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Proposed paid family and medical leave bill would benefit estimated 1M Nevada workers

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Proposed paid family and medical leave bill would benefit estimated 1M Nevada workers


Nevada lawmakers are considering vastly expanding access to  paid family and medical leave, though the proposal faces harsh opposition from business and industry groups.

Democratic Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch’s Assembly Bill 388 would require private employers with more than 50 workers, as well as all public employers, to provide paid family and medical leave. The bill was heard by the Assembly Committee on Revenue on Wednesday, according to Nevada Current.

Only 4% of businesses employ more than 50 workers, according to La Rue Hatch, who attributed the figure to research by the Legislative Counsel Bureau, but that 4% of businesses employ nearly 1 million Nevadans — more than 60% of the state’s workforce.

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In 2023, the Legislature established paid family and medical leave for state employees. La Rue Hatch described this year’s AB388,  as “a natural next step” to ensure nearly a million Nevadans are able to address their own and their family’s medical needs. Twelve assemblymembers and one state senator have signed on as additional sponsors.

La Rue Hatch, a public school teacher in Northern Nevada, shared with the committee that in November she had jaw surgery that required six weeks of recovery. Public school teachers are not covered by the state’s existing mandated paid family and medical leave law, so she relied on a union-negotiated program where members can donate their paid time off to others who need it.

Most Nevada workers don’t have access to an option like that, she added, and instead are left with options that lead to financial hardship. They return to work prematurely after giving birth, leave the workforce entirely to provide unpaid care to elderly parents, wrack up additional debt during extensive cancer treatments, or forgo needed medical procedures because they know they can’t afford not to work while recovering.

The United States is one of only six countries that does not have a national guaranteed, comprehensive paid leave program.

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Thirteen states have comprehensive, mandatory state paid family and medical leave. Most offer the benefit through pooled payroll taxes paid by employers and/or employees, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

La Rue Hatch told the committee she didn’t believe Nevada was open to that approach.

Under her bill, Nevada employers would be required to offer it as a benefit after 90 days of employment. The leave would be available for specific purposes, such as the birth or adoption of a child, treatment of a serious illness, or caring for a family member who is seriously ill. There are also specific provisions for victims of domestic abuse and families dealing with military deployment.

Workers who earn  up to 110% of the state’s average weekly wage — about $1,200 per week or $57,000 annually — would receive 100% of their paycheck for up to 12 weeks. Workers who earn more than that would receive 60% of their wage or 60% of 150% of the state’s average weekly wage, whichever is less. (That 150% threshold currently translates to workers who make about $1,600 a week or $78,000 annually.)

La Rue Hatch said the sliding scale and cap acknowledges that the lowest wage earners may not be able to survive off only part of their paycheck.

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AB388 is supported by numerous unions and worker advocacy groups, including the Communication Workers, SEIU, AFSCME, Washoe Education Association and Make It Work Nevada.

“Employees and workers are people,” said Erika Washington, executive director of Make it Work Nevada. “They are human beings… We believe that being able to support, advocate, love and support our families is indeed a human right and a reproductive justice issue. Everyone has somebody they would drop everything for, and it’s our responsibility to care for our families and each other.”

Ben Challinor with the Alzheimer’s Association testified that paid family and medical leave could benefit the estimated 84,000 Nevadans who provide unpaid care for someone living with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Business groups, including the Vegas Chamber, Nevada Resort Association, Retail Association of Nevada, and several chambers of commerce, are opposed to the bill, arguing they oppose mandates that force solutions that need to be addressed business by business.

They also claimed it will drive up costs for business.

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“If the government of the State of Nevada believes it is important to pay people in this state to not work for three months, then the State of Nevada can pay for that,” said Tray Abney, Nevada state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

He continued: “Bills with incredibly large fiscal notes or impacts to the state budget have a very hard time getting passed out of here. We don’t always seem to have the same concern for the fiscal notes that affect private sector job creators.”

In her closing remarks, La Rue Hatch argued that paid family and medical leave is an economic benefit that pays itself off in increased productivity and less turnover at business.

“Ikea offers 16 weeks” of paid family and medical leave, she said. “CitiBank, 16 weeks. Bank of America, 16 weeks. Google, 18 weeks paid leave after 90 days of employment. Huge corporations making significant profits have figured out how to take care of workers. It is not mutually exclusive.”



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Oregon lands commitment from Nevada punter

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Oregon lands commitment from Nevada punter


Oregon has found its next Australian punter.

Bailey Ettridge, who averaged 44.66 yards on 47 punts at Nevada this season, committed to transfer to the Ducks on Sunday. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

From Lara, Australia, Ettridge had 15 punts over 50 yards and 18 inside opponents’ 20-yard lines this season. He also had two carries for 26 yards, both of which converted fourth downs.

Ettridge replaces James Ferguson-Reynolds, who is averaging 41.64 yards on 33 punts for UO this season. Ferguson-Reynolds and Ross James are both out of eligibility after the season.

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Ettridge is the first scholarship transfer to Oregon this offseason and his addition gives the Ducks 81 projected scholarship players in 2026. He is the lone punter presently on the roster.



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‘Winnemucca Day’ helps fuel Backus, Wolf Pack to 58-40 win over Utah State

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‘Winnemucca Day’ helps fuel Backus, Wolf Pack to 58-40 win over Utah State


RENO, Nev. (Nevada Athletics) – Nevada Women’s Basketball returned to Lawlor for the first game of 2026, hosting Utah State.

The Pack picked up its first conference win of the season with the 58-40 victory over the Aggies.

Freshmen showed out for the Pack (5-9, 1-3 MW) with Skylar Durley nearly recording a double-double, dropping 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Britain Backus had five points to go along with two rebounds and a season high four steals.

Junior Izzy Sullivan also had an impactful game with 17 points, going 6-for-11 from the paint and grabbing five boards. She also knocked down Nevada’s only two makes from beyond the arc, putting her within one for 100 career threes.

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The Pack opened up scoring the first four points, setting the tone for the game. It was a close battle through the first 10 as Utah State (6-7, 2-2 MW) closed the gap to one.

However, Nevada never let them in front for the entire 40 minutes.

Nevada turned up the pressure in the second quarter, holding Utah State to a shooting drought for over four minutes. Meanwhile, a 5-0 scoring run pushed the Pack to a 10-point lead.

For the entire first 20, Nevada held Utah State to just 26.7 percent from the floor and only nine percent from the arc, going only 1-for-11.

For the Pack offense, it shot 48 percent from the paint. Nevada fell into a slump coming out of the break, only scoring eight points.

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It was the only quarter where the Pack was outscored.

The fourth quarter saw the Pack get back into rhythm with a 6-0 run and forcing the Aggies into another long scoring drought of just under four and a half minutes.

Durley had a layup and jumper to help with securing the win.

Nevada will remain at home to face Wyoming on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

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EDITORIAL: Nevada’s House Democrats oppose permitting reform

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EDITORIAL: Nevada’s House Democrats oppose permitting reform


Politicians of both parties have promised to fix the nation’s broken permitting system. But those promises have not been kept, and the status quo prevails: longer timelines, higher costs and a regulatory maze that makes it nearly impossible to build major projects on schedule.

Last week, the House finally cut through the fog by passing the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act. As Jeff Luse reported for Reason, the legislation is the clearest chance in years to overhaul a system that has spun out of control.

Notably, virtually every House Democrat — including Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford from Nevada — opted for the current regulatory morass.

The proposal addressed problems with the National Environmental Policy Act, which passed in the 1970s to promote transparency, but has grown into an anchor that drags down public and private investment. Mr. Luse notes that even after Congress streamlined the act in 2021, the average environmental impact statement takes 2.4 years to complete. That number speaks for itself and does not reflect the many reviews that stretch far beyond that already unreasonable timeline.

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The SPEED Act tackles these failures head on. It would codify recent Supreme Court guidance, expand the projects that do not require exhaustive review and set real expectations for federal agencies that too often slow-walk approvals. Most important, it puts long-overdue limits on litigation. Mr. Luse highlights the absurdity of the current six-year window for filing a lawsuit under the Environmental Policy Act. Between 2013 and 2022, these lawsuits delayed projects an average of 4.2 years.

While opponents insist the bill would silence communities, Mr. Luse notes that NEPA already includes multiple public hearings and comment periods. Also, the vast majority of lawsuits are not filed by members of the people who live near the projects. According to the Breakthrough Institute, 72 percent of NEPA lawsuits over the past decade came from national nonprofits. Only 16 percent were filed by local communities. The SPEED Act does not shut out the public. It reins in well-funded groups that can afford to stall projects indefinitely.

Some Democrats claim the bill panders to fossil fuel companies, while some Republicans fear it will accelerate renewable projects. As Mr. Luse explains, NEPA bottlenecks have held back wind, solar and transmission lines as often as they have slowed oil and gas. That is why the original SPEED Act won support from green energy groups and traditional energy producers.

Permitting reform is overdue, and lawmakers claim to understand that endless red tape hurts economic growth and environmental progress alike. The SPEED Act is the strongest permitting reform proposal in years. The Senate should approve it.

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