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Stories about Nevada

Nevada voters to decide on amendment related to constitutional language related to mental illness, blindness, and deafness

By Nicole Fisher
In 2024 elections, Ballot measures
May 31, 2023 at 11:52 AM

An amendment that would revise constitutional language relating to public entities for individuals with mental illness, blindness, and deafness has been certified for the ballot in Nevada, and will go to voters on Nov. 5, 2024.

Currently, Article 13, Section 1 of the Nevada Constitution reads: “Institutions for the benefit of the Insane, Blind and Deaf and Dumb, and such other benevolent institutions as the public good may require, shall be fostered and supported by the State, subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by law.”

If approved, this amendment would change the word institutions to entities, and would also change the Insane, Blind and Deaf and Dumb to persons with significant mental illness, persons who are blind or visually impaired, persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and persons with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities.

Nevada Assemblywoman Robin Titus (R), one of the primary sponsors of the amendment, said, “I am aware that when the Nevada Constitution was written, different terminologies were used to describe persons with disabilities or a mental illness. However, more than 156 years after Nevada was admitted into the Union, it is time to give these words a more critical look. We should change them to contemporary language that is not deemed to be discriminatory or narrow.”

The amendment was referred to the ballot by the Nevada State Legislature. In Nevada, in order for the legislature to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot, each chamber of the legislature must approve the amendment by a simple majority in two consecutive sessions. The amendment, Assembly Joint Resolution 1, passed the Assembly by 42-0 on April 13, 2021, and then passed 21-0 in the Senate on May 17, 2021. In the following legislative session, the amendment passed the Assembly by 41-0 on March 29, 2023, then passed the Senate by 20-0 on May 26, 2023.

As of May 31, there are four measures certified for the Nov. 5, 2024, ballot in Nevada. Three measures are constitutional amendments referred by the state legislature, and one is a constitutional amendment that qualified for the ballot by a successful citizen initiative.

In 2024, voters in North Dakota will decide on a similar state constitutional amendment, which would change words such as insane to individuals with mental illness and deaf and dumb to deaf and hard of hearing in the North Dakota Constitution.



Nevada voters to decide on amendment regarding constitutional status of Board of Regents

By Nicole Fisher
In Ballot measures
May 24, 2023 at 8:39 AM

An amendment to remove the constitutional status of the Board of Regents in Nevada, an elected executive agency responsible for managing the state’s system of higher education, will appear on the ballot in 2024 for Nevada voters.

In Nevada, placing an amendment on the ballot requires a majority vote in two consecutive sessions of the Nevada State Legislature. During the 2021 legislative session, the amendment was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7), and received unanimous approval from the Senate on April 13, 2021, with a vote of 20-0. On May 18, 2021, the Assembly passed SJR 7 with a vote of 30-11. In the second legislative session in 2023, the amendment was approved by the Senate on April 10, 2023, with a vote of 19-2. On May 18, 2023, the Assembly approved it with a vote of 34-7.

The Board of Regents oversees eight public institutions of higher education in Nevada, including the University of Nevada System. It is composed of 13 voting members elected to six-year terms in by-district elections. Designated members are elected every two years at the general election.

This amendment would remove the Board of Regents from the Nevada Constitution and would authorize the state legislature to review and change the governing organization of state universities.

An amendment to remove the constitutional status of the Board of Regents was also on the ballot for Nevada voters in 2020 as Ballot Question 1. Nevada voters rejected this amendment by 50.15-49.85%. Nevada Assemblymember Jim Wheeler (R), who supported Ballot Question 1, said, “Ballot Question 1 restores accountability, transparency, and oversight to higher education by reinvigorating the original intent of the framers of the Nevada Constitution. Question 1 simply makes the Board of Regents a statutory body, subject to checks and balances—an important American principle.”

Laura Perkins, a member of the Nevada Board of Regents who opposed the 2020 amendment on the ballot, said, “There’s no numbers or positive proof that the system that may or may not come out of this is better than the system that we have now.”

The Nevada Faculty Alliance, an organization representing all eight institutions in the Nevada System of Higher Education, said that they are neutral on the 2024 amendment. In a statement, the organization said, “Question 1, narrowly defeated in 2020, had a clause regarding academic freedom, but as written it would actually have endangered academic freedom. SJR7 is silent on academic freedom. In the 2021 legislative session, we offered an amendment to protect academic freedom, but it gained no traction. The constitutional independence of a governing board provides some protection for academic freedom; however, today we see both elected and appointed boards becoming politicized and they do not necessarily protect the principles we value.”

Currently, there are three constitutional amendments on the Nevada 2024 ballot in November. One measure, a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment, would provide for open top-five primaries and ranked-choice voting for general elections. The other measure, a constitutional amendment referred by the state legislature, would repeal language from the Nevada Constitution that allows the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments.



Amendment to repeal constitutional language regarding slavery as punishment for a crime certified for the 2024 Nevada ballot

By Nicole Fisher
In Ballot measures
February 27, 2023 at 11:29 PM

An amendment that would repeal language from the Nevada Constitution regarding slavery as punishment for a crime was certified for the 2024 ballot. Voters in Nevada will decide on the amendment on Nov. 5, 2024.

On Feb. 23, 2023, the Nevada State Senate voted unanimously to pass the amendment, with all 21 senators voting for it. Previously, the amendment passed the State Assembly on Feb. 16, also by a unanimous vote of 42-0. For a constitutional amendment to be certified for the ballot in Nevada, it must pass both chambers of the state legislature in two consecutive legislative sessions. It was previously approved during the 2021 legislative session.

Assemblyman Howard Watts (D-15), who co-sponsored the amendment, said, “I believe that it’s time for us to move forward and make it clear and unequivocal that nobody will ever live through the horror of state-sanctioned slavery, or servitude ever again.”

Currently, Article 1, Section 17 of the Nevada Constitution says: “Neither Slavery nor involuntary servitude unless for the punishment of crimes shall ever be tolerated in this State. If approved by voters, the amendment would remove the phrase unless for the punishment of crimes from the Constitution.”

As of 2023, eight state constitutions include provisions prohibiting enslavement and involuntary servitude but with an exception for criminal punishments. Another eight states have constitutions that include provisions permitting involuntary servitude, but not slavery, as a criminal punishment.

The states with constitutions that include provisions regarding slavery and involuntary servitude as a criminal punishment are Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The states with constitutions that include provisions regarding involuntary servitude, but not slavery, as criminal punishment, are California, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio.

On November 8, 2022, voters approved four constitutional amendments in Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont to amend language in state constitutions regarding slavery as punishment for a crime. Voters in Louisiana rejected an amendment.

Currently, there are two constitutional amendments on the Nevada 2024 ballot in November. The other measure is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that would provide for open top-five primaries and ranked-choice voting for general elections.

Additional reading:



Campaign for initiative to allow municipalities to create school districts submits signatures in Nevada

By Nicole Fisher
In State
November 29, 2022 at 7:18 PM

In Nevada, a campaign supporting an initiative that would allow municipalities to opt-out of county school districts filed about 220,000 signatures to counties for verification.

The Community Schools Initiative PAC filed the initiative, and the signatures submitted will have to be verified by county clerks. The initiative needs 140,777 valid signatures to proceed to the state legislature. If the legislature approves the initiative, and the governor signs it into law, the initiative is enacted. If this does not happen, the initiative will go before Nevada voters at the 2024 general election.

The Community Schools Initiative PAC stated, “Nevada school districts are some of the largest in size, too bureaucratic, and unresponsive. It’s time to return our public schools back to the community and give students the education they deserve.”

If enacted, the initiative would amend state statute to allow municipalities to opt-out of a county school district to create a new community school district, which the Community Schools Initiative campaign says may better serve students. 

“Individual municipalities or municipalities working together may, in some instances, prefer to form more appropriately-sized school districts, because communities may determine that they can better represent and serve children, parents, and families in smaller administrative units,” the initiative reads.

Jess Jara, the superintendent of the Clark County School District, which serves 300,000 students, says that the initiative may not address the needs of students. 

“If anything is to change, Nevada must provide more funding and academic rigor to improve educational outcomes,” said Jara,  “Educating our students adequately requires an honest, reasoned, equitable, accountable, and sustainable strategy supported with optimal funding for the new pupil-centered funding formula to produce outcomes other than Nevada’s current 49th in the nation funding levels. This initiative achieves none of these.”

Nevada counties have until December 23 to certify the submitted signatures. If the initiative has at least 140,777 verified signatures, it will go to the Nevada State Legislature in 2023. If no action is taken in 40 days, the initiative will be put on the 2024 ballot.



All candidates for Nevada State Assembly District 22 complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ballotpedia staff
In 2022 elections
November 7, 2022 at 6:09 PM

Both of the candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Nevada State Assembly District 22 — incumbent Melissa Hardy (R) and Rick Ramos (D) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.

Eighty-eight of the country’s 99 state legislative chambers will hold regularly scheduled elections in 2022. The Democratic Party controls both chambers of Nevada’s state legislature. Nevada is one of 14 states with a Democratic trifecta.

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Hardy:   

  • “A quality education in Nevada should not be available only to those with the right zip code. That is why I am a strong supporter of school choice.”
  • “Right now, Southern Nevada is facing an unprecedented crime wave and we need leaders ready to go to Carson City and make sure that the rule of law is being enforced and existing laws are strengthened to punish offenders.”
  • “We must continue to diversify our economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the fragility of our current economy and while we have taken steps in the past toward this goal, much work remains.”

Ramos:       

  • “We need to address out of control spending and skyrocketing inflation.”
  • “Womens choice should not be suppressed or taken away. The government should not interfere in this area between a woman and her dr.”
  • “School safety for teachers and students”

Click on candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

Additional reading:



All candidates for Nevada State Assembly District 2 complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ballotpedia staff
In 2022 elections
November 7, 2022 at 6:06 PM

All three of the candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Nevada State Assembly District 2 — incumbent Heidi Kasama (R), Nick Christenson (D), and Jason Bednarz (L) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.

Eighty-eight of the country’s 99 state legislative chambers will hold regularly scheduled elections in 2022. The Democratic Party controls both chambers of Nevada’s state legislature. Nevada is one of 14 states with a Democratic trifecta.

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Kasam:       

  • “To support the our small business owners, and all business owners to create a vibrant and active economy.”
  • “Our schools rank near the bottom nationally so I support our new per pupil funding for transparency and accountability. I also favor changes to our current school boards.”
  • “We have an alarming lack of health care workers in our state and I want to support policies that incentivize growth of health care professionals.”

Christenson:           

  • “We need to move Las Vegas along a path to long term sustainability.”
  • “We are facing additional crises in several key areas, including housing, education, and health care. We need to move aggressively and creatively to address these.”
  • “We need to continue to diversify the valley’s economy. We have abundant opportunities to promote Las Vegas as a center for technology, clean energy, and outdoor recreation as well as in other fields.”

Bednarz:       

  • “Get the government out of our lives!”
  • “End the wars.”
  • “End the FED.”

Click on candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

Additional reading:



Lee, Becker running in general election for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District

By Samuel Wonacott
In 2022 elections
November 4, 2022 at 11:49 AM

Incumbent Susie Lee (D) and April Becker (R) are running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Gary Martin wrote, “Nevada’s Congressional District 3 is…seen by national Republicans as one of their best opportunities to flip the seat because of President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings and national economic woes. Democrats, however, are confident in their chances to hold the seat because of recent legislative victories to lower health care costs for seniors and with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a 50-year constitutional right for women to have an abortion.”

Lee, who previously worked for education organizations focused on after-school programming and dropout prevention, was first elected in 2018. Lee has campaigned on bipartisanship, protecting access to abortion, and diversifying Nevada’s economy. On bipartisanship, Lee said, “I think that people in Congressional District 3 are craving a pragmatic type of leader who’s not afraid to roll up their sleeves to reach across the aisle and work on tough issues and deliver results.” She pointed to her work alongside Republican and Democratic House members on the Problem Solvers Caucus, and her support for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which President Joe Biden (D) signed in November 2021. On abortion, Lee said, “I support all women across this country having access to safe, legal abortions if they choose to have one. I respect the voters of Nevada who protected reproductive rights in our state over two decades ago.”

Becker is an attorney who owns a law practice. Becker has campaigned on education, reducing inflation, and securing the southern border by completing construction of a border wall. On education, Becker said, “school choice is a common-sense approach that allows children to escape failing schools.” Becker also said that funding for “bureaucrats and failed programs should immediately be reallocated directly to schools so we can pay teachers more.” Becker said government spending is the reason for elevated rates of inflation and said the solution is to “stop spending money we don’t have.” Becker said she is “a pro-life mom, with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother,” and would oppose a federal ban on abortion.

The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 118th Congress. All 435 House districts are up for election. As of November 1, 2022, Democrats held a 220-212 majority in the U.S. House with three vacancies. Republicans need to gain a net of five districts to win a majority in the chamber.

Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have received 52.4% of the vote in this district and Donald Trump (R) would have received 45.7%.



Incumbent Aaron Ford (D) and Sigal Chattah (R) running for Nevada Attorney General

By Ellen Morrissey
In 2022 elections, State
October 31, 2022 at 4:22 PM

Incumbent Aaron D. Ford (D) and Sigal Chattah (R) are running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Nevada Attorney General. John T. Kennedy (L) unofficially withdrew from the race in September 2022.

In September 2022, Sabato’s Crystal Ball released an analysis of state attorney general election competitiveness. Nevada’s attorney general election was rated as at least somewhat competitive: “[Democrat] Ford is polished, well-funded, and has largely avoided any major hiccups in office. But he won only narrowly in the Democratic wave year of 2018, and for 2022, Nevada is one of the states where Democrats are concerned about possible GOP gains. On the Republican side, attorney Sigal Chattah has attracted notice for suing the state over COVID restrictions; she won one case but lost the others.”

Ford was first elected in 2018, defeating Wesley Duncan (R) 47.2% to 46.8%. Ford previously worked as an attorney and served in the Nevada State Senate from 2013 to 2019. In an interview with The Record-Courier, Ford said he was running because, “As Nevada’s People’s Attorney and Top Law Enforcement Officer, I believe there is no task greater than the pursuit of justice. Under my leadership, the Nevada Attorney General’s Office has proven there is no criminal too ruthless and no corporation too powerful to take on if they are hurting Nevadans.”

Chattah is a civil and criminal defense attorney who previously served on the City of Las Vegas Planning Commission and as a member of the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board of the State Bar of Nevada. In an interview with The Record-Courier, Chattah said she was running “To end Government public corruption, restore public safety, protect our children from wrongful indoctrination at schools, and provide the people of the State of the Nevada government transparency that they are entitled to.”

Before Ford was elected in 2018, Adam Laxalt (R) held the position of Nevada Attorney General. The attorney general is Nevada’s chief legal counsel. He or she represents the people of Nevada in civil and criminal matters in court. The attorney general also serves as legal counsel to state officers and to most state agencies, boards, and commissions. In addition, the attorney general establishes and operates projects and programs to protect Nevadans from fraud or illegal activities that target consumers or threaten public safety, and enforces laws that safeguard the environment and natural resources.

This is one of 30 elections for attorney general taking place in 2022. There are currently 27 Republican attorneys general and 23 Democratic attorneys general. Heading into the 2022 elections, there are 23 Republican triplexes, 18 Democratic triplexes, and nine divided governments where neither party holds triplex control. A state government triplex refers to a situation where the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all members of the same political party.



All candidates for Reno Municipal Court Department 3 in Nevada complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ballotpedia staff
In 2022 elections
October 31, 2022 at 3:52 PM

Both of the candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Reno Municipal Court Department 3 in Nevada — Justin Champagne and Pete Sferrazza — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office. 

According to the city website, the Reno Municipal Courts’ mission is to “impartially adjudicate misdemeanors and code violations; to provide supervised rehabilitation for those needing treatment; and to operate our Court cost-effectively, providing safety and equal access to all while maintaining the integrity and independence of the judiciary, and the respect and confidence of those who come before the Court.” 

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?            

Champagne:

  • “We can keep Reno safe by using an intelligent approach to criminal justice that combines incarceration with treatment for mental health and addiction problems.”
  • “Offering offenders help at the municipal court level will help keep them out of higher level courts and keep people out of prison.”
  • “I have the combination of knowledge, dedication and vast experience to be a great judge for the City of Reno.”

Sferrazza:           

  • “I believe I have a constitutional duty to insure the safety of our community with equal Justice for all.”
  • “I am proud to be the only candidate endorsed by the Reno police protective association, Washoe County Sheriff Deputies, School Police and Reno Firefighters.”
  • “The Municipal Court‘s most important function is judging issues dealing with misdemeanors including DUIs and domestic violence cases. As a Reno Justice of the Peace I presided over the DUI and the domestic battery Courts.”

Click on the candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

Additional reading:

City elections in Reno, Nevada, 2022



All candidates for Nevada Board of Regents District 6 complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ballotpedia staff
In 2022 elections
October 31, 2022 at 3:50 PM

Both of the candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Nevada Board of Regents District 6 — Heather Brown and Jeanine Dakduk — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.

The Nevada State Board of Regents is an elected executive agency of the Nevada state government, responsible for managing the state’s system of higher education.

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?                    

Brown:   

  • “Prioritize students by ensuring better graduation preparedness and a renewed focus on ethics throughout the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE).”
  • “Refocus the budget to cut out wasteful spending so that every dollar goes where it can make the biggest impact for our students and communities.”
  • “Attract and continue to retain top talent, both faculty and students, while rebuilding NSHE’s reputation with our institutions and community.”

Dakduk:               

  • “All institutions in Nevada must continue to provide high-quality education at an affordable price.”
  • “Nevada’s higher education system must focus on broadening education that meets the workforce demands of the state.”
  • “Nevada’s institutions of higher learning must close the achievement gap and constantly strive for greater student retention, persistence, and graduation rates.”

Click on candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

Additional reading:

Nevada State Board of Regents election, 2022