Nevada
IN RESPONSE: Cortez Masto lands bill would keep the proceeds in Nevada
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.
RENO, Nev. — As electric vehicle ownership continues to climb in Nevada, experts say one question is becoming increasingly important: Can the state’s charging infrastructure keep pace?
New consumer research from, Yardi Matrix, found Nevada ranks sixth in the nation for electric vehicle growth, with registrations increasing nearly 420% over the past five years.
At the same time, Nevada is outperforming much of the country when it comes to charging access for renters. About 14% of multifamily housing units in the state offer EV charging, placing Nevada ahead of more than half of the nation.
Still, researchers say one key difference separates Nevada from some neighboring states.
Unlike California and several other states, Nevada does not require new multifamily housing developments to include electric vehicle charging infrastructure or EV-ready parking spaces.
Instead, developers decide whether to install chargers, often viewing them as an amenity that can help attract and retain tenants.
States take the wheel: Report looks at fragmented EV policies after federal rollbacks
“What you see in those other states is a state mandate that says if I’m going to build, I have to be ready or capable,” said a market analyst with Yardi Matrix, Douglas Ressler. “Nevada follows California vehicle sales very closely, but it lacks a multifamily EV building code mandate.”
Nevada has relied on incentives and rebates rather than statewide requirements to encourage EV infrastructure.
As more Nevadans switch to electric vehicles, charging access at apartment communities will become increasingly important, particularly for renters who cannot install chargers at home.
If Nevada were to require EV-ready infrastructure in future apartment developments, lawmakers would likely need to pass legislation establishing statewide requirements for new multifamily construction.
For now, researchers say Nevada’s growing EV market will continue to test whether voluntary investment by developers can keep pace with rising demand.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Hundreds of Southern Nevada kids got a jump-start on the new school year Thursday as The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation hosted its annual “Shaq-to-School” Summer Fun Fest with Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada at the Andre Agassi Boys & Girls Club.
During the event, The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation donated 260 backpacks filled with school supplies to benefit both Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and Communities in Schools of Nevada.
“We are grateful for the continued support Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada has received from The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation,” said Andy Bischel, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada. “Going to school with the tools to succeed in the classroom is incredibly important, and through this generous donation from The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation, we know our Club members will feel excited and confident entering the new school year.”
Club members from the Andre Agassi and James Boys & Girls Clubs took part in a carnival-themed celebration that included games, food and other interactive activities. All club members and Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada staff also wore special T-shirts featuring designs by two youth who won the organization’s T-shirt design contest for the event.
Partnering organizations at the event included the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Office of Community Engagement, Insperity, The Just One Project, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and Spread the Word Nevada.
More information about Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada is available at www.bgcsnv.org.
More information about The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation is available at www.shaqfoundation.org.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Nevada regulators have given the green light to Terrible’s takeover of Primm casinos and rest stop operations, averting a closure of the state line enclave.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board and Gaming Commission voted Thursday to grant Terrible’s a non-restricted license to operate the three casinos: Primm Valley Resort, Whiskey Pete’s and Buffalo Bill’s.
Terrible’s reached an agreement with the Primm family, which owns the land, and Affinity Gaming, which had been operating the casinos, to assume operations.
Affinity planned to close the resorts, the Flying J gas station, the Primm Travel Center, and a lottery store in California by July 4. A total of 344 employees would have been terminated, many of whom live in apartments in Primm.
Scott Butera, CEO of Affinity, told regulators in May that business has been declining for years, despite efforts to invest in the resorts with new slot machines and a new digital sign. Only Primm Valley Resort has been operating on a full-time basis in recent months.
The Gaming Control Board said they still had serious concerns about the closures, however, particularly with how it would affect employees.
On Thursday, Tim Herbst, president and CEO of Terrible Herbst, told the Gaming Control Board that the deal to transfer control is unorthodox. He said Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft reached out to avert the closure and keep the workers employed.
“It all comes down to Nevadans helping Nevadans,” Herbst said.
He said the Primm family and Affinity are still in negotiations regarding what will be left behind, but Terrible’s is ready to assume control of non-gaming assets by July 4.
On Primm’s future, Herbst said he believes the Brightline West train and a supplemental airport would help revitalize the town.
“I think it’s a bright future for the Primm family,” Herbst said. “I think there’s a lot going on there. It may take a little time to figure out the family’s objectives and long-term ranges out there, but I can’t imagine – they’re a smart group of people. I think the state of Nevada and Clark County and the industry will all look favorable about what happens there soon.”
Gaming Control Board member George Assad said the goal was to make sure nobody in Primm lost their job.
“It’s just an example of how we can all move together and move forward and do the right thing,” Assad said.
-
Pittsburg, PA7 minutes agoPittsburghers lash out at proposed Downtown tax diversion district
-
Augusta, GA10 minutes agoSuspect convicted in 2024 Augusta shooting death
-
Washington, D.C15 minutes agoDC reaches settlement with man detained while protesting troops with Darth Vader song
-
Cleveland, OH17 minutes agoHeinen’s closing downtown Cleveland location
-
Austin, TX22 minutes agoTexas board approves Bible stories as required reading in public schools
-
Alabama25 minutes agoBest downtowns in Alabama? These 10 towns made the list
-
Alaska30 minutes agoLavrov Challenges Rubio: Kremlin Says Trump-Putin Reached Deal as Moscow Questions Washington’s Neutrality
-
Arizona37 minutes agoCentral Arizona is home to the ‘World’s Oldest Rodeo.’ Here’s what to see and do there
