League Supporters,
Thanks to everyone who participated at our February 21st meeting. Whew! We heard so much great information from so many engaged community leaders. I know I left the meeting energized to make a real difference this legislative session.
From Judge William Voy we learned how integrated all our systems are when it comes to juvenile justice. Anything we can do to improve the quality of education, reduce bullying and violence, and provide better mental health services will cascade down to ensure fewer children end up in his courtroom.
The two bills Judge Voy asked us to support are:
AB124: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Bill/1438/Overview
This bill revises the age a juvenile may be adjudicated and punished as a delinquent child.
SB99: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Bill/1362/Overview
This bill revises parts of a law related to sex offenders and crimes against children.
We then heard from Senator Pat Spearman about one bill and two bill draft requests she is sponsoring to protect voting and voter rights. The first is SJR7, this Senate Joint Resolution is an amendment to the Nevada Constitution that protects the right to vote in a number of ways. SJR7 will be heard Monday February 23rd at 3:30. You can watch the meeting online or you can participate at the Grant Sawyer Government Center at 555 Washington Ave.
3:30 PM
Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections
- Room 2144 of the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV.
- Videoconferenced to Room 4412E of the Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 E. Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV
- SJR7
If you would like to submit comments on SJR7, please click on this link, indicate you are commenting on SJR7, type your comments, and then input your address. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/Opinions/78th2015/A/
Your address remains private, but the system uses it to determine your representatives and then sends your comments to those individuals as well as the Leg Ops Committee members.
When Sen. Spearman’s remaining BDR’s are translated into bills, I will post the full details.
Our main presentation on Voter ID featured Executive Director of the ACLU Nevada Tod Story and the Director of Silver State Voices Leora Olivas. Tod and Leora gave a fact-filled presentation on why the SB169 Voter ID bill is flawed and may very well cause voters to be disenfranchised unconstitutionally. You can read SB169 here:
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Bill/1538/Overview
Here is a breakdown of Voter ID: LetNevadansVote-VoterIDOnePager 022215
You can receive updates on the efforts of Let Nevada Vote on Facebook and Twitter.
www.facebook.com/LetNevadansVote
@LetNevadansVote
SB169 has been referred directly to Senate Finance where it will receive a fiscal note. If it also receives an exemption from deadlines for bills to be heard and passed, it could sit in Senate Finance until the Chair decides to move the bill. League will be tracking SB169 and will provide updates throughout the session. The Let Nevada Vote coalition is also expecting a Voter ID bill to be submitted in the Assembly, but so far that hasn’t happened.
Lastly, we heard from Regent Sam Lieberman about higher education. March 2nd is Higher Education Day at the Legislature and students will be spending the day talking to legislators about the need to fully fund higher education.
Two bills in particular can help students who qualify for the higher education Millennium Scholarship. SB128 increases the number of credits the scholarship covers from 12 credits to 15 credits. Right now if a student wants to attend full-time the scholarship only pays for up to 12 credits; this discourages students from completing faster. AB150 allows students who have a low GPA, but have scored high on certain tests, to be eligible for the scholarship.
SB128: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Bill/1448/Overview
AB150: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Bill/1482/Overview/
Other League priorities heard this week are listed below; you can submit comments on any of these bills at:
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/Opinions/78th2015/A/
Tuesday February 24th:
3:30 PM
SB75 Allows schools to administer tests after students have completed the same number of instructional days. This changes a law that requires schools to administer tests on the same date, which hurts students on year-round schedules.
- Room 2135 of the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV.
- Videoconferenced to Room 4412 of the Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 E. Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV.
SB75 (WS)
4:00 PM
AB94 Allows a voter to opt to receive a Sample Ballot electronically instead of in paper form through the mail. This will save funds by reducing the number of sample ballots printed and mailed.
Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections
- Room 3142 of the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV.
Wednesday February 25th
3:15 PM
AB112 Strengthens Nevada’s anti-bullying legislation and AB150 Expands eligibility to the Millennium Scholarship
Assembly Committee on Education
- Room 3142 of the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV.
- Videoconferenced to Room 4401 of the Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 E. Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV.
Sondra Cosgrove
President League of Women Voters of Las Vegas Valley
Vote Nevada 