Democrats fared much better than Republicans when it comes to voting on bills that affect minority communities in Nevada, a new report card issued by the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada has found.
The report card, a collaborative effort between PLAN and the Applied Research Center, ranked 15 bills with an eye toward their impact on minority communities in Nevada. It’s being released at a news conference this morning at the Nevada Press Association headquarters in Carson City.
Democrats in the Assembly generally received scores of between 90 percent and 96 percent, with Assemblyman Jason Frierson, D-Las Vegas, ranking highest at 96 percent. Republicans typically scored 42 percent or less. Assemblyman Ed Goedhart, R-Amargosa Valley, scored a 58 percent, although his district was one of three in which minority residents comprise less than 20 percent of the population. Assemblyman Cresent Hardy, R-Mesquite, with 21.9 percent minorities in his district, was ranked lowest with a score of 12 percent.
In the state Senate, Democrats posted scores of between 84 percent and 96 percent, with state Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, scoring highest. Republicans scored 48 percent or lower. State Sens. Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno, and Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, were highest with scores of 48 percent each, while state Sen. Don Gustavson, R-Sparks, was lowest, at 24 percent.
Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval — who vetoed seven of the 15 bills ranked by PLAN — earned a score of 53 percent. He came in for especially harsh criticism for his veto of AB 137, which would have provided school breakfasts and made Nevada eligible for $43 million in federal funds to pay for the program. “In a state that ranks 53rd in access to breakfast for poor children and is the sixth worst in the nation for hungry kids, Governor Sandoval’s veto of a bill to help feed hungry school pupils at no cost to the state can only be described as cruel, callous and inhumane,” the report card concludes.
Other bills ranked by PLAN include:
- AB 224, which created the state Office of Parental Involvement and Family Engagement within the state Department of Education.
- AB 456, which would have allowed students who didn’t receive passing scores on state proficiency tests to receive diplomas anyway. Although it passed the Legislature, it was vetoed by Sandoval.
- AB 211, which prohibits discrimination in the workplace based on gender identity.
- AB 300, which would have expanded the rights of homeowners in foreclosure mediation proceedings. It passed the Legislature but was vetoed by the governor.
- SB 440, which created the state-based insurance exchange pursuant to the federal health-care reform law.
- AB 309, which would have created a consumer advocate in the state Insurance Division. It passed the Legislature but was vetoed by the governor.
- AB 136, which would have given felons not convicted of serious crimes more credit toward serving their sentences. It passed the Legislature but was vetoed by the governor.
- AB 301, which would have allowed any ex-felon to apply for restoration of their civil rights, including voting. It passed the Legislature but was vetoed by the governor.
- SB 331 and SB 368, anti-discrimination bills that expand covered groups to include transgender people.
You can read the entire report card for yourself here: PLAN-RacialEquityReportCard.
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