Politics and Policy

Health officials in Nevada reported the single largest one-day jump in new coronavirus cases in nearly six months, this week. It's part of a surge related to the rapid spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, and as hospitalizations and deaths begin to creep back up, state officials are, once again, installing mitigation measures aimed at curbing that spread. KUNR’s Morning Edition Host Noah Glick spoke with Senior Reporter Paul Boger for a roundup of this week’s news.

Nevada lawmakers approved more than 500 bills during the recent legislative session, and nearly half of those new laws went into effect this week. KUNR host Michele Ravera spoke with senior reporter Paul Boger during Morning Edition to learn more.

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.