Update From Carson City - March 2021
I sent an email update on the Legislature and my work in Carson City. I hope you find it informative! - Howard
Hello! I hope this newsletter finds you in good health as we enter spring, and persevering through these challenging times as our state continues to confront the COVID-19 pandemic.
I have been hard at work for the residents of District 15 and the State of Nevada to ensure that we bounce back from this crisis stronger than before. In fact, the schedule has been so busy that I'm just getting this first update out to you now, on day 50 of our 120 day Legislative Session. While we’re more than a third of the way through, in some ways we’re just getting started. Here’s a quick review of what has happened so far in Carson City, and what to expect moving forward.
Major Happenings
Senator Fabian Doñate was appointed as the new Senator for District 10, representing all of us in Assembly District 15 as well as District 16. Senator Doñate stepped up and in to this role after Yvanna Cancela left the Legislature to work for the Department of Health and Human Services in the Biden Administration. I look forward to working with him for the betterment of our community.
The Legislature took early and decisive action to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We unanimously approved and allocated:
$477 million for K-12 schools to increase remote learning capabilities and help with the transition to safe in-person learning.
$125 million for the emergency rental assistance program to help renters with a loss of income stay in their homes and pay down past due balances, preventing evictions and helping to make property owners whole.
$50 million in funding for the small business emergency relief program to keep small businesses, non-profits, and arts organizations that have suffered revenue loss afloat as vaccines are deployed and the state moves toward reopening and recovery.
Legislative committees have held public hearings on bills to evaluate policies. I serve as Chair of the Natural Resources Committee, putting together agendas, running meetings, and helping to move bills forward. I also serve as the Vice Chair of the Growth and Infrastructure Committee. Some policies have already been voted out of committees and even passed on the floor of the Assembly or Senate, with the vast majority of receiving bipartisan support. We’re approaching a deadline for committees to pass bills out on April 9th.
What I’ve Been Up To
I have presented 3 of my 10 personal bills to Legislative Committees:
Assembly Bill 141 puts additional protections in place for Nevada’s renters, particularly those facing eviction due to a loss of income. It would automatically seal an eviction record for failure to pay that happens while the Governor’s emergency declaration is in effect, allowing people to seek new housing without a black mark on their record. It also provides more notice when a landlord asks a stable month-to-month renter to leave for no fault of their own. Read about it in the Nevada Current or watch on KTNV.
Assembly Bill 88 would create a process for our schools to evaluate and remove racially discriminatory mascots, logos, and names. It would also make it the position of the state to rename geographic features that contain racial slurs. The Review-Journal and KLAS have good reporting on this bill.
Assembly Bill 197 eliminates barriers in our state law that prevent homeless youth from getting the health care they need. The Nevada Current covered this hearing as well, and I’m proud to work with the NV Partnership for Homeless youth on this bill.
In addition, I presented two bills that came from my recommendations to the interim Committee on Public Lands to protect the swamp cedar grove in Eastern Nevada’s Spring Valley. I’ve worked with and gotten to know Native elders in this area over the years, to whom this area is sacred. You can learn more about this issue in a writeup from the Nevada Independent, and about the Legislature’s efforts to address a legacy of injustices to Indigenous peoples in my first column for the Sierra Nevada Ally.
What’s Ahead
With the last of our bills being written up, there are even more hearings ahead. Here are the highlights of my week:
Monday, 3/22 - I am presenting AB 240, a bill to improve how the mining industry is regulated in our state.
Tuesday, 3/23 - I’m presenting Assembly Joint Resolution 10, which would amend the Nevada Constitution to eliminate the possibility for slavery or involuntary servitude as a “punishment for crimes.” This is an initiative of the Nevada Black Legislative Caucus, learn more about the issue here and follow the meeting here.
It’s Conservation Lobby Week at the Legislature, and I’ll be joining the Nevada Conservation League for a Town Hall discussion on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Sign up here.
We’re expecting most of the remaining bills to be introduced today, and I have a few that are still in drafting. The next few weeks will have a lot of bill hearings on important and interesting issues, so stay tuned!
Get Involved & Stay In Touch
In order to keep everyone safe, the legislative building is currently closed to the public, but there are still lots of ways to make your voice heard! Interested in participating, but don’t know how? Check out this video produced by our office’s UNR intern about how you can get involved in the legislative process.
If you like the bills I’m working on, please take a moment to share your opinion on the Legislature’s website.
I hope to get the next newsletter out well before day 100, but in the meantime you can follow my social media for additional updates, and contact my office at any time with questions, concerns, or suggestions:
Twitter: @HowardWattsNV
Facebook: @WattsForNevada
Email: Howard.Watts@asm.state.nv.us
Office Phone: (775) 684-8843