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        DAYS UNTIL THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES HIS TAX PLAN IN THE STATE OF THE STATE: 0 DAYS UNTIL THE GREATEST LEGISLATIVE SESSION EVER BEGINS: 18 DAYS UNTIL THE STATE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: 167 DAYS UNTIL THE 2016 ELECTION: 663         Good morning, everyone. Beware the Ides of January! In a few hours, the knives come out. I would hope that the Democrats would not be partisan when the governor presents his tax/education funding plan. (I’m skeptical ) I would hope some business and...
Good morning, everyone. “Our goal at GOED is to find the equivalent of Tesla for Southern Nevada.” That’s what economic development czar Steve Hill’s deputy, Brad Mamer, said during an economic forum Tuesday, adding that the directive comes from the governor. Not sure that can happen or where. (Sound of John Lee yelling “Apex, Apex, Apex” is heard.) Jonas Peterson of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance said the intangible branding impact of Tesla already is being felt and that the deal...
      DAYS UNTIL THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES HIS TAX PLAN IN THE STATE OF THE STATE: 3 DAYS UNTIL THE GREATEST LEGISLATIVE SESSION EVER BEGINS: 21 DAYS UNTIL THE STATE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: 170 DAYS UNTIL THE 2016 ELECTION: 666       Good morning, everyone. I know this is where you come for your Golden Globes wrap, so: Very glad “Birdman” and Michael Keaton did well. Best movie I saw last year. Still need to see “Boyhood” and “The Theory of Everything” and “Transparent” on Amazon Prime. Who was...
Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval last week took credit for Nevada's economic recovery, suggesting his hands-off attitude and focus on economic diversification has boosted it faster than he anticipated, thus helping to justify his tax plan. Republican Sen. Dean Heller, eager to blame President Obama for national and local economic problems, on Thursday suggested Nevada's economy is not recovering well, thus helping to justify his partisan pounding. This amusing dissonance will continue, I'd guess...
UPDATED, 9 AM, 1/22/15: The secretary of state is "looking into the matter," spokeswoman Catherine Lu told me. She said the office is "reviewing the PAC filings" of Tony Dane's outfit that are outlined below. Meanwhile, in an email Thursday morning slugged, "Your (sic) no lawyer," Dane tells me: You missed the part when I told you that they hired me as a consultant.  All the money they paid me was mine.  You stated who’s money was put into the account, I answered Dane & Associates. Your...
A friend of mine argues that the only way for a fringe legislator such as Michele Fiore to prosper is for the media to give her attention. I get his point. But when someone is so manifestly ignorant and mendacious as is Fiore and can influence other lawmakers, especially freshmen susceptible to her nonsense, good media cannot do nothing. Fiore appeared Tuesday at a meeting of the Northern Nevada Republican Men's Club, which helpfully posted the video (see below, and her remarks start at about...
Ex-U.S. Senate candidate and voter fraud expert Sharron Angle met last week with newly elected Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, who says she will propose a voter ID law. Cegavske spokeswoman Catherine Lu told me over the weekend that the secretary of state was in Ely and virtually unreachable. Since then Lu has declined to answer emails or phone calls about the meeting, which I have confirmed. My guess is Angle, who has said she would travel the country to ferret out the epidemic of voter...
Switch, the Southern Nevada data giant expanding in Las Vegas and and opening a facility in Reno, gave more than $200,000 in contributions toward the end of 2014, mostly to state lawmakers who will soon consider legislation that could affect the company. Much of the money came after the November election, including to Attorney General Adam Laxalt -- Switch boss Rob Roy had given $10,000 to Ross Miller, who lost to the new AG. But as you can see from the list below, Roy made sure that his money...
Welcome to the Weekly Report. This week: 1.  Exclusive transcript of my interview with the gov 2. State of the State thoughts by the insider crew 3.  Smartest/dumbest political moves of the week The usual great, insightful stuff from my diverse group of insiders. Nothing better encapsulated the battle to come than this comment:  It was fairly extraordinary to hear the amount of details regarding the education and revenue plan that was squeezed into a 42 minute speech, sans the clapping and...
In an exclusive one-hour sitdown the morning after his State of the State, Gov. Brian Sandoval explained why he proposed the largest tax increase in history to pay for the broadest education reform agenda in history, suggested he has only a passing interest in other GOP plans for collective bargaining and construction defect reform and said Secreatry of State Barbara Cegavske falsely claimed his backing for her voter ID bill. I have already revealed some of that interview in my Gazette-Journal...

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