Strong Public Schools Nevada has taken legal action against Senate Bill 1 (SB1), contesting its constitutionality.

SB1, which allocates $380 million in taxpayer funding for a new stadium for the Athletics baseball team as they relocate to Las Vegas, has sparked significant controversy. The plaintiffs argue that the bill violates five provisions of the Nevada Constitution.

“During the last Legislative Session, with important education issues outstanding, the Governor and Legislature shifted their focus to the needs of John Fisher and his lobbyists,” the group said in a press release. “For eight days, Nevada politicians singularly focused on financing a ‘world-class’ stadium for a California billionaire while ignoring Nevada’s second-class education system.”

According to the education group, the focus should be investing in the education system rather than subsidizing professional sports team infrastructure.

“Educators throughout Nevada are frustrated by the lack of focus by politicians on real priorities, like public education,” President of NEA of Southern Nevada Vicki Kreidel said. “There’s been more planning of a ‘world-class’ stadium than there has been implementing a funding plan to ensure a ‘world-class’ education for our kids. These misguided priorities are why Nevada continually ranks at the bottom of all the good lists.”

The state educational system faces challenges, ranking 48th in per-pupil funding and the largest class sizes and highest educator vacancies nationwide. Critics argue that state leaders have prioritized the needs of private interests over the urgent demands of its education system.

Significant campaign donations to candidates for the Reno City Council have sparked concern among constituents.

Councilwoman Kathleen Taylor, a member of the Reno Planning Commission since July 2019, has faced criticism for her alignment with developers and a focus on short-term construction employment rather than the long-term interests of Reno residents. Financial reports filed with the Nevada Secretary of State reveal that Lewis Roca, a law firm representing Jacobs Entertainment, has donated $2,500 to her campaign in the current election cycle.

Taylor is facing Frank Perez, who recently left his position as chair for the Washoe County Library Board, for the Ward 1 seat left vacant by longtime Councilwoman Jenny Brekhus, who cannot run again due to term limits. Taylor, appointed by the council to Ward 5 in 2022, has a year-to-date campaign haul of over $100,000 and $75,000 in cash.

The Clark County Registrar of Voters (ROV) Lorena Portillo has acknowledged an error that allowed candidates to file for a District Court seat not officially declared vacant.

County spokesperson Stephanie Wheatley confirmed that the Department 27 seat, for which candidates Casey Quinn and Melanie Thomas filed during the judicial filing period, was inadvertently placed on the ballot without an official declaration of vacancy by Gov. Joe Lombardo.

The department seat was declared vacant on Wednesday evening, January 17, after the filing deadline had passed.

The seat became vacant on Wednesday, January 10, when District Judge Nancy Allf announced her retirement after nearly 13 years on the bench. According to state statute, a seat must be declared vacant before the end of the filing period before opening during the regular filing period.

Allf’s early retirement triggered an appointment process to fill the position, with seven attorneys applying for the seat during a monthlong application period that ended on Thursday, January 11. However, none of the applicants filed for the seat in the regular election because the Special filing period for the November 2024 general election is from Sunday, June 16 to Wednesday, July 26.

County officials anticipate conducting this Special candidate filing period when candidates can file for the seat. The candidates from the Special filing period will then appear on the general election ballot.

In just two and a half hours, dedicated GOP volunteers efficiently processed tens of thousands of voters and their ballots. Through a straightforward process involving ID verification and paper ballots, the volunteers hand-counted all the votes swiftly and accurately and at minimal cost to the county or taxpayers.

The efficiency contrasts the perceived corruption and incompetence within Washoe County and the broader Nevada election system. While the streamlined method of caucusing shows that ordinary citizens can effectively tally 100,000 votes in a little over two hours after polls close, the state requires six weeks and over $12.6 million to accomplish the same task.

Such a discrepancy raises concerns about potential manipulation and the known flaws within the current electoral framework.

Governor Joe Lombardo has made some leadership changes in three key state agencies without disclosing to the public the reasons. When questioned, a spokesperson confirmed the departures on Friday, January 19, but provided no further details.

The affected agencies include the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, the state Public Works Division, and the Division of Human Resource Management. The alterations come on the heels of the recent departure of Warren Lowman, the state audit administrator, and the departure of Ben Kieckhefer as Chief of Staff at the end of the month.

Ryan Cherry assumed the new Chief of Staff on Wednesday, January 17, while Kieckhefer will remain in a transitional capacity until the end of the month.

One change involved Fred Wagar, Director of the Nevada Department of Veterans Services. An email to state employees announced Lisa Maciel, the deputy director of benefits at the veteran services department, as the interim director, with a permanent replacement expected in the coming weeks.

Another change involved placing Mandee Bowsmith, the former administrator of the human resource division, on administrative leave. An email to state employees on Thursday, January 18, revealed that Bachera Washington, the interim administrator, had been permanently promoted to that position.

Additionally, Wilfred “Wil” Lewis Jr. has taken over from the former administrator of the State Public Works Division, Kent LeFevre, who, although still associated with the State Public Works Division, has been assigned special duties with the Nevada Department of Corrections.

Serious concerns have been raised about voter registration activities at the Cares Campus in Washoe County involving the 501(c)(3) organization “Faith In Action.”

On Tuesday, January 30, Faith In Action was witnessed outside the Cares Campus, registering homeless individuals to vote. While voter registration is generally considered a positive and inclusive civic engagement initiative, the report suggests potential issues with the handling of voter rolls and the transparency of the process.

A video captured an individual discussing the challenges faced by the homeless population and expressing concerns about the operations at the Cares Campus. However, the report asserts that the problem lies in the maintenance of voter rolls, specifically previously registered voters who have moved on or are no longer productive members of society.

The fate of unclaimed ballots sent to the Cares Campus is unknown and suggests the possibility of organizations collecting them and filling them out without proper verification. Concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in the voter registration process, particularly given the significant issues with Washoe County’s outdated voter rolls, are also being raised.

Faith In Actions has ties to the World Economic Forum, Soros-funded groups, and the organization’s alleged far-left progressive agenda. It calls into question the motives behind the largest homeless center in the country, that have financial incentives tied to per-bed and per-head arrangements.

Though asked to intercede and address the concerns raised, Washoe County Commissioners have not acted on the request. Furthermore, calls made to Nevada’s Secretary of State have gone unreturned.

My Cousin Elmo says, “The way the media is going, they’re going to have to change ‘headlines’ to ‘deadlines’ because they’re killing the business.”

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is championing domestic production of rare earth magnets for green energy transition with the “Rare Earth Magnet Production Tax Credit Act.”

Rare earth magnets are composed of 17 chemical elements, and their unique properties make them vital for applications such as laptop hard drives, electric motors, wind turbines, and green technology. While these elements are not genuinely rare in the crust of Earth, their processing makes them “rare” due to low concentrations and complex extraction processes.

The proposed act aims to provide a $20 per kilogram production tax credit for rare earth magnets manufactured in the states. The incentive would encourage domestic mining and processing of rare earth elements, reducing dependence on foreign sources.

Simon Jowitt, an associate professor of economic geology at the University of Nevada, Reno, emphasizes the importance of domestically mining and processing rare earth elements, saying the U.S. must secure its supply of these critical elements and reduce reliance on China for components essential for defense systems and clean-energy technologies.

“The one advantage of mining these things in the U.S. is we have strict environmental regulations,” Jowitt said. “Mining companies are increasingly aware of the social impact they have and they think of how to bring benefits to local communities rather than leaving a problematic hole in the ground.”

China currently dominates global rare earth element production, accounting for 70 percent, while the U.S. produces only 14 percent.

The fallout from the election case in Georgia has spotlighted election systems nationwide, with recent revelations in Nevada sparking fresh concerns among voters.

A recent email sent by the Nevada Secretary of State to county officials raised concerns due to a significant omission in coverage by the Reno Gazette-Journal (RGJ.) The exclusion of “We realized that…” from the email, asserting that system vulnerabilities cannot occur in Nevada, has prompted questions about transparency and accountability in reporting.

Critics, including email author Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, argue that superficial reassurances from state officials fail to address fundamental issues plaguing the state’s election systems. While statements emphasize the differences between Nevada’s voting infrastructure and those scrutinized in Georgia, they overlook critical concerns raised by experts.

One point of contention is the inability to inspect voting machines’ codes, ballots, or counting processes, violating transparency standards. Additionally, the connection of election management systems to the internet raises alarm bells, with experts warning of potential vulnerabilities.

Despite mounting evidence of risks associated with electronic voting systems, questions persist about the reluctance of state officials to adopt more secure alternatives. Advocates for hand-counted paper ballots argue that such methods offer unparalleled transparency and reliability at a fraction of the cost of electronic systems.

Critics accuse state officials, allegedly backed by Soros-funded entities, of downplaying legitimate concerns and resisting calls for reform. The refusal to acknowledge the superiority of hand-counted ballots, as advocated by both experts and political figures, raises questions about the motives behind their staunch defense of electronic systems.

The Nevada Commission on Ethics split a vote of 2-2, letting Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve off the hook after the third-term politician allegedly violated state ethics laws.

The vote came after an ethics complaint was filed against Schieve in April 2023, alleging she failed to disclose a professional relationship with McDonald Carano, a law firm representing her, and that was involved in a home development project before the city council. The case revolved around Schieve’s hiring the firm to sue a private investigator she accused of electronically stalking her.

The resulting tied vote came because of a vacant seat left by former Commissioner Barbara Gruenewald, creating an even number of voting members. According to Commission on Ethics Chair Kim Wallin, the Legislative Commission, responsible for filling the vacant seat, has yet to take action.

Executive Director Ross Armstrong clarified that a majority was needed to find a violation. The absence of a majority vote means the commissioners had to agree on a final opinion, which will be up for approval in March.

During the meeting, Ethics Commissioner Amanda Yen abstained due to her association with McDonald Carano, and three other commissioners could not vote as they were part of the panel that conducted a preliminary review in November.

City of Reno attorney Jonathan Shipman argued that requiring disclosure of law firm relationships could set a precedent for public officials having to disclose various services they employ. However, Commission on Ethics attorney Elizabeth Bassett countered that attorney-client relationships hold a unique place in public office matters.

With no violation found, Schieve is not obligated to attend ethics training or pay fines.