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In case you missed it…

| March 9, 2019

2019 Legislative Session

Next week is going to be an extremely busy week for Nevada’s 80th Legislative Session. You can expect many bills to be introduced, as lawmakers face a deadline to get their priorities heard. Once again, we’ve added a few things to our Online Bill Tracker that every Nevadan should be watching. Click here, and keep up to date!

Collective bargaining

The Nevada legislature will soon be considering a bill to allow state government employees the ability to collectively bargain. Despite the fact that such a policy will increase state spending by roughly $500 million annually, there appears little doubt the bill will ultimately pass. The justification used by the bill’s proponents is that state workers are currently underpaid. Unsurprising (and right on time) the union-affiliated Economic Policy Institute has produced research arguing precisely that point. However, as AEI Scholar Andrew Biggs points out, that research is fundamentally flawed. (Read more)

Transparency

Next week is Sunshine Week — a week dedicated to the concept of transparency in government. Despite the bipartisan appeal of increased government transparency, Nevada lawmakers are currently weighing a proposal to shroud the activity of Nevada’s Public Employee Retirement System in a veil of secrecy. Senator Julia Ratti has proposed a bill — which was heard by committee last Friday — that would make secret the names PERS beneficiaries. (Read more/ watch the news report) Nevada Policy testified against the bill, explaining that making names public is not only common practice in a number of states, but it is also vital to protecting against fraud, corruption and abuse. (Read Nevada Policy’s testimony here)

Tax and fiscal policy

Higher taxes don’t always translate into more revenue for government coffers. New York state is currently learning this lesson the hard way, as high-income earners flee the state for low-tax alternative locations. (Read more here) Further proving this point are the tax cuts passed on the national level and signed into law by President Trump. Despite lower rates, federal coffers were actually able to collect more revenue last year, thanks to the economic growth those lower rates encouraged. (Of course, the federal government remains spend-happy, resulting in ever larger deficits. Read more here.) The good news for Nevada is that our tax burden is still relatively low — especially compared to our western neighbor. However, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. (Read more)

Free markets

A certain element in America’s political class has always excelled at bribing a chunk of the public with other people’s money. Nevertheless, behind the continuous clouds of rhetorical smoke, the practice remains nothing but plunder — taking money from private earners so that politicians can hand it out in whatever way they deem most advantageous to themselves. Now, a new crop of American voters are loudly demanding even more plunder and bribery. As Walter Williams writes, “We enthusiastically demand that the U.S. Congress forcibly use one American to serve the purposes of another.” (Read more)

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John Tsarpalas is the President of the Nevada Policy, and is deeply committed to spreading limited government ideas and policy to create a better, more prosperous Nevada for all. For over three decades, John has educated others in the ideals and benefits of limited government. In the 1980s, John joined the Illinois Libertarian Party and served on its State Central Committee. Later in the 90s, he transitioned to the Republican Party, and became active in the Steve Forbes for President Campaign and flat taxes. In 2005, he was recruited to become the Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party where he graduated from the Republican National Committee’s Campaign College, the RNC’s Field Management School, and the Leadership Institute’s activist training. Additionally, John has served as President of the Sam Adams Alliance and Team Sam where he did issue education and advocacy work in over 10 states, with a focus on the web. John also founded or helped start the following educational not-for-profits: Think Freely Media, the Haym Salomon Center – where he served as Chairman, the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity and Midwest Speaking Professionals. A native of Chicago, John now lives in Las Vegas with his wife of more than 40 years.

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