LETTER: ‘Progress’ at the Nevada Legislature
Assembly Bill 495 “will channel hundreds of millions more directly into education,” according to news accounts. Where have I heard that song before? Oh, right. That was the claim for legalizing marijuana for recreational use. That worked out really well.
Assembly Bill 116 would “decriminalize minor traffic offenses.” There is a good argument for this in general, but one aspect of it will get people killed. One of the offenses being decriminalized is texting while driving. This particular offense is just the opposite of minor. Per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Safety Council and just about every police agency, texting while driving is regarded on par with drunken driving, if not considered more dangerous.
So lots of self-congratulation in Carson City. But what impact will all this wonderful “progress” actually mean for the rest of us who live in Nevada?