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Jason Frierson, Speaker, NV Assembly
On April 14th, we passed an important deadline where most of the proposed legislation for the 2017 Session needed to be passed out of our legislative committees.
We worked diligently through the deadline to process policies we believe are good for Nevadans. We also have another important deadline coming up on April 25th which is when most of the proposed legislation must get voted out of the Assembly.
We believe that we can create a brighter, better future for every Nevada family by investing in our schools, teachers, higher education and job training. We must build a more diverse economy that helps small businesses grow, creates jobs, and makes Nevada a national leader in technology, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy jobs.
In the first 10 weeks of the session, Assembly Democrats worked hard toward that end. We led the effort in bipartisan way to dedicate more resources to the school level where it could be more effective. We advanced policies to protect hard working Nevadans but also collaborated with the business community in order to best protect small businesses. We advanced criminal justice reforms not only in a bipartisan fashion, but also in collaboration with law enforcement.
Below are just a couple more examples of the hard work we have engaged in so that we help move Nevada forward!
Security for our Families
Nevada families should always feel safe and secure in their homes, community, and state.
- AB97 introduced by Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson requires any forensic medical evidence collected from the examinations of victims of sexual assault by tested and processed in a timely manner.
Assemblyman Steve Yeager worked with Majority Leader Benitez-Thompson to overcome Attorney General Laxalt’s concern that a timeline to process rape kits would be an unfunded mandate. The Yeager amendment creates a 120-day deadline for crime labs to process rape kits, and includes a general fund appropriation to ensure that police had the resources they need to give rape victims the justice they deserve. We hope the Attorney General will support this effort.
Increasing Voter Participation
The most fundamental aspect of our democratic process is a citizen’s right to vote. We should work hard to make it easier for all eligible Nevadans to vote, not more difficult.
- AB45 introduced by Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections to extend the online registration period before an election.
Assemblywoman Olivia Diaz also offered the Diaz campaign finance reform amendment to this bill, which mandates that candidates and elected officials report their campaign’s cash-on-hand and itemize their credit card expenses on their campaign financial reports. We are also hoping that the Secretary of State will support our effort to increase voter participation as well as transparency that is sorely needed today more than ever.
With 50 days left in the 2017 Legislative Session, our goal is to continue to champion legislation that will empower Nevada’s hardworking families!