Perhaps since he hasn't been making headlines lately, he's trying this new stunt to garner more media attention. Earlier today, Attorney General candidate Adam Laxalt (R) tweeted this.
MT @AdamLaxalt: Today, I pledge to refuse any political gifts as #NVAG and I urge Ross Miller to do same. http://www.adamlaxaltforag.com/laxalt_pledges_to_refuse_political_gifts_challenges_ross_miller_to_do_the_same …/Good issue.
Yep, that was Jon Ralston saying it's a "good issue". And perhaps he's right. After all, outgoing Secretary of State and current Attorney General candidate Ross Miller (D) has already been working on the issue of campaign finance reform. What's Adam Laxalt's history on this issue?
Oh, and why is he now tweeting about this issue? Why does he now want to talk about "gifts"? Might it be due to his discomfort whenever folks in the media talk too much about his favorite "political issue"?
No matter how much they talk about "Republican rebranding", G-O-TEA politicians never seem to want to talk about their record on LGBTQ civil rights. They don't want to talk about how they compare marriage equality to graffiti. They don't want to talk about how they continue to disparagetransgender people and mock our very existence. And of course, they don't want to talk about their continuing "militant" opposition to basic human rights.
Sure, we recognize that not all Republicans want to continue hiding in the Stone Age. State Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R-Reno) quite bravely stuck his neck out for marriage equality in Carson City last year, even as Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) decided to whip against it (after telling the media he'd support the marriage amendment). And just this week, US Rep. David Jolly (R-Florida) announced he changed his mind on marriage equality while top Florida Republicans continue to fight against it in court.
Notice that? They're still the exceptions rather than the rule. They're still the ones bucking "leadership" while "leaders" still fail to lead. They're still the ones with "issues" because they're sick and tired of ducking this issue that continues to cause pain in people's lives.
Here's the issue: Politicians like Adam Laxalt want to continue pretending that they're not the ones with "issues" even thought they're always the ones taking issue with the very notion of civil rights for LGBTQ people. So after they spit out more incendiary rhetoric and throw more "red meat" at their 21st Century Know Nothing base, they then turn around to blame the victim for forcing "political issues" on them. Clearly, they're still in denial. And clearly, they're the ones with all the wrong "issues" here.
We've seen this so many times before. Gun safety reform fell because of it. Comprehensive immigration reform is now on shaky ground due to it. And of course, austerity and manufactured crises are all the rage on Capitol Hill thanks to it. Thanks to "tea party" obstructionism, it's incredibly difficult to pass anything in Congress now.
Yet like our new state slogan, Nevada seems to be "A World Away, A State Apart". After all, several Republican legislators in Carson City have come forward and offered to break the logjam on tax policy. In fact, some "tea party" faithful there are frustrated.
[Assembly Member Jim] Wheeler [R-Gardnerville] admits he’s in the minority in Carson City. He laments what he sees as the leftward shift of the Republican Party in response to recent trouncing at the polls.
“Republicans seem to be trying to come to the middle,” Wheeler said. “But people won’t vote for that. People don’t vote for a party that changes its ways. People vote the person who sticks to what they say.
“Now, we have to cater to minorities? Cater to gay marriage? Because the world is changing? That’s true. But American values are not changing.”
No, American values are not changing. However, our understanding of those values clearly has. And funny enough, a Republican has stepped forward to confirm this.
“I try to do what is best for the state of Nevada,” Kieckhefer said on Nevada Newsmakers Thursday morning. “I don’t try to pander to a party of a part or edge of a party.”
Kieckhefer defended his marriage equality vote as a vote “of my conscience.” [...]
“I have a strongly Republican district but there are a lot of families in the district and it may not be as conservative as you are painting it to be,” Kieckhefer said. “It is a strong Republican district but with the bandwidth of conservatism. I’m not sure that it’s the most conservative district in the state.”
State Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R-Reno) has been making news lately for staking positions (like support for marriage equality) that challenge contemporary G-O-TEA orthodoxy. But then again, that's just it. G-O-TEA orthodoxy is still quite powerful. (And Richard Ziser is threatening to primary Senator Kieckhefer.)
After all, look at the "TEA" fueled revolt against Senator Michael Roberson's (R-Henderson) IP 1 alternative mining tax. And remember, he proposed it to try to fend off IP 1/The Education Initiative! But now, he can't even get the Governor and Assembly Caucus from his own party to consider his plan.
And then, there's Governor Brian Sandoval (R). He offered another serving of "The Sunset Taxes" to fend off any and all kind of serious tax reform (even Senator Roberson's). Yet even with that, the "tea party" balks.
And then, there's the scope of Nevada's tattered public infrastructure. We're facing law suits over chronic underfunding of K-12 public education and mental health care. And that's only just the beginning of the consequences we're starting to feel for not setting up a proper social safety net so we can truly care for our own. Sandoval's "Sunset Solution" only essentially drops a few extra pennies in that deep bucket. And while Roberson's proposal offers more, it's legally questionable and mired in troublesome "triangulation" politics.
So may we finally seeing some Republicans break free from "G-O-TEA" orthodoxy? Perhaps so. That's why the state may be able to pass a workable budget in June while Congress is still stuck in a stalemate. Yet with that being said, Nevada's fiscal and social problems run far deeper than a few extra million dollars that Governor Sandoval wants to toss into the state budget. We still have a very deep hole to crawl out of. The hole in Carson City may not seem as scary as the one in Washington, yet it nonetheless causes us trouble.
OK, so Monday night was a very emotional one for many of us. SJR 13 passed the State Senate, and Nevada is the first state to begin repealing a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality. We saw many profiles in courage emerge this week, including Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R-Reno). He provided compelling testimony for SJR 13 and marriage equality at the first hearing last month, but he didn't speak on the floor Monday before casting the sole Senate Republican vote for equality.
On Tuesday, Kieckhefer broke his temporary silence when he spoke to the Reno Gazette Journal's Ray Hagar about this week's big civil rights moment in Carson City. Check it out below.
And what does the vote say about Kieckhefer? Rival Democratic Sen. Debbie Smith of Sparks, the north's most influential senator, called his vote “courageous.” It also shows Kieckhefer cares about marriage equality, not just what subject is and isn’t covered in the constitution.
It was a smart move for a young man who may have a career in state politics beyond the Legislature. Indeed, Kieckhefer represents a conservative district.
But he’s smart enough to see a shift in the way people think about marriage equality. Let people marry who they want, many now say. Besides, Nevada is losing millions by not catering to marriage equality in our tourism industry in general and the wedding sector in particular. Live and let live. That’s the new thinking. Kieckhefer has that figured out.
In the final days before SJR 13 reached the Senate floor, other Republican Senators who claimed to support the bill backed out and ultimately declared their opposition. Why? They're claiming they always wanted to remove the Question 2 marriage ban from the Nevada Constitution, but they just can't vote to allow marriage equality a place in the Nevada Constitution. So on Monday, the other 9 Republicans voted to keep marriage discrimination in the Nevada Constitution. How does any of this make sense?
What seems more likely is that there was some sort of backroom politicking happening behind the scenes. We do know Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) ultimately whipped against SJR 13. Yet despite all this political drama, Senator Kieckhefer stood by his principles and supported marriage equality. Going forward, I suspect his position will be remembered as the courageous one... And it may ultimately provide a bit of redemption for the Nevada Republican Party.
This is the problem for Nevada Republicans... And really, for Republicans nationwide. They're increasingly seen by the general electorate as anachronistic, narrow minded, and just a bit too fond of wrongful discrimination. Something must change if Republicans want to be competitive in future election cycles. Republican political mastermind Frank Luntz gets it...
But unfortunately for him and for other high-level establishment Republicans, the "TEA" powered base would rather stick with Rush Limbaugh than change their ways.
We're also seeing this tug-of-war dynamic at work on immigration reform. In Carson City, several Republican legislators were falling over each other in a rush to attach their names to SB 303. This is the bill to establish driver's privilege cards for undocumented immigrants. And after many years of railing against this very policy, several prominent Nevada Republicans are now embracing it. Oh, and of course, they're desperately trying to improve their numbers among Latin@ voters.
But again, establishment Republicans have a growing problem in their midst here. It's called their base. Even after initially jumping to embrace comprehensive immigration reform, US Senator Dean Heller (R-46%) has been refusing to commit to anything as of late. Why? The "tea party" has been (mis)using the Boston Marathon Attack to fuel opposition to the Gang of 8 CIR bill now active in Congress.
Not too long ago, "TEA" devotees across America had great hopes for Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and saw him as their conservative fantasy. But now, they're turning on him. Why? He's showing willingness to back the Gang of 8 CIR bill.
On Tuesday, Breitbart reporter Joel Pollak grilled Ryan about why he appeared with [Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois)], “who has some very radical views on immigration,” [because he's been demanding CIR] and about a variety of conservative concerns about the Senate bill.
In one notable exchange, Ryan argued that the Boston marathon attack — currently a source of conflict for the Senate’s immigration efforts — was further evidence that Congress needed to pass reform.
“If anything, it shows that we need to modernize our immigration laws,” he said. “We don’t know who is overstaying their visa, we don’t know who is coming into the country, we don’t have firm control of our borders, and we need to modernize our laws.”
That answer prompted condemnation from radio host Mark Levin, who has also been on the offensive against Rubio’s bill despite the Florida Senator’s best efforts to court his support.
“Paul Ryan is an extremely likable guy,” Levin said. “He’s been on this show many times. I like the man. But he’s creating a record here for himself that makes it very, very hard, in my view, if he chooses to run for president, to vote for him.
That is, Paul Ryan's national political future is at risk because he's flirting with moderation on immigration reform. No really, that's what Mark Levin is saying. Is this what now has Senator Heller wavering and waffling on CIR?
Last week, Senator Dean Heller ran as fast he could from a policy that 86% of his constituents support. And he effectively played a major role in killing gun safety reform that has broad support among Nevadans and Americans overall. Why? After flirting with moderation, he looks to be drinking the "TEA" again.
This is the problem. Many Republicans still don't know how to please their base while simultaneously making an appeal to everyone else. It's not easy to do when most Americans are trending one way while the "tea party" is stubbornly going in the other direction. Many high-level establishment Republicans here in Nevada seem to be expressing interest in "modernizing" (as in evolving and moderating)... But can they ever get that past Sharron Angle?
Last night was truly one to remember. SJR 13 passed the Nevada Senate 12-9. And during the debate on the Senate floor, we saw many surprises. For one, Senator Kelvin Atkinson (D-North Las Vegas) came out. And BuzzFeed ran with the story, which made it national.
Late Monday, the Nevada Senate became the first legislative chamber in the country to vote to overturn a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex couples from marrying.
After a little more than an hour of debate in which one senator publicly declared that he was gay for the first time, the Nevada Senate voted 12-9 to repeal the state's 2002 amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman and replace it with language requiring the recognition of all marriages between two people, "regardless of gender."
In addition to out LGBT Sens. David Parks and Pat Spearman, Sen. Kelvin Atkinson declared on the floor during the debate, "I am a black, gay male." Because he was speaking about his sexual orientation publicly for the first time Monday night, he said he had heard negative comments about the marriage amendment repeal from others prior to the vote. But, he said, "People should mind their business and allow people to do what they want to do."
State Sen. Ben Kieckhefer was the sole Republican to vote for the marriage amendment's repeal.
Coming out isn't easy. Nope, it can be difficult. And for some, it takes time. So it's incredibly courageous for Senator Atkinson to not only come out, but do so on the Nevada Senate floor. Oh, and he came out just as his colleagues were about to vote on his civil rights. Whoa.
And that wasn't all. As BuzzFeed also mentioned, Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R-Reno) was the sole Senate Republican to cross the aisle and support marriage equality last night. On one hand, this wasn't too surprising. After all, he "came out" in support of equality last month at the first SJR 13 hearing.
Yet on the other hand, this was quite surprising. Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) did a total back-flip on SJR 13. And he was whining about amendments. And he was blaming Democrats (??!!) for his flip-flop. And he was arguing that "marriage shouldn't be in the Constitution", even as he was voting to keep marriage discrimination in the Nevada Constitution. And in case all that wasn't confusing and ridiculous enough, he also ultimately whipped Republicans against the current version of SJR 13.
Yet despite this intense intrigue and pressure, Senator Kieckhefer stood by his principles. He showed true courage. And he ultimately did what he knew was right.
RT @SethBRau: Senator @Jones4Nevada says he'd rather lose an election than not give his brother-in-law equal rights #SJR13 #nvleg #powerful
Against tons of pressure, Senator Justin Jones (D-Enterprise) voted for SJR 13 last night. He was even threatened by the mastermind of the Question 2 marriage ban himself! And some didn't expect him to do this anyway because of his faith. Yet despite the misperceptions and the political threats, Senator Jones voted for equality anyway. Now that's true courage.
At first, last night was a bit disappointing and frustrating. Yet again, our civil rights were being treated as political footballs. But this time, we saw a difference. This time, 12 Nevada Senators ultimately showed true courage. Oh, and they took some advice from one of my favorite philosophers on what to do with the pure political BS.
This isn't even a full list, far from it. Again, all 12 Senators who voted for SJR 13 last night are true profiles in courage. I just thought we should talk about this before we see more spin suggesting otherwise.
It's finally here! Tonight is the SJR 13 vote. We've been following the #SJR13 conversation on Twitter throughout the evening, and there's certainly been plenty of emotion.
And we've seen plenty of surprises. Senator Kelvin Atkinson (D-North Las Vegas) came out on the Senate floor. Senator Ruben Kihuen (D-Las Vegas) said he was willing to do the right thing, even if it meant he wouldn't be allowed into his church next Sunday. Senator Justin Jones (D-Enterprise) said he'd rather lose his next election than deny his brother-in-law his civil rights. Oh, and Senator Pat Spearman (D-North Las Vegas) uttered this lovely gem.
"I know what it feels like when people want to push separate but equal... Separate is not equal" @Spearman4Senate #SJR13 #nvleg
"I go back to Dr, King. Now is the time. We waited far too long," says Spearman. "History will judge us."
Oh yes, and Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R-Reno) came through and voted for marriage equality. And that's how the final vote ended up 12-9 in favor of SJR 13.
This is the beginning. This is the beginning of a new era of equality and justice for Nevada. This is the beginning of true equality for Nevada's LGBTQ citizens. This is the beginning of something new and wonderful for all of us here in The Silver State.
Oh, and this is the beginning of a flood of gratitude for the 12 courageous Senators who voted for marriage equality in the Nevada Senate tonight. Senators Atkinson, Spearman, Kihuen, Jones, Kieckhefer, David Parks (D-Paradise), Mark Manendo (D-Paradise), Mo Denis (D-North Las Vegas), Debbie Smith (D-Sparks), Joyce Woodhouse (D-Henderson), Aaron Ford (D-Spring Valley), and Tick Segerblom (D-Las Vegas) all voted in favor of equality. For some, it was a difficult reckoning with past issues with faith and family. And for all, this was incredibly personal and heart-wrenching.
With the exception of Kieckhefer, all other Republicans voted against equality. Some brought up the lame-ass excuse of "surprise amendments". And they whined about enshrining marriage equality in the Nevada Constitution. So they all ultimately voted to keep discrimination in the Nevada Constitution. Whatever. Voters will remember this night in 2014 and 2016.
Oh, and they lost. Equality won. And this is the beginning of the rest of our lives.
As we discussed earlier, today's been a big day for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). Another Senate hearing has been scheduled for next week, an actual bill is supposed to be revealed any day now, and many thousands nationwide are now rallying for CIR. So of course, Governor Brian Sandoval (R) tried to make news by giving KINC, the Las Vegas Univision affiliate, an exclusive interview detailing his extensive flip-flopping evolution on the matter.
As the national media continues to regularly chronicle some national politician "evolving" on gay marriage, Nevada's governor is not joining the supposedly Darwinian progression on the issue: Brian Sandoval remains opposed to gay marriage, he told a Spanish-language interviewer in an exchange posted this week on the station's website.
Sandoval twice told Martha Saldaña that he opposes gay martriage, saying when she followed up, "As I said, marriage should be between a man and a woman." [...]
Exit polling last year showed nearly six in 10 Latinos [nationally] back gay marriage.
And not only that, but February's RAN poll commissioned by the conservative/Republican aligned firm Public Opinion Strategies showed Nevadans support marriage equality by a 54-43%. That's much higher than the razor-thin 45-44% result that the progressive/Democratic aligned firm Public Policy Polling showed in August 2011. So Nevadans are clearly evolving in favor of marriage equality along with the rest of America. So why on earth is Governor Sandoval still fighting against equality?
As we noted here before, even other Republicans are leaping at the opportunity to change their image on matters of equality. And it's even been happening quite close to home. In a major surprise late last month, (State) Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R-Reno) appeared at the SJR 13 hearing to testify in favor.
Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R-Henderson) made an appearance at the same hearing, and he later announced his support for SJR 13. And again, several other Republicans across the nation have suddenly announced their evolution on marriage equality. So what is Governor Sandoval waiting for?
As we discussed earlier, the SJR 13marriage equality hearing in the Nevada Legislature. And this hearing was full of surprises! One happened in the beginning, when Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R-Reno) testified in favor of SJR 13 and expressed his confidence that Nevada truly has been evolving on marriage equality.
Kieckhefer's surprise appearance raised many eyebrows in the room. Even typically conservative Senator James Settlemeyer (R-Minden) seemed to warm up to SJR 13. And not even Senator Barbara Cegavske (R-Spring Valley) really challenged him.
Another fascinating surprise occurred when Beverly Sevcik and her wife, Mary, appeared to testify. Sevcik, of course, is the lead plaintiff in the federal law suit on marriage equality in Nevada.
She was just one of many citizens in Carson City and Las Vegas to testify on SJR 13. Another citizen to testify was Paul Gibson. He's an ordained minister and works in a Lutheran church in Sparks. He's also openly gay.
And these were just a few of the many of testified for marriage equality today. There were Republicans. There were people of faith. There were parents. There were small business owners. There were Nevadans of many walks of life.
And there's even more of today's hearing to share. Yes, it was really that explosive.
So far this fall, Governor Brian Sandoval (R-Mystery) has been quite elusive. Last month, he missed the Republican Governors' Association conference... In his own state! He still has yet to announce whether he will agree to fully implement the Affordable Care Act by expanding Medicaid. And he has yet to fully weigh in on the brewing brouhaha over election reform and driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants.
Perhaps we should expect this from a Governor who probably has his eyes on the prize of national prominence and an even higher level of political prestige. However, no one should ever expect this. So what's he hiding?
Gov. Brian Sandoval's administration is keeping secret millions of dollars in spending requests submitted by state agencies for the next two years, breaking precedent set by prior administrations and possibly violating state law, legislators suggested.
Indeed, even Sandoval held to the practice two years ago, submitting the so-called “items for special consideration” to lawmakers and the public well before releasing his final recommended budget to the Legislature in January.
This year, however, Sandoval has elected to publicly release only the agency requests that fit within strict caps he issued as part of his budget instructions, and not what agencies said they needed to properly operate. [...]
“I think legislators and the public should know what the requests are from agencies, what the real needs are,” said Sen. Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee. “It puts our staff, and ultimately legislators, at a severe disadvantage to not have that information.”
And it's not just Democrats in Carson City asking this. Even some Republicans are wondering what's going on. The details in the Governor's budget proposal are almost certain to answer the question of what he intends to do regarding the ACA & Medicaid expansion. And one Senate Republican is clamoring to see for himself what's in there.
Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno, referred to the possible expansion of Medicaid, the state health insurance for the poor. It’s a provision under the Affordable Care Act which the U.S. Supreme Court said could be optional for states, and a decision Sandoval is still weighing.
“My concern is this: Medicaid expansion has been penciled out, calculated, but if it’s not part of the governor’s budget, (that information) would not be public?” Kieckhefer said. “I have a problem with that.”
And since Ben Kieckhefer tends to be a solid Sandoval ally in the Legislature, that makes his call for more transparency from Sandoval all the more attention grabbing.
Kudos to Elizabeth Crum for reminding everyone of this. What Brian Sandoval is doing is likely illegal. Nevada's public records law (NRS 239) requires disclosure of the executive branch's budget requests. And NRS 353 details what the executive branch is supposed to do when filing budget requests.
1. On or before October 15 of each even-numbered year, the Chief shall provide to the Fiscal Analysis Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau:
(a) Computerized budget files containing the actual data regarding revenues and expenditures for the previous year;
(b) The work programs for the current year; and
(c) Each agency’s requested budget for the next 2 fiscal years.
So what's he hiding? The Sun's David McGrath Schwartz speculates that what's hidden may be items as banal as new computers and cars for state agencies in desperate need of them. So if that's the case, why be so secretive about it? And why hide details on even more important matters, like health care to many thousands of Nevadans, aid to military veterans, and funding for public education?
What's he hiding? Why is Brian Sandoval playing fast and loose with state law to keep his budget a secret? Why won't he let legislators or the public see these funding requests? All he's doing is confirming the worst assumptions Nevadans have about their state government, which is that it's thoroughly corrupt and stubbornly unresponsive to the demands of the public. If Sandoval wants to change that perception, then he needs to come clean.
