Nevada

Records Reveal How ‘Bidenbucks’ Could Affect Battleground Nevada

Published

3 months ago

June 20, 2024

Records Reveal How ‘Bidenbucks’ Could Affect Battleground Nevada

At least four federal agencies likely will be involved in helping to mobilize voters in Nevada, based on President Joe Biden’s executive order on elections, which some critics call “Bidenbucks.”

Through a public records request, The Daily Signal obtained copies of letters from Nevada Secretary of State Francisco V. Aguilar to federal agencies regarding implementation of Biden’s executive order.

Executive Order 14019, which Biden signed in March 2021, directs every federal agency to be active in boosting voter participation and to partner with nonprofit organizations in doing so.

Previous records obtained by The Daily Signal as well as watchdog groups show these private actors partnering with agencies or communicating with Biden White House officials on the order.

These actors include left-leaning groups such as Demos and the American Civil Liberties Union, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Southern Poverty Law Center, billionaire financier George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, and Fair Fight Action, founded by Stacey Abrams, who lost twice as the Democrat nominee for Georgia governor.

On Oct. 27, Francisco Aguilar, a Democrat elected as Nevada’s secretary of state in 2022, wrote top officials in the federal Labor, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs departments, as well as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a subagency in the Department of Homeland Security.

Aguilar’s request was for each federal agency to act as a voter registration agency in Nevada, which, he writes, is pursuant to Biden’s executive order.

“Your partnership in this designation will greatly benefit Nevada’s voters by distributing voter registration applications, assisting with qualified voter registrations, and ensuring completed applications are transmitted to County Clerks/Registrars,” his letter to each of the four agencies says.

Aguilar’s letter also cites Section 7 of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act. The section requires that states offer voter registration opportunities at certain state and local offices, including public assistance and disability offices.

That section of the U.S. statute known as the “motor voter law” also says that “states may designate as voter-registration agencies nongovernmental offices (such as private colleges) or federal government offices,” according to the Justice Department.

In his letter to Labor Secretary Julie Su, Aguilar specifically asks the department to designate its American Job Centers. Those centers were established in 2014 to offer training referrals, career counseling, job listings, and other employment-related services.

A spokesperson for Aguilar did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment before publication time.

The White House previously announced that the Labor Department would encourage states to designate the more than 2,400 American Job Centers as voter registration locations.

A subagency at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Community Living, announced it would create a “voting access hub” to connect with older adults and those with disabilities who want to vote.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced it would provide materials and assistance in both registering and voting for tens of thousands of inpatients and residents, including inpatients at VA medical centers.

“We are exploring the opportunity to become an NVRA-designated agency in Nevada,” Veterans Affairs spokesperson Susan Carter told The Daily Signal, referring to the National Voter Registration Act.

“Currently, VA only has three pilot NVRA designated agencies in the state of Michigan,” she said.

Spokespersons for the other three federal agencies involved did not immediately respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment on this report.

The House Administration Committee, which has oversight of elections, earlier subpoenaed 15 members of Biden’s Cabinet regarding the implementation of the president’s executive order.

Republicans object to Biden’s order, noting it could prompt federal employees to violate the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits partisan political activity using government time or resources, as well as the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from spending public money on matters not authorized by Congress.

Biden administration officials have argued that the president’s order is about promoting voter accessibility and ensuring that voting is easier for Americans.

The House Committee on Small Business has investigated the Small Business Administration’s efforts to register voters, holding a hearing June 5. In March, SBA announced a memorandum of understanding with the Michigan Department of State, the chief election agency for the battleground state, to facilitate voter registration efforts ahead of the election cycle this year.

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Nevada

45 from Nevada deploying to help in Hurricane Helene aftermath

Published

33 mins ago

September 28, 2024

Press Room

45 from Nevada deploying to help in Hurricane Helene aftermath

About 45 Southern Nevadans are headed to assist with recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Nevada Task Force-1 is one of 28 Federal Emergency Management Administration teams that have been activated to assist efforts in the storm area. The team left Las Vegas about noon Friday.

At least 40 people were killed overnight after Helene came ashore late Thursday east of Tallahassee, Florida, and ripped through several states.

“Currently they have been assigned to report to Atlanta, but this can change,” Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Billy Samuels said in an email. “The anticipated travel time is approximately 30 hours. Typically, these missions are for 14 days, but can be shorter or longer depending upon the need of the communities and the incident.”

The capabilities of the team consists of search, recovery, rescue, heavy rigging, water operations, rescue K-9s, intelligence gathering and whatever else the community needs, Samuels said.

Team members come from the Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Fire Department, North Las Vegas Fire Department, Boulder City Fire Department, and Henderson Fire Department, but the team also includes private civilians.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Nevada

Southern Nevada team heading to Atlanta for hurricane response

Published

10 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Press Room

Southern Nevada team heading to Atlanta for hurricane response

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Friday, Nevada Task Force One was notified of possible deployment to assist in Hurricane Helene.

Program Manager Kenyon Leavitt received an alert notification around 3 a.m. Around 8 a.m., it was upgraded to a Type III activation. According to Clark County, that consists of 45 personnel.

Friday, Nevada Task Force One was notified of possible deployment to assist in Hurricane Helene.(Clark County)

NV-TF1 is one of 28 FEMA teams. It includes personnel from the Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, North Las Vegas Fire Department, Boulder City Fire Department, Henderson Fire Department, and private civilians.

The county says they are headed to Atlanta. It will take the team about 30 hours to travel and the mission could last for 14 days.

The capabilities of this team consist of: Search, Recovery, Rescue, Heavy Rigging, Water Operations, Rescue K’9s, Intelligence Gathering, etc., and whatever else the community needs.

“We would like to thank all the supporting members on helping get this team out the door,” Clark County says. “We will periodically update Southern Nevada with how their efforts are going.”

Southern Nevada’s Red Cross team is also deploying two volunteers to Hurricane Helene.

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Nevada

In August, Nevada sportsbooks generated $25 million in sports betting revenue, a YoY increase

Published

18 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Press Room

In August, Nevada sportsbooks generated million in sports betting revenue, a YoY increase

On Thursday, the Nevada Gaming Commission reported $25 million in sports betting revenue. That was a notable year-over-year increase for operators in the state. Compared to their numbers from August 2023, the revenue was up 38.2%. That comfortably outpaced a 5.8% rise in the handle to $455.8 million.

Revenue was down 3% from their figures in July despite a 21.3% upswing in their betting handle. In August, the $4.86 billion handle was down 3.9% compared to their figures in the first eight months of 2023. However, the $289.9 million is up 15.5%. Their 6.4% hold in 2024 is over one percentage point higher. Nevada’s year-to-date totals for state taxes are $19.6 million, roughly $2.6 million ahead of their pace last year.

Where did Nevada sportsbooks see the most wagers in August?

August has Week 0 of college football, NFL pre-season, MLB, and other various sporting events to bet on. While it’s not as busy as the fall, Nevada still saw increased revenue last month. Operators collected more than $8.7 million in revenue in August from football. That was a 72.9% increase from their figures in 2023. Additionally, Nevada’s $84.6 million handle was up 62.2% last year. That also beat their previous record of $72.3 million in August 2019.

The “catch-all” category took a jump in revenue for August 2024. This includes golf, tennis, soccer, boxing, MMA, and auto racing. Nevada sportsbooks collected $7.6 million in revenue, a 64% YoY increase. Their betting handle from the “catch-all” category in August was $112.3 million.

This helped Nevada sportsbooks offset a negative shift in baseball wagering last month. Their revenue for baseball in August was 1.8% higher at $9.7 million. However, the betting action from April – August has decreased compared to 2023. Nevada’s $1.14 billion handle in that fourth-month span is down 15.4% YoY. Their $$61.5 million in revenue is also 10% lower.

How did mobile sportsbooks fare in Nevada?

Despite $14.8 million in revenue from mobile sportsbooks in August, Nevada’s 4.7% hold on $313 million worth of wagers is their lowest in 2024. Digital wagering accounted for 61.4% of the total revenue. That is on pace to be the highest percentage since the NCGB first published those figures in 2020. Retail sportsbooks had a 7.1% win rate in August, enough for $10.2 million in wagers from $142.8 million in wagers.

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