Andrew Doughman

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Story Archive

NV Politics: The complete exchange with Hardy on job discrimination protection
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014
Some media are reacting to comments by Cresent Hardy involving job discrimination protection that they likened to "segregation." Here is the entire exchange with a Sun reporter.
With a focus on creating jobs, Hardy targets Horsford's seat
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014
Republican Assemblyman Cresent Hardy knows the demographics of Nevada’s 4th Congressional District might not favor him, but he's confident his platform will win over voters.
Who knows what your campaign money buys?
Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014
As we enter the political season and you’re asked to contribute money to a candidate’s campaign, keep in mind that the rules are pretty loose on how your donation can be spent and how that spending is publicly reported.
Small-business owner sounds alarm over proposed Nevada business margins tax
Friday, Feb. 14, 2014
The proposed 2 percent business margins tax headed for the November ballot is often characterized as a threat to Nevada's large businesses. But this small-business owner feels he's in the tax's cross hairs.
AG candidate Laxalt says he'd fight to uphold gay marriage ban
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014
Nevada’s government should uphold the state constitution and fight against a legal challenge to overturn the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, said Republican attorney general candidate Adam Laxalt.
NV Politics: Firearms group creates PAC 'to make sure we use our voice'
Monday, Feb. 10, 2014
The Nevada Firearms Coalition is creating a political action committee to try to defeat candidates who support gun background checks and tax increases on ammunition. The coalition already is targeting state Sen. Justin Jones, D-Las Vegas, who is facing what looks to be a hotly contested re-election campaign against Republican challenger and Las Vegas lawyer Becky Harris.
Local governments vie for control in Nevada's new medical marijuana industry
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014
Just as local jurisdictions can dictate where liquor stores can open, so too they are now grappling with the issue of where medical marijuana dispensaries can be located in Clark County and its cities.
Law's vague wording on expenses leaves room for interpretation in how campaign money is spent
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014
Nevada legislators spent tens of thousands of dollars from campaign funds last year dining at restaurants, buying booze for receptions, and racking up bills at retail stores and on credit cards that don’t disclose the purchases.
Nevada GOP will grill, endorse candidates in party primary
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014
Candidates competing in the Nevada Republican primary election this spring may find a friend — or foe — in the Nevada Republican Party, which is presenting them with something of a litmus test.
Nevada's marijuana advocates are hoping for full legalization next year
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014
With growing acceptance elsewhere of legalized marijuana, advocates of legal pot in Nevada are preparing to distribute petitions that could lead to legalized pot in the Silver State next year.
Facing criticism, Lt. Gov. candidate Hutchison discloses all-expenses-paid Israel trip
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014
State Sen. Mark Hutchison, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, decided Monday to disclose an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel last year.
Lowden criticizes Hutchison for not disclosing gift
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014
Republican lieutenant governor candidate Sue Lowden criticized her opponent, state Sen. Mark Hutchison, R-Las Vegas, for not publicly disclosing an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel last year. An affiliate of a national Israeli lobby group, the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, paid for Hutchison and other Nevada legislators to visit Israel, but Hutchison did not disclose the sponsored trip on an annual financial disclosure form filed earlier this month.
Secretary of state candidates urge tougher laws addressing gifts to officials
Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014
Both state Sen. Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, and state Treasurer Kate Marshall, a Democrat, said they would start by pushing to amend state law to explicitly define what constitutes a gift to an elected official.
Lawmakers have to declare gifts but aren't willing to define them
Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014
Elected officials in Nevada have accepted gifts sometimes worth thousands of dollars but have declined to report them as required by state law. Some of them dispute whether they legally need to report these gifts — in part because there is no explicit definition of a “gift” in state law.
Poll shows support for appeals court, but work remains to get Nevadans to vote for it
Friday, Jan. 24, 2014
Nevadans could soon have a new level of government: an appeals court. A recent poll shows that Nevada voters appear generally supportive of establishing an appellate court, and the sponsors of the poll say the results show that voters will likely approve an appeals court ballot measure this November.
Drop-in mental health clinic at Rawson-Neal to close Friday
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014
State officials will close a clinic at Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas on Friday after federal officials cited the facility for violations.
Nevada politicians rake in millions in contributions: 10 takeaways from campaign documents
Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014
Disclosures provided under state law last week provide a glimpse behind the curtain of Nevada's political world and a first look at the strength of candidates in the 2014 election. "Money is the mother's milk of politics, and candidates with more money are more formidable opponents," said Eric Herzik, UNR political science department chairman.
Bilbray campaign manager calls it quits
Friday, Jan. 17, 2014
he campaign of Democratic congressional candidate Erin Bilbray has lost its manager, Bradley Mayer. Mayer left the Bilbray campaign on friendly terms and will continue as an informal adviser to the campaign, Mayer told the Sun Friday evening.
Boehner met by protesters at Las Vegas fundraiser
Friday, Jan. 17, 2014
Democrats and their allies sought to capitalize on a visit today from U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, who arrived in Las Vegas to host a fundraiser for Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev.
What we learn — and don’t — from Nevada politicians’ financial disclosures
Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014
Nevada's elected office holders and candidates are required to disclose details of their campaign and personal finances, but for all that these forms reveal, there's a lot that they don't.
Former Tea Party strategist announces bid for Horsford's seat
Niger Innis bemoans 'go-along, get-along Republicans' in campaign kickoff
Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014
Republican Niger Innis announced today he’s running for Congress against Democratic incumbent Steven Horsford in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District.
Political groups in Nevada continue stubborn fight against disclosing donors
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014
Nevada’s politicians are assembling stockpiles of money, the ammunition for this year’s election campaign season. They will report millions of dollars in campaign contributions this week on annual disclosure forms, but that's just the money that elected officials are required to report. Groups unaffiliated with any candidate will likely spend millions of dollars to bankroll ads aimed at Nevada voters, and it’s unclear what, if anything, they need to tell you about who’s paying for the ads.
A sampling of sloppiness that auditors find in state agencies
Monday, Jan. 13, 2014
State government is not a perfectly run operation, and if you thought otherwise, consider what auditors have recently reported. The findings have been presented to an audit committee of state legislators assigned to implement corrections.
After a first year filled with hurdles, Horsford touts accomplishments
Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014
After his first year representing Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, Steven Horsford took account of the year for the Sun: eight bills sponsored, none passed so far. By that measure, he’s not alone; most representatives didn’t pass any bills last year.
Rawson-Neal fails inspection, is still out of compliance, feds say
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014
The troubled Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas has again been found to be out of compliance with federal regulations, threatening funding to the hospital.
Nevada continues to rank poorly in numbers of doctors, nurses
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014
A group of health care experts reviewed the state's longstanding deficiency in providing an adequate healthcare workforce for Nevada's residents at a legislative committee, providing fresh data showing that Nevada still ranks poorly among states for the number of doctors and nurses it counts among its population.
North Las Vegas officials paint grim picture of city’s finances
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014
North Las Vegas faces financial ruin if a multimillion dollar structural deficit isn’t fixed, officials said Tuesday at a special City Council meeting.
NLV mayor won't take advantage of law passed in state Legislature to fund city
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014
A new law that was supposed to bail out cash-strapped North Las Vegas may not help the city after all.
North Las Vegas mayor says city deceitfully played games with finances
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014
Mayor John Lee says the city’s municipal water and wastewater accounts have been dangerously depleted over the years of tens of millions of dollars to pay for other bills.
Democrat Dondero Loop to run for state Senate
Monday, Dec. 16, 2013
Assemblywoman Marilyn Dondero Loop, D-Las Vegas, announced today she plans to run for state Senate in one of the state’s most competitive districts next year.
What if there were an election for Nevada governor with no Democrat?
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013
Everybody expects an election to feature a Republican fighting a Democrat. But Democrats in Nevada seem hesitant to challenge Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, who may well be on his way to coasting to re-election in 2014.
Nevada's Hispanics work to boost representation on education boards
Monday, Dec. 9, 2013
Hispanics students represent nearly half of all Clark County public schoolchildren and nearly a quarter of all students in Southern Nevada colleges and universities. Yet, Hispanic membership on Nevada’s K-12 and higher education boards historically has been lacking.
Here's why Nevada voters may eagerly support a 2 percent business tax next year
Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013
No state business tax means you should be getting better prices here than in other states, right? Just the opposite is happening, and some political activists say it’s time for large companies to pay more to do business in Nevada.
Advocacy group angles for $35K to help you leave your union
Friday, Dec. 6, 2013
New documents reveal how free-market advocacy group Nevada Policy Research Institute plans to finance a campaign to encourage union members to leave their unions. NPRI doesn’t disclose its donors, making this document a small glimpse into how the group finances its organization’s initiatives.
UNLV study identifies the most connected nonprofit groups in Southern Nevada
Friday, Dec. 6, 2013
During the holiday season, people of goodwill open their wallets and purses to help the needy. A UNLV study revealed which nonprofit organizations may best put that money to use.
Reid confident Congress to pass immigration bill, says Boehner will 'cave in'
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid predicted Tuesday that Congress will pass an overhaul of the nation’s immigration system sometime next year.
Segerblom: If no other Dems run against Sandoval in 2014, I reluctantly will
Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013
Tick Segerblom, the Democratic state senator, says he's popular with the media because he speaks his mind. Is that reason enough for him to run for governor?
Poker player Frank Kassela drops bid for Congress
Monday, Nov. 25, 2013
World Series of Poker player Frank Kassela has folded in his bid to become Las Vegas’s representative in Congress.
Small businesses have their own issues with Affordable Care Act rollout in 2014
Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013
As individuals in Nevada deal with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, small businesses prepare for their issues come 2014.
Coalition pressing Joe Heck for action on immigration reform, which he says he has taken
Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013
Left-leaning political advocacy groups have been campaigning for Nevadans to give Republican Rep. Joe Heck a mouthful. The question is whether they’re wasting their time. Members and volunteers of a coalition called the Cost of Inaction are doing everything and anything they can to get people to tell him to support an immigration bill.
In replacing Smatresk, regents have certain kind of president in mind
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013
This might sound familiar.
Nevada is again looking to fill a major vacancy in its education system — the third one this year.
Democratic hopeful for Congress keeps pressure on incumbent
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013
Erin Bilbray wants to represent you in Congress.
The 43-year-old Las Vegan met with the Sun for a quick chat over coffee as she hustled between caring for a sick daughter and running for an office in a legislative body she calls “dysfunctional.”
Dina Titus calls on governor to decide on extension of insurance plans
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013
Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., says a fix to national health care woes could be coming to Nevada. She’s calling on Gov. Brian Sandoval to make a decision on whether to adopt President Barack Obama’s one-year extension of health insurance policies that don’t meet the minimum requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the President’s health care law.
Sue Lowden's debt payment strategy: Keep campaign committee going
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013
Republican lieutenant governor candidate Sue Lowden has a new strategy for paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign debt she still owes from her failed 2010 Senate campaign.
NLV mayor makes good on promise, appoints advisory board to CSN Cheyenne campus
Monday, Nov. 18, 2013
The College of Southern Nevada’s Cheyenne campus has a new advisory board. But before your eyes glaze over at such bureaucratic news, here’s why this matters: North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee told the Sun two months ago he was “going to take control of that” college campus in North Las Vegas, and now he’s made good on at least part of his vow.
After struggling to gain a foothold, Nevada's Libertarians now face a leadership void
Monday, Nov. 18, 2013
Nevada’s hardscrabble, pioneer spirit supposedly emboldens Nevadans to embrace libertarian values. But you could fit every member of the official Libertarian Party of Nevada into a classroom.
Health care changes haven't caused uproars in Nevada like they have in other GOP states
Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013
Republicans nationwide are assailing President Barack Obama for the deeply flawed rollout of his health care law. But that campaign is muted somewhat in Nevada, an outlier in both the decisions Gov. Brian Sandoval made and the political comity surrounding them.
DOE official: 'No decisions have been made' about when radioactive waste will be shipped to Nevada
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013
The Energy Department this week conducted a public relations blitz in Nevada to discuss the likelihood that hundreds of canisters of nuclear waste could be headed to Nevada. Here's what was said about the canisters' contents and route and state officials' stances.
In cash-strapped North Las Vegas, is vacant fourth floor a leech on resources?
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013
Though offices on the fourth floor of Las Vegas City Hall bear the name of Las Vegas Police Department officials, the department has never used the space. Neither has anyone else. Now North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee is looking to fill the space.
Radioactive waste to be shipped to Nevada site starting in 2014
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013
Coming soon to Nevada: 403 canisters of nuclear waste. Despite questions and opposition from Nevada’s governor, the Department of Energy said it would begin shipping 403 canisters of highly radioactive nuclear waste to Nevada.