No Change on Gun Safety @ #NVLeg?

I know the Senate has been getting plenty of attention in the last 36 hours, but there's also been plenty of action in the Assembly lately. Here is an example of what's happening on the other side of the Nevada Legislature. Apparently, this is what Carson City thinks of gun safety reform.

A bill allowing people with concealed weapon permits to carry guns on Nevada college campuses appears doomed to the same fate two years ago, going down in defeat without a committee vote.

Another major gun bill sponsored by Democratic Majority Leader William Horne of Las Vegas also appeared dead Friday without a vote in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Horne's bill would have created civil liability for a seller of a gun that was used to harm someone else if no background check was performed. It also taxed sales of firearms and ammunition.

Friday is the deadline for most bills to pass out of committee.

Assembly Member Michelle Fiore (R-Las Vegas) was championing AB 143, which would have allowed for unchecked concealed carry of firearms on college campuses. Many students and public safety officials testified against it because of the security concerns of having so many guns on campus. Apparently, that had an effect on Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair Jason Frierson (D-Spring Valley). He decided to table the bill, which effectively kills it today.

However, there was also a gun safety bill that met the same fate. Assembly Member William Horne was championing AB 234, a bill that called for expanded background checks, bans on certain ammunition, and a firearms transaction tax. The bill also essentially died today, as no action was taken in committee.

So far, there no signs yet of progress on gun safety reform in Carson City. However, pro-NRA bills don't seem to be moving, either. So we may end up seeing the status quo hold.

And we may very soon return our eyes to Washington for action on gun safety.

The Big Picture

One would think that last Thursday's pomp & circumstance surrounding AB 114 becoming law meant Nevada did something truly revolutionary. And it actually did address an important aspect of gaming policy. However, we need to put this into proper perspective.

Ralston got us off to a good start...



But I'd like for us to expand on this.

In particular, we should look at this. It took just hours for the Legislature to fast-track AB 114 to the Governor's desk. Yet SJR 15 and The Education Initiative are already on legislators' desk, waiting for action... And #NVLeg leaders don't want to even act on those, let alone act as quickly as they did with AB 114.

While some in Carson City are just treating tax policy as bargaining chips and previews of future campaigns for higher office, there are real problems we're seeing out here. Poor Nevadans might actually faceunaffordable charges for health care that's supposed to be affordable & accessible. Our colleges & universities are fighting each other for (synthetically) limited resources. Many roads across this state remain tattered as mass transit operations in Clark & Washoe Counties continue cutting back. Nevada's working families are hurting, yet legislators are debating ways to inflict even more pain on working families.

What's wrong with this picture? Here's a hint: Look at the big picture. We need an economy that works for all Nevadans. And we need an economy that's no longer dependent on just one industry. We've known for decades that our only hope for a brighter future lies in economic diversification, yet we still haven't invested enough in the public infrastructure necessary to build that diversified economy of the future.

Why is this? Sure, the gaming industry has tons of clout in Carson City thanks to its countless lobbyists and endless campaign contributions. Legislators are quick to act on gaming industry demands because they want on that gravy train.

But what happens when that gravy train runs out of fuel? Again, our state's economy can't survive on one industry alone. Even gaming industry insiders recognize that, which is why they've occasionally paid lip service to aiding economic diversification.

But now, more than ever before, Nevada is at a crossroads. Either the state can begin shifting both the tax base and the economy away from overdependence on gaming, or we can continue making the same mistakes to our own detriment.

Now I don't want to belittle the big move on online gaming. It has plenty of potential, and the state should pursue that. The only way Nevada will continue to a be a gaming leader is if we innovate. Yet, the same truth applies to overall economic development... And we've yet to lead there. It would just be nice if the Governor and the Legislature felt the same urgency on improving the state's overall economic health as they did in pleasing casino lobbyists.