Nevada

Texas, Oklahoma and Nevada make changes to lure business amid Delaware’s ‘Dexit’ concern – WTOP News

Published

6 months ago

June 24, 2025

Texas, Oklahoma and Nevada make changes to lure business amid Delaware’s ‘Dexit’ concern – WTOP News

CLAYMONT, Del. (AP) — Lawmakers in Texas, Oklahoma and Nevada have recently approved changes aimed at helping their states dip…

CLAYMONT, Del. (AP) — Lawmakers in Texas, Oklahoma and Nevada have recently approved changes aimed at helping their states dip into the lucrative side of corporate litigation that Delaware, with a specialized court and business-friendly laws, has dominated as the world’s incorporation capital.

Concerned that these changes may lure corporations away from Delaware, thereby causing the small state to lose millions in corporate franchise taxes, Delaware officials have responded with their own changes to solidify their status in the business world.

In Texas, which opened a business court last year, there was bipartisan support for legislation diminishing shareholder powers and giving businesses more legal protections against shareholder lawsuits. Nevada lawmakers approved a corporation-friendly update to its business laws, also with bipartisan support, and separately moved toward asking voters to consider changing the state constitution to create a dedicated business court with appointed judges.

Billionaire Elon Musk had advocated both states as better options for incorporation after a Delaware judge struck down his shareholder-approved $56 billion compensation package from Tesla. Musk’s businesses have also changed where they’re incorporated: Tesla and SpaceX relocated to Texas, while Neuralink moved to Nevada.

Oklahoma also took action to get in the mix, as the Republican-led Legislature sanctioned the creation of business courts in its two most populous counties, a move the governor said would help Oklahoma become the most business-friendly state.

“This is an area in which states, in many ways, are behaving like businesses,” said Robert Ahdieh, dean of the Texas A&M University School of Law. “Delaware is selling something. Texas is selling something that they hold out to be better. So it is very much a comparative exercise.”

Concerns about a ‘Dexit’

Since 2024, several billion-dollar companies including TripAdvisor and DropBox have relocated to Nevada. More than a dozen others, including the AMC theater chain and video game developer Roblox Corporation, have announced plans to incorporate there this year. Latin American e-commerce giant MercadoLibre filed a request for shareholders to approve a Texas relocation in April, citing Delaware’s “less predictable” decision-making process — a common thought among exiting companies.

Amid concerns about more companies reincorporating elsewhere in a so-called “Dexit,” Delaware passed its own legislation to help protect its status as the corporate capital, limiting shareholders’ access to records and increasing protections for leadership. Opposition dubbed it “the Billionaire’s Bill.”

“Ultimately, I think the damage is done because businesses successfully undermined shareholder rights in Delaware,” said Corey Frayer, director of investor protection at Consumer Federation of America, who argues that the Delaware bill was a rash acquiescence to “Dexit” concerns.

However, some business law experts, like Ahdieh, say the average shareholder is focused on increasing their returns and does not care about shareholder power or where the company is incorporated.

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer has vowed to win back companies that leave, arguing his state’s experience “beats going to Vegas and rolling the dice.”

Less predictability

Companies flock to Delaware for its well-respected Court of Chancery, a sophisticated and separate forum focusing on equity, corporate and business law. This incorporation machine generates $2.2 billion annually, about one-third of the state’s operating budget.

There is comfort in working in the familiarity of Delaware law, said Ahdieh, but that predictability has come into question in the last decade as corporate leaders grew unhappy over losing precedent-setting court decisions governing corporate conflicts of interest.

Widener University Commonwealth law school professor Christian Johnson acknowledged a shift in Delaware but said reincorporating elsewhere might be “a bit of an overreaction.” Although a few big-name companies have moved, there are still more than 2 million legal entities incorporated in Delaware, including two-thirds of the Fortune 500.

Statutes in Texas and Nevada may appear more flexible, but they have not been extensively tested, and their courts are not as experienced working with the larger entities that favor Delaware, Johnson said.

Protections in Texas

In May, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation providing greater securities for corporate officers and adding restrictions to shareholder records requests. The bill also allows corporations to require an ownership threshold, no more than 3% in outstanding shares, before a shareholder can initiate a derivative lawsuit, typically on behalf of the company and against its own board or directors.

Restrictions on who can initiate such lawsuits are not uncommon, but Texas’ implementation imposes a “far higher barrier than the norm,” Ahdieh said.

Consumer advocates worry the changes endanger shareholder and investor protections by giving owners and directors more protection against lawsuits that could hold them accountable if they violate their fiduciary duty.

For businesses, the changes mean potentially saving millions of dollars in shareholder lawsuit settlements and legal fees by mitigating the likelihood of those costly cases reaching court. For the states, attracting the companies means millions in business activity and revenue from regulatory filing and court case fees and taxes.

New courts

Eyeing a piece of that, Oklahoma is on pace to establish its recently approved business courts in 2026.

“I’m trying to take down Delaware,” said Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican. “We want to be the most business-friendly state.”

Nevada wants to compete, too. It has run business dockets in Washoe and Clark counties since 2001, and it’s in the state’s interest to expand operations considering its fast-growing economy and population, said Benjamin Edwards, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas law professor who studies business and securities law.

But he said it could take decades to build up a court comparable to Delaware, which has a valuable reputation for handling cases relatively quickly.

Nevada’s proposed business court wouldn’t take effect until 2028 at the earliest and would require amending the state constitution, which would need approval by the 2027 legislature and voter approval in 2028 to allow for the appointment of judges.

___

Associated Press reporter Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

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© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Nevada

Nevada ends non-conference slate with 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday

Published

4 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Nevada ends non-conference slate with 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday

Nevada will go into Mountain West Conference play in a four-game winning streak, but the fourth of those wins was not easy.

The Wolf Pack ended its non-conference slate with 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 7,238 fans at Lawlor Events Center.

In the final 90 seconds, Wolf Pack freshman Peyton White got a huge rebound, then hit two free throws to help the Pack go up by three

The Dukes got their first lead of the second half with 1 minute, 38 seconds left, 71-70.

Tayshawn Comer led the Pack with 16 points, White had 12 and Elijah Price had 10 points and nine rebounds as the Pack improved to 8-3.

Nevada’s Joel Armotrading and Corey Camper Jr. did not play as they are still dealing with injuries.

“We battled hard. It wasn’t our best game but we came through and got it done,” White said.

Tre Guinyard led the Dukes (6-5) with 21 points.

Nevada (8-3) opens conference play against Boise State on Saturday.

Top Takeaways

The Dukes tried to win it from the arc, going 11-33 from there, after knocking down their first two of the game.

The Pack shot 4-of-10 from the arc, and 25-of-56 from the field.

The Pack won it at the free throw line, making 24-of-32 from the line, while the Dukes hit 18-of-20 free throws.

The Pack entered the game leading the Mountain West in made free throws (20.1) and second in free throw attempts (27.1).

Duquesne held a 38-35 edge in rebounding.

Bench comes up big

The Wolf Pack got 37 points from its bench, to 20 for the Dukes, and Alford said that was a key to the win.

“There’s very few games I’ve had where your starters are all negative in points per minute and your bench is all positive,” he said. “It’s good that the starters get to see that. It’s good in learning to trust one another when you’re not playing well.”

He said the bench saved the game for the Pack, but that is a sign of the depth the team has.

Phenomenal Freshmen

Pack freshmen White and Myles Walker played substantial minutes, 23 for White and 13 for Walker. Walker scored five points, including two key free throws in the final minute.

“Myles and Peyton continue to make veteran plays,” Alford said. “That was a hotly contested game, down to the wire and you’ve got two freshmen going to the line in the last two trips and they go 4-for-4 at the line That’s big time.”

He said the pair has been consistent and they keep improving every game.

“Myles has given us a lift every time he comes in,” Alford said. “Those two give us energy.”

Walker said the Pack showed it can win even when things go wrong.

“It showed how tough this team is. Even at the end when things didn’t go right, we still found a way to win,” Walker said.

Half

Nevada led 42-35 at the break, after leading by as many as 15 earlier in the half.

The Wolf Pack shot 17-of-33 field goals and 2-of-6 from the arc along with 6-10 free throws in the first half

The Dukes shot 10-of-28 from the field; 7-18 from the arc and 8-of-10 free throws.

The Pack outscored the Dukes, 20-6, in the paint in the first half.

Up Next

Nevada opens Mountain West Conference play by hosting Boise State (7-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 20).

The Broncos play Saint Mary’s on Sunday (Dec 14).

Finals are over on Wednesday for the Pack players. Alford said they will take that day off from practice.

“That’s going to be a war on Saturday,” Alford said. “(Duquesne) is an A10 team (Atlantic 10 Conference). We’ve played some really good competition, so I’m very pleased with where we’re at 11 games in.”

Nevada’s Upcoming Schedule

Saturday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m. vs. Boise State (TV: KNSN, Ch, 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Dec. 30 at Colorado State (TV: MW Network, Ch, 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Jan. 3 at Fresno State
Tuesday, Jan. 6 vs. San Diego State
Saturday, Jan. 10 vs. Wyoming
Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Utah State
Saturday, Jan. 17 at Air Force
Tuesday, Jan. 20 vs. San Jose State
Saturday, Jan. 24 at New Mexico
Tuesday, Jan. 27 vs. Grand Canyon
Friday, Jan. 30 vs. UNLV
Tuesday, Feb. 3 at Boise State
Saturday, Feb. 7 vs. Fresno State
Saturday, Feb. 14 at San Diego State
Tuesday, Feb. 17 at San Jose State
Saturday, Feb. 21 vs. Utah State
Tuesday, Feb. 24 vs. New Mexico
Saturday, Feb. 28 at UNLV
Tuesday, Mar. 3 at Wyoming
Saturday, Mar. 7 vs. Air Force

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Nevada

2025 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada girls cross country team revealed

Published

16 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

2025 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada girls cross country team revealed

First team

Gigi Benoualid, Coronado — The senior finished seventh at the 5A Southern Region meet (19 minutes, 26.3 seconds) and was eighth at the 5A state meet (19:41).

Scarlett Cotrone, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished 11th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:52.4) and was ninth at the 5A state meet (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.

Ryen Hughes, Shadow Ridge — The junior finished fourth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:12.4) and was fifth at the 5A state meet (19:16).

Aislin McMahon, Sky Pointe — The junior finished second at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:54.8) and was second at the 5A state meet (19:00).

Brooke-Lynn Miller, Coronado — The senior won the 5A Southern Region individual title (18:40.8) and was seventh at the 5A state meet (19:19). She is committed to Cal Baptist.

Elynn Okuda, Shadow Ridge — The senior finished sixth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:16.1) and was third at state (19:11).

Lacy Tippetts, Sky Pointe — The junior finished third at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:58.2) and was 13th at the 5A state meet (19:57).

Sophia Weisz, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished fifth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:13.1) and was 10th at state (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.

Coach of the year

Jeff Edwards, Faith Lutheran — Guided the Crusaders to the Class 5A team state title, the program’s fifth overall and first since 2001.

Second team

Jenna Anderson, Faith Lutheran — The sophomore finished 24th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:34.6) and was 14th at the 5A state meet (19:57) to help the Crusaders win the team title.

Lola Borsh, Desert Oasis — The freshman finished 16th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:16.5) and was 26th at the 5A state meet (20:26).

Katherine Hodges, Sky Pointe — The junior finished 13th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:12.8) and was 23rd at the 5A state meet (20:18).

Lacy Mayes, Centennial — The sophomore finished eighth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:30.6) and was 19th at the 5A state meet (20:05).

Autumn McQuirter, Liberty — The sophomore finished 15th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.7) and was 12th at the 5A state meet (19:54).

Mia Musemici, Desert Oasis — The senior finished 10th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.8) and was 24th at the 5A state meet (20:23).

Belle Parrel, Centennial — The freshman finished ninth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.4) and was 17th at the 5A state meet (20:01).

Michelle Stana, Clark — The freshman won the 4A individual Desert League (21:19.9) and state (20:43.2) titles.

Mackenzie Teel, Sky Pointe — The senior finished 14th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.5) and was 37th at the 5A state meet (20:57).

Julia Vancura, Faith Lutheran — The senior finished 12th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:01.0) and was 21st at the 5A state meet (20:10).

Honorable mention

Mandi Abney, Shadow Ridge

Savannah Abney, Shadow Ridge

Emma Ansorge, Basic

Maleah Bennett, Centennial

Allison Blazi, Amplus Academy

Kensley Bleak, Lincoln County

Isabella Bustillos-Rivera, Desert Oasis

Ava Dupuis, Palo Verde

Isabelle Franks, Faith Lutheran

Leah Groppenbacher, Arbor View

MJ Gutierrez-Hess, Green Valley

Payton Howse, Clark

Sadie Ivins, Lincoln County

Madeline Labay, Bishop Gorman

Aubrei Lay, Sky Pointe

Selina Leipard, Clark

Ava Levy, Palo Verde

Stella Lin, Coronado

Mackenzie McClain, Sky Pointe

Adalyn Mosley, Foothill

Yalitzi Muro, Western

Elizabeth Neumann, Silverado

Julianna Ondrisko, Pahrump Valley

Sophie Romero, Pahrump Valley

Isabelle Searer, Liberty

Avery Stanton, Coronado

Eliott Stepanek, Faith Lutheran

Amira Turner, Centennial

Isla Ulmer, Coronado

Olivia Wheeler, Sky Pointe

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.

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Nevada

Justice Dept. sues Nevada over voter rolls

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Justice Dept. sues Nevada over voter rolls

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Justice Department on Friday sued Nevada and three other states, claiming they’d failed to provide requested voter roll information.

Nevada officials, however, said the federal government hasn’t answered basic questions about how the information would be kept secure and questioned why officials wanted the data.

WATCH | What to know about the lawsuit

Justice Dept. sues Nevada over voter rolls

The 10-page lawsuit, filed in federal District Court in Nevada, says the government is seeking the information to enforce the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Act.

It says the Justice Department asked the state on June 25 for information including a copy of its computerized statewide voter registration list. It said the information could be sent via encrypted email or by using the department’s secure file-sharing system.

The state immediately replied, sending a copy of the voter registration list, including names, addresses and birthdates, but not drivers license information or the last four digits of Social Security numbers.

The department responded on Aug. 14, again asking for the full database and adding “the purpose of the request is to ascertain Nevada’s compliance with the list maintenance requirements of” federal election laws.

The state, according to the lawsuit, wrote back to say the federal government had no basis for the request and claimed it was concerned about privacy of voter data.

The lawsuit asks the court to declare Nevada’s refusal to provide the entire database unlawful, and order the state to turn it over.

In response, Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said in a statement Friday that the state’s concerns have gone unaddressed.

“The Department of Justice is making sweeping demands of states to hand over private voter data. Despite our simple requests for information on how they’re going to keep this data secure, they’ve given us no clear answers,” Aguilar said in the statement. “It’s my duty to follow Nevada law and protect the best interests of Nevadans, which includes protecting their sensitive information and access to the ballot.

“While these requests may seem like normal oversight, the federal government is using its power to try to intimidate states and influence how states administer elections ahead of the 2026 cycle. The Constitution makes it clear: elections are run by the states. Nevada will continue to run safe, secure and accessible elections and I’ll always stand up for the rights of our voters.”

In an interview on Friday, Nevada’s senior U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto questioned the motives of the Justice Department.

KTNV

“You’ve got to question why DOJ is asking for this information and why they’re pushing for this information,” she said. “Is it really to protect voting rights across this country, or is there some other nefarious purpose?”

Added Cortez Masto: “What I have seen is a focus on immigration, right? And their idea of purging all undocumented individuals from this country, including DREAMers, including those that are married to U.S. citizens, including those that are not violent criminals. We have seen that they are continuing down this path, and they are trying to figure out how to gather as much data as they can to use it against individuals in this country.”

President Donald Trump has falsely asserted that he won the 2020 election, nationwide and in Nevada, where Joe Biden defeated Trump by 2.39 percentage points or 33,596 votes statewide.

Six Republican electors were later indicted for sending false Electoral College certificates to Washington, D.C., part of a nationwide plot to keep Trump in office. The case was challenged on a technical issue, but the Nevada Supreme Court upheld the charges, and a trial is expected in the new year.

An email seeking comment from the attorney general’s office — which will defend Nevada in court — was not immediately returned Friday.

Do you have a question about politics in Nevada? Ask Steve Sebelius by emailing Steve.Sebelius@ktnv.com.