Nevada
Got opinions on a bill? Here’s how to testify before a legislative committee
The Nevada Legislature considers bills that could change the lives of the state’s residents — and an integral part of “the people’s branch of government” involves allowing the public to share opinions on proposed legislation.
If you are interested in testifying about a bill during a Legislative hearing, here’s how to do so.
Testifying in person
First, sign in to the meeting attendance roster if one is available. It may indicate whether you wish to testify, as well as your position on the bill, according to recommendations from the research division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.
When it’s your turn to testify, make sure to thank the chair and committee members before stating your name and organization, the bill that you’re testifying on and your position. The LCB suggests summarizing your testimony’s recommendation first, then expanding your comments.
Check your facts. According to state law, you can be guilty of a misdemeanor if you knowingly misrepresent any fact when testifying in a hearing or when communicating with a legislator before the hearing.
Other things to know
Additional tips include making sure you are testifying on the most recent version of the bill, since they can be changed or updated. People with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations should coordinate with the Legislative Counsel Bureau before the meeting. Contact information can be found on the committee’s overview website.
If you have written materials to present, be sure to bring enough copies. Meeting agendas often identify the number of paper copies to provide, as well as the deadline for providing those materials.
Public comment outside of Carson City
Las Vegans who cannot give their testimony in Carson City — where most hearings occur — have an option closer to home. There are satellite rooms at the state’s new building complex near Harry Reid International Airport. Most meetings will be videoconferenced to the Nevada Legislature Hearing Rooms building, 7120 Amigo St. in Las Vegas, but be sure to confirm the address on the meeting’s agenda.
You can also submit written testimony online through a submission form located on a bill’s preview page or via email. Check the committee’s webpage on the Nevada Legislature’s website for more information.
Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A North Las Vegas man awaiting trial for allegedly killing his girlfriend during a fight is dead, according to Nevada prison officials.
Markeem Benson, 30, died at High Desert State Prison near Indian Springs on Monday, Dec. 22, the Nevada Department of Corrections said in a statement.
An autopsy has been requested, according to the department.
Benson was serving time for an attempted robbery conviction from 2024, for which he was originally sentenced to probation with a suspended prison sentence.
He was also charged with the murder of 33-year-old Renise “Nene” Wolfe.
Renise Wolfe is pictured in this undated photo. Police allege Markeem Benson shot and killed Wolfe in a North Las Vegas apartment. (Photo provided)
North Las Vegas Police arrested him in December last year. According to an arrest report, Benson’s father called 911 saying Benson wanted to turn himself in for murder.
The father told detectives that Benson called him saying, “I killed her; I think I killed her” and “told him something to the effect of ‘she’ came at him with a gun, there was some kind of ‘tussle,’ and then the gun went off,” the report states.
An grand jury indicted him for murder and possession of a gun by a prohibited person. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the indictment, his probation was revoked in March, and he was incarcerated at High Desert State Prison to serve a term of two to five years.
A jury trial was scheduled to begin in April next year for Wolfe’s murder. Instead, prosecutors have asked for a hearing on Dec. 30 in light of Benson’s death, per court records.
A man serving time at the Southern Desert Correctional Center for felony reckless driving died last month, the Nevada Department of Corrections said Tuesday.
Shiloh Walker, 28, died at the Indian Springs facility on Nov. 24, a news release said. Cause of death was not listed.
Walker was serving a sentence of up to six years after a plea agreement was reached in 2022 following a DUI crash that happened May 31, 2021 in Las Vegas, according to online court records.
An autopsy was requested following Walker’s death, though results were not available as of Monday evening. Attempts to reach Walker’s family members have been unsuccessful, according to the department.
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.
After widespread condemnation last year, the U.S. Postal Service backed away from plans to move its Reno mail-processing operations to Sacramento — but did it stay true to what it told the public?
The question arose recently after letters sent from one Carson City address to another in Carson City were both postmarked in Sacramento.
Northern Nevadans did not want first class mail sent from one Northern Nevada address to another going first to California. They sent a unified message to the USPS all the way up to the postmaster general.
Critics of the USPS plan were especially worried about delays from mail having to go back and forth over the Sierra during winter.
The Washoe County District Attorney’s office filed a lawsuit over the plan, the Washoe County Commission voted to oppose the plan, public comment was universally opposed, and Democratic and Republican elected officials from across the state joined to stop it.
Could it possibly have happened anyway? The answer is yes, temporarily, for a brief time.
How letters sent in Carson City came to be processed at Sacramento USPS facility
A reader told the Reno Gazette Journal they’d twice had letters internal to Carson City postmarked in Sacramento, so we asked USPS if the policy had changed.
“Mail processing for First Class mail that originates in Northern Nevada and is destined to Northern Nevada has not changed,” USPS spokesperson Sherry Patterson responded by email.
“However,” she added, “without the specific mail piece and class of mail, we cannot determined if there is an issue.”
The reader then supplied a photo of the two envelopes postmarked Nov. 5 in Sacramento, and this was shared with USPS.
“Our processing machine in Reno was temporarily out of service while we awaited a replacement part,” Patterson said after viewing the postmarks to nail down the specific date the letters went through Sacramento.
“To ensure that mail was not delayed during this time, we implemented a contingency plan that involved routing certain mail to our Sacramento facility for cancellation and processing. This measure allows us to maintain service continuity and minimize disruptions for our customers. We understand that this may cause some confusion, and we are committed to ensuring that all mail is processed efficiently and accurately.”
Bottom line: Regarding first class mail that’s being sent to and from Northern Nevada addresses, it’s still USPS policy to process that in Reno at its Vassar Street facility, she said.
The path these particular letters took, Patterson added, “is indeed an unusual occurrence.”
Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.
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