ly/jGHQC

Looking forward to seeing everyone, thanks for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra Cosgrove

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here

Vote Nevada Supporters,

Upcoming events:

Tuesday, October 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the East Las Vegas Library.  Come hear the City of Las Vegas Mayor Candidates answer questions ranging from economic development to solutions for homelessness, and the role of our cities in managing education.  The public is welcome.  The address is 2851 East Bonanza Road, LV, NV 89101. No RSVP is required.

Saturday, October 21, from 9 to 10 a.m., via Zoom.  Join Vote Nevada to review Assembly Bill 400, which provides additional support for early childhood literacy education. You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Review-AB400  

Tuesday, October 24, 6 to 7 p.m., via Zoom.  Join Vote Nevada as we welcome Scott Youngs from the UNR Assistive Technology Resource Center.  We will discuss how assistive technology can bridge the gap between an exclusionary society and an inclusive society that removes barriers for disabled Nevadans. RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Bridging-Disability-Gap

Saturday, November 4, from 9 to 10 a.m., via Zoom.  Join us for our Advocacy During the Interim Training to review what happens during the interim legislative session and how to advocate for future legislation.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Advocacy-During-Interim

Monday, November 13, from Noon to 1:00 p.m., via Zoom, the CSN Native American Alliance is offering a Lunch and Learn session with Professor Wade Davies about the connection between women’s basketball and indigenous culture. You can RSVP here: t.ly/jGHQC

Looking forward to seeing everyone, thanks for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra Cosgrove

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here

Vote Nevada Supporters,

It’s time to plan for the interim and to discuss how to combine ensuring bills passed in the 2023 session are implemented with engaging in advocacy work on bill draft requests for the 2025 legislative session.

You can view a Zoom meeting to review bills passed into law in the 2023 legislative session that connect education, restorative justice, mental health, and disability rights, here: https://vote-nevada.news/Education-Bills-Implementation  with the meeting’s annotated presentation here: https://vote-nevada.news/Education-Bills-Implementation-PDF  

Vote Nevada is hosting a second meeting to review AB400, which provides additional support for early childhood learning.  You can read the bill here: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/82nd2023/Bill/10344/Overview

This second meeting is on October 21^st at 9 a.m. via Zoom, you can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Review-AB400

Soon after, will be our Advocacy During the Interim Training to review what happens during the legislative interim session and how to advocate for future legislation.  This meeting will be on November 4^th, at 9 a.m., via Zoom.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Advocacy-During-Interim

Information about the interim legislative session is here: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/InterimCommittee/REL/Interim2023

Once we complete the advocacy training, we can start establishing priorities.   Currently, the identified bills to track for implementation include AB37, AB72, SB72, SB282, AB285, AB330, AB54, SB225 (2017), and AB400.

Thank you for being Nevadans with me and Go ACES!

Sondra

Vote Nevada donation options:

For a one-time donation, you can donate here: t.ly/LU_WM  

You can also sign up for a monthly donation here: t.ly/6cEnZ

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada Supporters,

To ensure laws that passed in the 2023 legislative session are implemented, we must follow some local governing bodies during the interim.  Anything related to higher education will go to the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.  The Regents have quarterly and some special meetings, so you’ll want to receive emails announcing NSHE events.  You can sign up for NSHE notifications here: https://nshe.nevada.edu/regents/subscribe/

Emailed NSHE notifications include links to the meeting agenda, which you can find on this page along with any accompanying documents https://nshe.nevada.edu/regents/upcoming-meetings/

You will see information on the location of the meeting as well as options for providing public comments:

You will notice committees are also included.  This is where things can get a little tricky.  For example, AB37, the behavioral health workforce center, will be heard for acceptance at the September Regents meeting. 

But you will need to know where it will be heard if you plan to provide public comments in person or if you will be watching that meeting online.  AB37 creates a healthcare academic program, so, it might be heard in the Academic, Research, and Student Affairs Committee or it might be heard in Health Sciences System Committee. 

After clicking on both committees, you will see that for this vote, AB37 will be heard in the Academic, Research, and Student Affairs Committee. The committee meeting agenda provides all the details for watching and/or participating through public comments.

On the day of the meeting, you can watch the meeting live stream on the NSHE homepage.  The video will appear at the top of this page: https://nshe.nevada.edu/

If you would like to review past Regent’s meetings, you can click on Board of Regents on the home page: https://nshe.nevada.edu/ 

Select Meeting Archive from the dropdown menu.  The Meeting Archive page provides audio and video recordings as well as meeting documents and written public comments.

We need to ensure that the Regents know that we support the speedy implementation of AB37.

Some of you have asked about ways to donate to Vote Nevada, so here are the options:

For a one-time donation, you can donate here: t.ly/LU_WM  

You can also sign up for a monthly donation here: t.ly/6cEnZ

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Thank you for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra

Vote Nevada Supporters,

If you haven’t already RSVP’d for next week’s The Young Vote documentary showing, please do so now so we can purchase enough food.  You can watch a trailer here: https://www.theyoungvotefilm.com/

Vote Nevada is flying in Director/Producer, Diane Robinson, as well as the film’s cast, so if you attend, you can meet them during the reception and then participate in the panel discussion with them after the film’s showing.

We will be in Vegas at the CSN North Las Vegas Campus on August 25^th, from 4 to 7 pm, RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-young-vote-meet-the-cast-watch-the-movie-tickets-692045425497?aff=oddtdtcreator

We will be in Reno at UNR on August 26^th, from 4 to 7 pm, RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/viewing-of-the-young-vote-tickets-664284933117?aff=oddtdtcreator

Las Vegas

Reno

On Thursday, August 17^th, at 1 pm, I am presenting at the Board of Regent’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee about the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action ruling and about the importance of civics education. You can see the agenda here https://nshe.nevada.edu/regents/upcoming-meetings/ and you can watch the live stream from the NSHE website’s homepage the day of the meeting https://nshe.nevada.edu/

Thank you for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here

Vote Nevada Supporters,

We are heading into the last 1/3 of summer, or at least it’s not forecast to be over 110 degrees in Vegas for a while.  Here are a few things happening in August through Vote Nevada.   

You will most likely start hearing the term consensus democracy in this next election cycle, so Vote Nevada is offering a Zoom meeting Saturday, August 5^th, from 9 to 10 am to discuss the topic.  We are used to majoritarian democracy, but it is just one way to manage elections.  Both types have pros and cons in pure form, so, I just want to ensure we all have working definitions of both.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Consensus-Democracy

 Update on the working group to achieve better mental health policy outcomes.  Instead of having two meetings, we will have one meeting on Saturday, August 5th, 6:00 to 7:00 pm.  The main topic will be:

What can the community do to ensure mental health bills that pass in the legislature are implemented?

We are focusing on these bills: AB37, AB528, and AB135.

After talking to some legislators and behavioral health practitioners, I heard that we submit good policy bills, and many of those bills are signed into law.  And then we do not achieve the intended outcomes because the new laws are either not implemented or only partially implemented, for several reasons.  We need dedicated community members who can spend the interim asking whether a bill has been implemented and if not why.

If we can get these three bills fully implemented, behavioral health policy will advance lightyears.

If you would like to attend this meeting, you can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Better-Mental-Health-Policy-Outcomes

The two BIG events in August are our viewings of The Young Vote with the Director and the Cast.  You can join us on August 25^th in Vegas or on August 26^th in Reno.  You can see more about the documentary and the cast here: https://www.theyoungvotefilm.com/  

You can RSVP for the Vegas event here: t.ly/LCPUK

You can RSVP for the Reno event here: t.ly/EggAK

I am sure you have read that young voters will play a larger and larger role in our elections, so, this is your chance to hear directly from a group of young voters who are trying to be engaged.

If you are in Vegas on August 26th, Nevada NOW is hosting a Women’s Equality Day Celebration and Fundraising.  You can RSVP here: https://fb.me/e/4SyguIu3l

Thank you for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here