Please note that as of March 1, our weekly legislative updates will become an exclusive benefit of Guinn Center membership. Visit here to learn more about our membership options. The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities reports weekly on the 80th Session of the Nevada Legislature, summarizing major legislative developments from the previous week and discussing the… Read more
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Guinn Center Follows the 80th Legislative Session
Introduction The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will be publishing regularly a “Legislative Update” to help inform residents of Nevada about activities and actions during the 2019 80th session of the Nevada Legislature. In our nonpartisan manner, we will (1) summarize committee hearings and actions and recap floor actions in both houses; (2) provide an… Read more
A Peek Behind the K-12 Education Finance Curtain
by Kenneth J. Retzl, Ph.D. Once the upcoming legislative session is over, we may look back on the month of January 2019 as predictive of the future of K-12 education funding in Nevada. On Tuesday, January 8th, Communities in Schools hosted an Education Summit that included a major education finance revelation: the legislature is considering… Read more
Education in Nevada Post-Election: Staying the Course
By Guinn Center staff Last night, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak gave his first State of the State address before legislators, his cabinet members, other elected officials, his family, friends, and supporters. His plan did not portend a dramatic shift in policy – something akin to A Bold New Day in Nevada. Rather, his vision, anchored… Read more
The December 2018 Economic Forum: General Fund Estimates for the 2019-2021 Biennium
by Meredith A. Levine See here for PDF of the blog: Guinn Center Economic Forum Dec 2018 The release of the Economic Forum’s “Forecast of Future State Revenues” in December of even-numbered years marks an important date on Nevada’s fiscal calendar. This official forecast contains projections for the unrestricted revenue portion of the General Fund, which… Read more
Data Usage in Classrooms: Everywhere and Nowhere
By Kenneth J. Retzl, PhD and Teach Plus Nevada Teaching Policy Fellows The education community is facing a data revolution of sorts. Schools, districts, and states are stressing the importance of data through phrases like “data-driven decision-making” or “data-driven instruction.” To better streamline and standardize across school districts and states, data following a student from… Read more
The November 2018 Economic Forum: Outlook for Nevada
by Meredith A. Levine The Economic Forum is a state-mandated panel that convenes periodically to submit revenue projections for the General Fund—Nevada’s major operating fund—to the Governor and the Legislature. It is a five-member committee drawn from the private sector, with three members selected by the Governor and one nominated by each the Assembly and… Read more
Midterm Maxim: Medicaid Matters
by Guinn Center staff Medicaid is the nation’s largest provider of health care coverage, covering more than 73 million Americans and accounting for nearly 16 percent of national health care spending. Medicaid expansion, one of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) primary coverage initiatives, provides Medicaid coverage to adults between the ages of 19-64 years old… Read more
Recapping the 2018 General Election Ballot Initiatives in Nevada
by Meredith A. Levine At the November 2018 General Election, Nevadans considered six statewide ballot measures for approval. Five of the six statewide ballot initiatives passed by a majority of registered voters. The sixth, Question 3: The Energy Choice Initiative, was not approved. Residents of some counties also voted on local ballot measures, including those… Read more
Graduation Rates in Nevada – The Devil in the (Unknown) Details
by Kenneth J. Retzl Our research team often receives questions regarding the graduation rates of schools, districts, and the State of Nevada. A previous blog discussed the potential cause of the recent increase in graduation rates observed in several Nevada school districts. However, a recent discovery left us puzzled. The Clark County School District (CCSD)… Read more