Politics and Policy

Nevada is now the second state in the country to adopt a so-called public option health insurance law. That measure is supposed to drive coverage costs down over the next several years and was among a number of bills signed into law by Governor Steve Sisolak this week. To talk about that, and more, KUNR host Michele Ravera spoke with political editor Paul Boger.

The 81st Session of the Nevada Legislature is officially over after lawmakers approved one of the largest ever tax increases on the state's mining industry. The move is expected to generate millions in state revenue for education. To explain the change, KUNR Morning Edition host Noah Glick spoke with political editor Paul Boger.

Nevada lawmakers have successfully negotiated one of the largest mining tax increases in state history. The bill’s passage caps off a tumultuous session in which lawmakers added nearly hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding for schools. KUNR’s Paul Boger reports.

Many communities across the Mountain West were once known as “sundown towns.” Those are places that once had policies to force people of color to leave town by nightfall. If they didn’t, they could be arrested or worse. One town in Nevada is grappling with its racist legacy.   

There are only four days left in Nevada's 81st legislative session, and lawmakers are scrambling to get bills out of the door and onto the governor's desk. That includes appropriating billions in state dollars to fund the government over the next two years. To talk about that, KUNR Morning Edition host Noah Glick spoke with political editor Paul Boger.

Nevada lawmakers are taking up a last-minute effort to give casinos greater authority to ban firearms from their properties.

Portions of Nevada’s economy have recovered faster than previously predicted, and lawmakers are using that to their advantage. This week, the legislature’s two finance committees took steps to finalize the budget. The effort includes a new education funding formula and an additional $500 million for the state’s K-12 education system. To help explain what that means for students, KUNR host Michele Ravera spoke with political editor Paul Boger.

With fewer than three weeks until the end of Nevada's 2021 legislative session, lawmakers are scrambling to make it to the finish line. KUNR Morning Edition host Noah Glick spoke with political editor Paul Boger to get the latest from Carson City.

Federal officials, this week, released the first guidance on how states can use billions of dollars from the latest round of coronavirus relief funds. The money is meant to keep state and local governments solvent as they deal with lagging tax revenues and greater demands on services. But Nevada's economy is recovering faster than previously expected. KUNR's Paul Boger spoke with Democratic Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson about how the session is progressing and how best lawmakers can use that money.

Nevada lawmakers are moving forward with a measure aimed at implementing the state’s new pupil-centered funding plan. Educators were among the bill’s toughest critics.

There’s little more than a month until the 81st Session of the Nevada Legislature comes to an end, and lawmakers are still considering hundreds of bills. KUNR Morning Edition host Noah Glick spoke with political editor Paul Boger about how the week played out in Carson City.

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed almost every aspect of daily life. Nowhere might that be more apparent than in the classroom. Nearly half a million K-12 students in Nevada have endured months of learning remotely or through hybrid instruction showing up to school every other day. Experts predict that when students do return to school, they will have forgotten many of the things they've learned over the last year. That's why lawmakers are considering a number of bills meant to address those issues. To talk about that and more, KUNR's Morning Edition Host Noah Glick spoke with Political Reporter Paul Boger.

With less than six weeks until the end of the 2021 legislative session, the general public can, once again, enter the Legislative Building in Carson City, albeit, with some hoops. KUNR's Political Editor, Paul Boger spoke with Morning Edition host Noah Glick about the latest from the Capital City.

Nevada will get about $4.5 billion under the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan. And while the federal government will place some limitations on the money, it’ll be up to lawmakers to decide how the state should use its portion of the funds. Republican, Doctor Robin Titus serves as the Assembly Minority Leader. She sat down with KUNR’s Paul Boger to discuss the session and the state’s financial situation.

Nevada lawmakers have less than two months until they're forced to wrap up the 2021 session, and they still have a lot of work left to do. For the past week, legislators have cloistered in their offices, holding marathon committee hearings on hundreds of bills. To help us make sense of it all, KUNR’s Morning Edition Host Noah Glick spoke with Political Editor, Paul Boger.

This week officially marked the halfway point of Nevada’s 81st Legislative Session. And with less than 60 days until lawmakers are forced to end the session, they’re beginning to turn their attention to some of the most controversial bills of the year. That includes abolishing the death penalty and reforming the state’s election laws. Joining us now to talk about those measures is KUNR’s Political Editor Paul Boger.

As many as one in four Nevadans could be on Medicaid by the end of fiscal year 2023, according to an analysis by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. That’s forcing state lawmakers to navigate the muddled waters of creating long-term policy during a crisis. KUNR’s Paul Boger spoke with Sen. Julia Ratti, a Democrat who represents the heart of both Sparks and Reno, about some of those issues facing the state.

Eight weeks into the 81st Session of the Nevada Legislature, and lawmakers are still unveiling new bills. This week, the state Senate and Assembly, once again, suspended the rule requiring all legislation be introduced by a certain day. At the same time, committees are holding hearings and methodically making their way through bills. KUNR Morning Edition Host Noah Glick spoke with Political Editor Paul Boger to get a sense of all the happenings in Carson City.

Nevada lawmakers gave themselves a little breathing room this week, delaying the first major deadline of the 2021 legislative session. But even though they'll have more time to introduce bills, pacing in the legislature still feels sluggish. KUNR’s Morning Edition host Noah Glick spoke with political editor Paul Boger to get the latest from Carson City.