3 things to watch for on Legislative Session Day 16
The third week of the Legislature is rolling along, and it’s already Day 16 of the 2017 Legislative Session.
Here’s what to watch for:
1. Touching on ESAs. Education Savings Accounts are one of the most important issues facing lawmakers, but legislative Democrats have yet to hold a hearing on ESAs. Today, the Assembly Ways and Means Committee is reviewing the Treasurer’s budget, which means we’ll hear — even if only briefly — about ESAs. Speaker Jason Frierson has publicly been more open to funding ESAs than Sen. Majority Leader Aaron Ford, so it’ll be interesting to see how Assembly members position themselves on this issue.
2. Replacing traditional marriage. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court invented a right to same sex marriage, which overruled the numerous states, like Nevada, that had put traditional marriage into their constitutions. Sponsored by Assemblyman Nelson Araujo, Assembly Joint Resolution 2 would remove traditional marriage from Nevada’s constitution and mandate the issuing of licenses to couples, regardless of gender. Practically, it wouldn’t change anything, but this is at least the right way to change a state constitution. It’s up today in Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections.
3. Banning fracking. Today in Assembly Natural Resources, Agriculture and Mining, Assemblyman Justin Watkins will present AB159. AB159 would ban hydraulic fracturing, called fracking, in Nevada. While fracking isn’t a major industry today in Nevada, there is the potential it could create tens of thousands of jobs. Those are jobs Watkins wants to prevent from ever coming to Nevada.
There’s a lot more happening today, including bills to change funding for students with disabilities, license plates and an overview of economic development programs, so keep refreshing ReviewJournal.com for the best coverage of the 2017 Nevada Legislature.
Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com. Follow @victorjoecks on Twitter.