Monthly archive
Good morning, everyone. Back in Vegas after a few eventful days in Carson City, including the memorable gay marriage debate and then the mining tax announcement. I had hoped to see the unveiling of Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick’s admissions tax, but after her call with Nevada Resort Association members, she is refining the language and plans to release it next week. It’s clear she will insist that be part of any bargain with the GOP – it could raise anywhere from $50 million to $300 million by...
Good morning, everyone. Rushing to get something out to you after breaking the mining tax story this AM. Democrats already are chafing at the release of the plan – as I assumed they would. (One lawyer tells me it might be illegal to do a 10 percent property tax rate because it’s capped at 5 percent for everybody and it violatesSection 1 here. Republicans have been assured by LCB that is passes muster. This will get ugly fast. And don’t forget this.) Many will see this as furthering state Senate...
TONIGHT'S RALSTON REPORTS: The gay marriage vote aftermath.
DAYS UNTIL THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE ENDS: 41
DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2014: 560
DAYS UNTIL THE TEEN CAN AFFECT THE POLITICAL WORLD: 93
Good morning, everyone. It lasted a little more than an hour and the gallery was mostly empty except for a half-dozen or so Assembly members and a few lobbyists there for other bills. But last night’s gay marriage debate, during...
Good morning, everyone. Rushing to get this out, dear Flashees, because I am winging my way to Carson where a big deadline cometh. I hear Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick will introduce her admissions tax bill today but that NV Energy will amend it with a bill that allows the utility to charge $1 million to any other company that wants admission (see the nexus!) to the renewables market. Sounds like good policy.
I was subjected to another unfortunate manifestation of the Twitter world in which we...
TONIGHT'S RALSTON REPORTS: We'll see.
DAYS UNTIL THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE ENDS: 45
DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2014: 564
DAYS UNTIL THE TEEN CAN AFFECT THE POLITICAL WORLD: 97
Good morning, everyone. Surreal to have watched some of the manhunt last night before I went to sleep and awaken to a major American city shut down. This is truly amazing to watch, something out of a movie. (No question Ben Affleck makes this one.) Very...
TONIGHT'S RALSTON REPORTS: We'll see.
DAYS UNTIL THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE ENDS: 46
DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2014: 565
DAYS UNTIL THE TEEN CAN AFFECT THE POLITICAL WORLD: 98
Good morning, everyone. I’m not sure how many of you saw thatRose Garden address after the gun vote, but it was highly unusual. A Newtown family member introducing the president after a heartbreaking speech and then a seething POTUS lashing out at...
TONIGHT'S RALSTON REPORTS: The gun votes.
DAYS UNTIL THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE ENDS: 47
DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2014: 566
DAYS UNTIL THE TEEN CAN AFFECT THE POLITICAL WORLD: 99
Good morning, everyone. I’m a little late today because I watched Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s startling speech on gun control. I have written a lot about Reid’s ruthlessness and calculations, but this seemed to be Harry Unplugged, talking in...
Good morning, everyone. I hope all of you who have relatives or family in Boston have been able to contact them and they are safe. (My brother and his family were supposed to be at the race’s finish, but they left early because the kids were cranky.) The RJ has an excellent team report on Southern Nevadans who were there and the Reno Gazette-Journal did the same with northern runners.
I couldn’t help but think, as I did after 9/11, just how vulnerable and appealing a target Las Vegas is for...
Good morning, everyone. I had one pleasant viewing experience Sunday and one depressing/frustrating one. The latter first. What in the world is wrong with Matthew Weiner? Does he really think he is so deep that many of us former “Mad Men” fans can’t figure out what he is doing? The show began to lose its way last season and now it is gone. Yes, there are still sparks of genius, but they are doused by the tiresome personal subplots. And where is Joan? I may give it one more week, but not much...
Good morning, everyone. Today is the day when all bad bills go to die – no good bills ever are entombed on Deadline Day. Actually, it’s only the first deadline (bills supposedly have to be out of the committee in the house of origin), so there is plenty of time (they have to be out of the first house in 10 days) to get your dead bill amended into a live one. Or get a fiscal note or special leadership bill. Yes, these are ot hard deadlines, as Andrew Doughman reports on the “zombie bills.”
We...