Nevada News Bureau » E!!Politics

Secretary Of State Ross Miller Urges Nevadans To Take Advantage Of Early Voting

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:36:29 +0000

CARSON CITY – The June 12 primary election is nearly here, and Secretary of State Ross Miller is encouraging registered voters to take advantage of early voting.

Nevadans can vote early beginning Saturday and running through Friday, June 8.

“We anticipate about 15 percent to 20 percent of registered voters will cast a ballot in the primary election, although we are hopeful that turnout might exceed our projections,” Miller said.

Secretary of State Ross Miller.

The June 12 primary includes a number of races between two or more candidates within the same major party. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., for example, is running for the U.S. Senate against Dean Heller, R-Nev., but first must face four other Democrats vying for the seat.

Early voting information is posted in the “Election Center” on the Secretary of State’s website.

Heller Asks Senate Leadership To Schedule Vote On No Budget, No Pay Act

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:10:03 +0000

CARSON CITY – U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., asking them to schedule a vote on the No Budget, No Pay Act (S. 1981).

Saying he is frustrated with Congress’ “consistent failure” to pass a budget, Heller introduced the No Budget, No Pay Act. This bill requires Congress to pass a concurrent budget resolution and related appropriations bills in order to receive pay. Pay is not awarded retroactively if Congress passes a budget after the deadline has passed.

In his letter, Heller said in part: “More than three years have passed since Congress adopted a binding budget resolution. The Senate Budget Committee failed to mark up a budget once again this year, demonstrating that the budget process in this body is fundamentally broken. Each of the budgets slated for a vote this week faces substantial opposition from members of whatever party did not introduce that particular budget. These budgets are being brought up in order to fail.

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev.

“That’s why I’ve been advocating my No Budget, No Pay Act (S. 1981) for nearly a year,” he said. “My legislation calls on the House and Senate to pass a concurrent budget resolution and all regular appropriations bills before the beginning of each fiscal year. Failure to do so would result in the loss of pay until we take our jobs seriously and make these bills our legislative priority.”

The proposal and a companion measure in the House have some bipartisan support.

Heller testified in support of the bill in a Senate hearing held in March of this year.

“Members of Congress are willfully refusing to put our nation on a path to long-term fiscal responsibility,” Heller said at the hearing. “In crafting the No Budget, No Pay Act, to force Congress to face reality and take responsibility for running this country, this legislation requires that the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives pass a budget and all appropriations bills by the beginning of each fiscal year. Failure to do so would result in the loss of pay until Congress takes its job seriously.”

The nonpartisan group No Labels gave its support to Heller’s measure after it was introduced. The NNB had earlier erroneously reported the idea had come from the No Labels group.

Audio clips from March hearing:

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller says members of Congress are failing to put the country on a path to fiscal responsibility:

051412Heller1 :26 rating in history.”

Heller says the bill would require Congress to approve a budget by the beginning of each fiscal year or go without pay:

051412Heller2 :26 its job seriously.”

Sen. Heller, Gov. Sandoval Disagree On Internet Sales Tax

Sean Whaley — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:28:15 +0000

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval’s recent agreement with on-line retailing giant Amazon to begin collecting Nevada sales tax on purchases is unlikely to see federal legislation supporting the policy from Nevada’s junior senator.

The deal reached by Sandoval and Amazon is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2014, or sooner if federal legislation is passed to allow states to collect revenues from internet purchases.

Sandoval said today he has discussed the issue with U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, but that Heller is opposed to such legislation at the federal level.

Gov. Brian Sandoval. / Nevada News Bureau file photo.

“I have spoken with Sen. Heller,” he said. “Sen. Heller is not supportive of the, I think it is called the Main Street Fairness Act.”

Chandler Smith, campaign spokeswoman for Heller, confirmed he does not support such a proposal.

“Sen. Heller does not support imposing a federal internet sales tax mandate,” she said in response to an email inquiry. “The Amazon agreement in Nevada is a state issue.”

Sandoval said he has not had a discussion about such a proposal with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

The most recent effort to force on-line retailers to collect sales taxes is being pushed by U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Ten., and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.

Sandoval said the agreement he reached with Amazon is identical to those established by governors in other states, including South Carolina, Indiana, California, Tennessee and Texas.

“So there are some very conservative governors out there that have taken the identical position that we have,” he said. “I’ll say it again that this is not a new tax. This is something that is required to be collected.”

Sandoval has estimated that the deal with Amazon will bring in between $15 million and $20 million a year. He said the deal is good for the state.

Sandoval jokingly noted that he’s doing his part.

Sandoval said he bought a pair of old City of Reno cufflinks on eBay on Monday, paying a grand total of $3.99. Sandoval said he then filled out a form provided by the state Department of Taxation to remit his 30 cents in sales tax to the state.

Audio clips:

Gov. Brian Sandoval says U.S. Sen. Dean Heller is opposed to federal legislation requiring sales tax collections from on-line purchases:

050812Sandoval1 :08 Street Fairness Act.”

Sandoval says Nevada’s agreement is identical to those entered into by several other governors:

050812Sandoval2 :14 to be collected.”

Secretary Of State Promotes Social Media Voter Awareness Campaign As Registration Deadline Looms

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:10:33 +0000

CARSON CITY – Secretary of State Ross Miller today announced a social media awareness campaign to encourage Nevadans to register to vote ahead of the June 12 primary election.

“While many of you are registered voters, we all know someone who hasn’t updated his or her address after moving residences or completed a voter registration card after moving to the state,” Miller said. “You can remind them that there is still time to register to vote or update their information for the June 12 primary election.”

Miller is asking Nevadans to join him in promoting the voter awareness campaign.

“It only takes a few seconds to update your Facebook status or tweet about it,” he said. “You can make the social media campaign a success by spreading the word about this campaign to your employees, members, and social network before May 8. Let’s flood Facebook news feeds and Twitter timelines so everyone is reminded of one of the greatest rights of a democracy – the right to vote.”

Miller has included some sample status updates and tweets that participants can use. The links for Clark County voters are different because residents are able to register to vote online.

Miller said he expects to have online voter registration in all Nevada counties before the general election in November.

In Clark County, participants can use these samples: Facebook: Nevada’s primary election is June 12. I’m registered to vote. Are you? Deadlines: May 12 by mail or electronically, May 22 in person. Register online at www.registertovotenv.gov or check your voter status at www.nvsos.gov/votersearch. Click “share” to remind your friends!

Via Twitter: NV’s primary election is 6/12. I’m registered to vote. Are you? Deadlines: 5/12 by mail, 5/22 in person. www.registertovotenv.gov #VoteNevada Or: NV’s primary election is 6/12. I’m registered to vote. Are you? Check your voter status here: www.nvsos.gov/votersearch #VoteNevada

In all other counties: Facebook: Nevada’s primary election is June 12. I’m registered to vote. Are you? Deadlines: May 12 by mail, May 22 in person. Register or find your voter information from your county registrar here: http://www.nvsos.gov/index.aspx?page=81. Click “share” to remind your friends!

Via Twitter: NV’s primary election is 6/12. I’m registered to vote. Are you? Deadlines: 5/12 by mail, 5/22 in person. http://bit.ly/VOTE_NV #VoteNevada

Miller asks that when tweeting, please use the hashtag #VoteNevada so it can become a trending topic on May 8.

Tarkanian Campaign Responds To FEC Complaint Filed By Democrats, Says Any Errors Will Be Remedied

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:42:00 +0000

CARSON CITY – The campaign of 4^th Congressional District candidate Danny Tarkanian has responded to a complaint filed with the Federal Elections Commission by the Nevada state Democratic Party, saying any errors will be “remedied immediately.”

The campaign issued a statement that said: “Although the campaign has yet to receive an official copy of the complaint from the FEC, we have seen copies provided by the press and are in the process of reviewing the facts in order to respond in a timely and accurate manner.

“After we complete our review of the complaint and the facts, any errors in the reports will be remedied immediately, and any other issues will be fully rectified,” the statement issued late Friday continued. “We take the reporting requirements and campaign finance rules seriously, but we recognize that the Democratic Party of Nevada would rather focus energy and attention on process complaints instead of addressing the fact that their leadership in Washington and here in Nevada has failed to reduce our national debt or help put Americans back to work.”

The comments came after the Democratic Party filed the complaint alleging numerous irregularities in the first quarter FEC report of Danny Tarkanian for Congress.

The alleged irregularities include Tarkanian’s failure to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign debt leftover from his failed 2010 Senate campaign.

Tarkanian, a Republican, is running for the new congressional seat created in the 2011 redistricting process. He ran in a crowded GOP primary in 2010 for the U.S. Senate seat held by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Sharron Angle won the GOP primary but lost to Reid.

The Las Vegas Sun reported last month that Tarkanian failed to include the debt from his Senate bid in his FEC filing for his congressional bid. Tarkanian said he had recently changed accountants and would amend the report to reflect the fact his campaign owes him more than $260,000.

Nevada Drops Two Spots In Business Climate Survey But Still Ranked High By CEOs

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:25:22 +0000

CARSON CITY – Nevada has dropped two spots to rank 12^th in the latest survey of company executives on the best and worst states to do business.

In the eighth annual survey by Chief Executive magazine of chief executive officers, Texas claimed first for the eighth time, and California came in last for the eighth time.

This year 650 business leaders responded to the 2012 survey, up from 550 in 2011.

CEOs were asked to grade states in which they do business on the issues of tax and regulation, quality of workforce and living environment. The results were released earlier this week.

While Nevada continues to rankly highly, it has been losing ground. In 2010 Nevada ranked 5^th in the survey.

Florida ranked No. 2 in the 2012 survey, followed by North Carolina, Tennessee and Indiana.

“It may be no accident that most of the states in the top 20 are also right-to-work states, as labor force flexibility is highly sought after when a business seeks a location,” said JP Donlon, editor-in-chief of the publication. “Several economists, most notably Ohio State’s Richard Vedder and Harvard’s Robert Barro, have found that the economies in R-to-W areas grow faster than other states, have higher employment and attract more inward migration.”

Nevada Democrats File Complaint Over FEC Report From GOP CD4 Candidate Danny Tarkanian

Sean Whaley — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:01:07 +0000

CARSON CITY – Today, the Nevada State Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission regarding what it says are numerous irregularities in the first quarter FEC report of Danny Tarkanian for Congress.

The alleged irregularities include Tarkanian’s failure to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign debt leftover from his failed 2010 Senate campaign.

The Tarkanian campaign responded Friday to the complaint.

Tarkanian, a Republican, is running for the new 4^th Congressional District seat created in the 2011 redistricting process. He ran in a crowded GOP primary in 2010 for the U.S. Senate seat held by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Sharron Angle won the GOP primary but lost to Reid.

CD4 candidate Danny Tarkanian.

“Danny Tarkanian is basing his candidacy on his supposed background as a successful businessman, but he can’t even fill out simple paperwork correctly,” said Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Roberta Lange. “While Danny Tarkanian may be trying to play fast and loose with his campaign’s finances, we will hold him accountable to the voters, which is why we filed this complaint.”

Among the irregularities alleged in Tarkanian’s report:

- It appears that Danny Tarkanian for Congress has accepted at least one corporate contribution, in addition to contributions from three other entities that appear to be businesses on the face of the FEC report, but no further information is provided.

- Tarkanian for Congress reported 14 contributions from LLCs without any partnership attributions, so it’s impossible to tell if any of the partners exceeded contribution limits. In fact, he may have already accepted an excessive contribution from the partner of Zinkin Entertainment LLC.

- Tarkanian also failed to disclose on his FEC report hundreds of thousands in personal debt lent to his failed 2010 U.S. Senate bid that should have carried over to his congressional bid. In fact, if it hadn’t been disclosed by a local newspaper, voters may have never known of his outstanding debt to himself.

The Tarkanian campaign responded Friday to the complaint.

Nearly 9,500 New Voters Registered In April, Democrats Add 1,638 More Than GOP

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:07:09 +0000

CARSON CITY – Secretary of State Ross Miller today released voter registration numbers that show nearly 9,500 Nevadans registered to vote in April, with Democrats adding 1,638 more voters than Republicans.

The Secretary of State’s Elections Division reports that Republicans increased their number of active voters by 2,277 while Democrats increased active voters by 3,915. At the end of April, 392,050 active Republican voters and 428,774 active Democratic voters are registered in Nevada.

Photo by Tom Arthur via Wikimedia Commons.

Registered nonpartisans increased their number of active voters by 2,485 in April, bringing the statewide total to 168,225. In all, active Nevada voters total 1,049,004, an increase of 9,464 from the previous month.

The registration gains come as the June primary nears.

May 22 is the last day to register to vote in person in Nevada in advance of the June 12 primary day. Early voting for the primary will run from May 26 to June 8.

The new voter registration numbers show breakdowns by county, party, age and district.

The major party voter breakdowns in five state Senate districts where both Democrats and Republicans are seeking wins in order to control the 21-member house in the 2013 legislative session have not changed significantly from prior reports.

State Senate Races In Play In 2012

Senate District	Party Control	Democrat Voters	GOP Voters	Total Voters
5 (Clark)	Democrat	21,724 (40.6%)	20,058 (37.5%)	53,761
6 (Clark)	Democrat	23,353 (41.4%)	21,538 (38.2)	56,419
9 (Clark)	Republican	16,892 (39.6%)	15,053 (35.3%)	42,666
15 (Washoe)	Republican	26,709 (38%)	28,092 (40%)	70,296
18 (Clark)	Republican	20,437 (37.6%)	22,082 (40.7%)	54,296

Democrats maintain a lead in three Clark County races: Senate 5 by 40.6 percent to 37.5 percent for Republicans; in Senate 6 by 41.4 percent to 38.2 percent; and in Senate 9 by 39.6 percent to 35.3 percent.

Republicans maintain a lead in Senate 15 in Washoe County, 40 percent to 38 percent, and in Senate District 18 in Clark County, 40.7 percent to 37.6 percent.

Democrats have an 11-10 majority in the Senate currently.

Republicans need to hold on to three Republican seats, Senate 9, 15, and 18, and pick up one of two held by Democrats, Senate 5 or 6, to take control of the Senate.

Voter Deadlines Approach

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:24:00 +0000

CARSON CITY — The final day for Nevadans to register to vote by mail or electronically is less than two weeks away, per a press release reminder today from Secretary of State Ross Miller

Key 2012 election deadlines:

May 12: Last day to register to vote by mail (or electronically at www.registertovotenv.com for Clark County residents)

May 12: Last day for military and overseas citizens to register to vote. Military and overseas citizens are encouraged to fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to register and request an absent ballot at the same time. The FPCA can be accessed here and at www.fvap.gov.

May 22: Last day to register to vote in person. Applications for registration must be submitted in person by the end of the business day at all county clerk and voter registrars’ offices throughout the state. A complete list of county clerks and voter registrars can be found here.

May 26 to June 8: Early voting

June 5: Last day for registered voters to request an absentee ballot. The Absent Ballot Request Form can be found here.

June 12: Primary Election Day

Information about registered voter status and polling location is accessible through My Voter File at nvsos.gov/votersearch.

Registered voters with Department of Motor Vehicle-issued identification in Clark County can now update their address or change their party affiliation online at www.registertovotenv.com.

Rep. Amodei Introduces Bill To Speed Public Land Transfers

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:30:30 +0000

CARSON CITY – Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., today introduced legislation to accelerate the process for transferring small parcels of federal land to local communities.

The “Small Lands Tracts Conveyance Act,” H.R.4976, is aimed at reducing the decade-long process that now exists for many land transfers in Western states, even those that are noncontroversial, he said.

Amodei, who represents the 2nd Congressional District covering much of rural Nevada, said that while such transfers need to be scrutinized, the bureaucratic regulatory maze and slow legislative process are the main culprits in dragging out the transfers.

Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev.

“Why should it take more than 10 years for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to transfer the lands they don’t want to local stakeholders who do?” asked Amodei. “What’s needed is an efficient process that promotes community-directed uses and reasonable economic development. In Nevada, where the federal government controls more than 85 percent of the land, these administrative and legislative delays are a wet blanket on our economy and our conservation efforts.”

The bill defines a “small tract” as 160 acres or less and would limit the transfer process for such lands to 18 months by establishing firm deadlines for the BLM and USFS to meet. It would exclude lands with established federal protection for cultural, biological, or endangered species issues.

If parcels are purchased by private entities for fair market value, 50 percent of the revenues from the sales would go to the county governments in which the lands are located, with the other 50 percent going to the federal treasury. If non-private entities purchase lands, such as county governments, 100 percent of the revenues would go to the treasury.

“This bill is a win-win-win,” Amodei said. “It would save the taxpayers, BLM and the USFS the expense of managing an excessive portfolio of federal lands. It would generate revenue for local and federal government, which could be used for deficit reduction. And most importantly, it would give states like Nevada the freedom to determine how best to use our own lands, whether it’s for economic development, farming and ranching, or conservation.”

The legislation would not apply to another measure sponsored by Amodei and other members of the Nevada Congressional delegation seeking to transfer approximately 10,000 acres of BLM land to Lyon County and the city of Yerington for industrial, recreational and cultural development.

The transfer would allow the governments to leverage the substantial infrastructure investments being made by Nevada Copper at its nearby Pumpkin Hollow project.

The Yerington Land Conveyance and Sustainable Development Act had a hearing earlier this month.

Amodei told the Reno Gazette-Journal he is optimistic about getting the bill through the House by the summer, although its future in the Senate is less certain.

Control of federal lands in the West was one subject of a Friday conference sponsored by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert. Gov. Brian Sandoval attended by phone.

Following the meeting, Sandoval said in a statement: “I was pleased to join part of today’s Rocky Mountain Roundtable discussion via phone. Now that we’ve begun the discussion, I believe we should work together and have a strategy as issues pertaining to Western states arise. I suggested regular conversations and I look forward to continued partnerships among Western states.”

Rep. Berkley Announces Plan To Permanently End Federal Travel Ban To Las Vegas, Sen. Heller Joins Effort

Sean Whaley — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:31:21 +0000

CARSON CITY – Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., today said she will introduce legislation to permanently end a Bush era ban on cities - including Las Vegas and Reno – from hosting federal agency and executive branch conferences and conventions.

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said he will join Berkley in the effort.

A similar effort in 2009 by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., did not pass.

Heller and Berkley are both seeking the same U.S. Senate seat, filled by Heller in 2011 when he was appointed to the post by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

The announcement by the two Nevada members of Congress comes as the fallout continues from a now infamous conference held by the General Services Administration (GSA) in Henderson in 2010.

In remarks on the floor, Berkley said some GOP members of Congress are seeking to attack Nevada’s tourism industry because of the abuses reported regarding the GSA conference.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

“These Republicans are trying to bring back the last administration’s so-called ‘blacklist’ of resort cities like Las Vegas and Reno – prohibiting federal agencies from traveling to hold conferences and seminars,” she said. “This policy has damaged the reputation of my state, hurt our economy and killed jobs.”

Berkley said the blacklist has been lifted by the Obama Administration, but that it is time to make such a policy permanent.

“Las Vegas wasn’t the problem, the irresponsible behavior of the GSA was,” she said. “And that’s why I am going to introduce legislation to prohibit the blacklisting of any city in America.”

Later in the day Heller said he would join in the effort.

“Despite our differing views on the bailouts for Wall Street and Detroit, Obamacare, and stimulus spending that has left many Nevadans out of work, I am pleased to join Congresswoman Berkley in the effort to end the blacklist process by the federal government,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev.

“Nevada offers the best hospitality and convention services in the world, and Las Vegas, Henderson, Lake Tahoe, and Reno have long been favorite destinations for millions of visitors,” Heller said. “I have always taken pride in the Nevada delegation working together on Nevada issues, and plan to introduce legislation in the near future.”

While Berkley praised President Obama for ending the federal travel blacklist, she did not bring up his controversial remarks made in 2009 when he told companies receiving federal bailout money that they should not “take a trip to Las Vegas” on the taxpayer’s dime.

Then-Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, among others, criticized Obama’s remarks, saying they helped stall the state’s economic recovery.

Obama later compounded the controversy when he remarked that responsible people don’t “blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college.”

Nevada is one of several “battleground” states where the 2012 presidential election is expected to be played out in November.

Several congressional committees have held hearings into the GSA conference, which resulted in the resignation of GSA chief Martha Johnson after she dismissed two deputies and suspended other career employees over the incident.

The $823,000 conference was held at the M Resort and Casino, and included a clown and a mind reader. It was the subject of a critical report by the GSA Office of Inspector General.

GOP Assembly Candidate Criticizes Democrat Incumbent For Napa Valley Fundraiser

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:29:42 +0000

CARSON CITY – Republican Assembly District 37 candidate Wes Duncan today called on his Democratic opponent, Assembly Majority Leader Marcus Conklin, to cancel a pharmaceutical fundraiser in Napa, California set for Wednesday.

“With Nevada businesses struggling, I cannot believe that Assemblyman Conklin would hold a fundraiser in Napa, California,” Duncan said. “Assemblyman Conklin talks about promoting business in Nevada, but when it comes to his own campaign, he is happy to send his money out of state when most Nevadans are facing difficult times.”

Napa Valley. / By Aaron Logan, from http://www.lightmatter.net/gallery/albums.php {{cc-by}} via Wikimedia Commons.

Duncan said the state’s elected representatives should be focused on bringing business back to Nevada, including large political fundraisers that would give business to Nevada restaurants and resorts, purchase Nevada products and employ Nevada workers.

“This campaign definitely won’t be holding fundraisers in California that don’t help Nevada businesses,” he said.

The Conklin campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment on Duncan’s criticisms.

Duncan and Conklin are the only two candidates in the race for District 37, located in Clark County.

Conklin is not the first Nevada Assembly Democrat to be criticized for an out-of-state fundraiser.

Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, a candidate for the 3^rd Congressional District in Las Vegas now held by Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., also came in for some criticism for holding lavish fundraisers, including a wine tasting event in Napa, in his 2009-10 Assembly re-election bid.

Oceguera defended the events, saying campaigns are more competitive and require more innovation.

Yerington Public Lands Bill To Get DC Hearing Next Week

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:24:28 +0000

CARSON CITY – Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., is praising the decision by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands to hold a legislative hearing for H.R. 4039, the Yerington Land Conveyance and Sustainable Development Act, on Tuesday.

The hearing is an important first step before the bill can be marked up by the committee and brought to the House floor for consideration.

“For more than four years, the city of Yerington and Lyon County have worked on this sustainable development plan to enable all community stakeholders to benefit from an increase in adjacent private lands,” Amodei said in a prepared statement. “The conveyance of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land would enable the city and county to grow while providing needed tax revenue and the potential for hundreds of long-term, high-paying jobs.”

The bill would convey approximately 10,000 acres of BLM land to the local governments for industrial, recreational and cultural development. The transfer would allow the governments to leverage the substantial infrastructure investments being made by Nevada Copper at its nearby Pumpkin Hollow project.

It is being sponsored by Amodei, along with Nevada Reps. Joe Heck, R-Nev., and Shelley Berkley, D-Nev. U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., has introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The Pumpkin Hollow project is a new copper mine being developed by Nevada Copper. A ground-breaking ceremony for construction of the mine was held in February.

“Nevada’s unemployment rate is the highest in the nation and Lyon County’s is the highest in Nevada,” Amodei said. “According to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, in February roughly 6,500 Nevadans gave up looking for a job and left the labor force all together. If we’re serious about the economy, then this community-driven plan, with no cost to taxpayers, is exactly the sort of thing the federal government needs to fast-track.”

Amodei, elected to the 2^nd Congressional District seat in a special election in September, is a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.

Nevada Copper invested nearly $50 million in exploration to justify the $1 billion investment necessary to fully develop the mine. The mine will produce 250 to 300 million pounds of copper per year. The initial shaft sinking is already producing economic benefits with the creation of 30 to 40 jobs. An additional 250 to 500 construction jobs could start in 2013 if the land transfer is successful. At full operation in 2015-2016, Pumpkin Hollow is projected to employ 750 to 800 people directly.

Nevada Out Of Running For New Federal Race To The Top Funds

Sean Whaley — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:46:15 +0000

CARSON CITY – Nevada is out of the running for next round of federal Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge funds to improve early childhood education.

Nevada submitted its application in November 2011.

The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services announced today that $133 million from the 2012 Race to the Top fund will be available for continued investments in state-level, comprehensive early education reform.

The agencies have invited the next five applicants from the Fiscal Year 2011 slate – Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin – to apply for a share of the funds.

“The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge has demonstrated the dedication among states and early education and child development experts to raise the bar on early learning,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Continuing to support states with 2012 funding will help build on the momentum from the 2011 competition, and engage more states in furthering their critical work to transition effective early learning programs into systems of excellence.”

In 2011, 35 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico applied to Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge, creating plans that increase access to high-quality programs for children from low-income families, and provide more children from birth to age 5 with a strong foundation needed to succeed in school and beyond. In December 2011, nine states were awarded grants: California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington.

Eligibility for 2012 Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge funding was based on the strength of applications among states that participated but did not receive awards in the 2011 competition. New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Illinois and Wisconsin each earned approximately 75 percent or more of total points possible on a 300-point scale in the 2011 competition. The five states will each be eligible to apply for up to 50 percent of last year’s potential award amount.

Following the 2011 competition, the U.S. Department of Education conducted a thorough review of applicant and reviewer feedback, as well as reviewers’ scores and comments. The review found minor scoring inconsistencies for seven states: Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Wisconsin.

These discrepancies did not have an effect on the 2011 competition. Nonetheless, the department consulted with the original peer reviewer in each case, and as a result, scores changed slightly for five states: Hawaii was 135.2 and has been revised to 125.2; Kentucky was 208.4 and has been revised to 207.2; Massachusetts was 267 and has been revised to 257; New Mexico was 236 and has been revised to 236.2; and Wisconsin was 234 and has been revised to 224. The overall score did not change for Nevada or New York.

Nevada ranked 29th among those submitting applications.

Nevada also missed out on race to the top funding for its public education system in 2010.

Sen. Dean Heller Asks House Committee To Focus On GSA, Not Nevada, At Upcoming Hearing

Nevada News Bureau Staff — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:26:56 +0000

CARSON CITY – U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., today sent a letter to U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, requesting that his upcoming hearing focus on the misdeeds of the General Services Administration (GSA), not Nevada.

On Tuesday Mica announced his committee will conduct a hearing of GSA’s activities, including a training conference held in Henderson in October 2010. GSA chief Martha Johnson resigned after she dismissed two deputies and suspended other career employees over the incident.

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev.

“Heller’s letter says in part: “I agree that the GSA’s actions are inexcusable. Taxpayer dollars should be spent responsibly and those responsible for any misuse should be held accountable. However, while you investigate this matter, it should be noted that it was not the location that caused the misuse of taxpayer funds. The convention services my state offers are the best in the world, and no town in Nevada should be singled out due to the poor judgment by the GSA.

“Right now, Nevada leads the nation in unemployment,” he said. “It is my hope that members of the House and Senate can focus on the misjudgments of the GSA without unfairly targeting Nevada’s unparalleled accommodations and convention services.”

The $823,000 conference was held at the M Resort and Casino, and included a clown and a mind reader. It was the subject of a critical report by the GSA Office of Inspector General.