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The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to announce that Executive Director of the Charter School Association of Nevada Mr. Pat Hickey has joined the organization’s Board of Directors. The former state assemblyman and member of the Nevada State Board of Education will be assisting the Guinn Center as it prepares for the 79th Session of the Nevada Legislature. “We’re thrilled to have Pat Hickey join our team. His reputation as a balanced and fair thinker, and his understanding of the legislative process, both as a participant and as an observer, will help our team more effectively share our research during the session,” Phil Satre, Board Chair, stated.

Following his retirement from the State Board of Education this month, Mr. Hickey was hired as the executive director of the Charter School Association of Nevada. Additionally, he will be teaching two political science courses, one at Truckee Meadows Community College and the other at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Mr. Hickey is a fourth-generation native Nevadan from a pioneer family in Lake Tahoe. Besides being a successful businessman, he has worked as a journalist and editor for various Nevada news outlets covering the Legislature and Nevada politics. He was elected to the Nevada Legislature in 1997, and was the original Assembly sponsor of enabling Charter School legislation during the 1998 Session. He subsequently was elected by his peers as Assembly Minority Leader, where he championed educational reforms, greater accountability, and increased education funding for Nevada schools. In the 2015 Legislative Session, Assemblyman Hickey chaired the Ways & Means Subcommittee on K-12 and Higher Education Funding, which approved additional enhancements for charter schools in the Silver State. Upon his retirement from the Legislature, Governor Brian Sandoval appointed Mr. Hickey to the Nevada State Board of Education, where he served until January 2017.

Mr. Hickey holds a B.S. in sociology from the State University of New York at Albany, and has a master’s in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. In addition to teaching at Truckee Meadows Community College, he has worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Reno and Western Nevada College.

Fall 2016 is off to a busy start at the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities.  We’ve recently published a series of Fact Sheets on the ballot initiatives for the General Election in Nevada. Check out our calendar of events  to find out when and where we’ll be speaking about these and other issues, including the final education forums for candidates for Nevada’s education boards.

The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, with the William S. Boyd School of Law, is partnering with the University of Nevada, Reno Joe Crowley Student Union to present several of the Guinn Center’s Fact Sheets on state and county ballot initiatives at a public forum on Wednesday, October 12, 2016. The event will be held from 6:00–8:00pm at the Joe Crowley Student Union Theatre at the University of Nevada, Reno (1664 N Virginia St, Reno, 89503).

The Guinn Center staff will make presentations on the following ballot initiatives:

1. The Background Check Initiative, which would require an unlicensed person who wishes to sell or transfer a firearm to another person conduct the transfer through a licensed gun dealer who runs a background check on the potential buyer or transferee.

2. The Initiative to Tax and Regulate Marijuana, which would regulate and tax the cultivation and sale of recreational marijuana in Nevada in a manner similar to alcohol.

3. The Energy Choice Initiative, which would prohibit a legal monopoly for electric utility generation and would give Nevada electric utility customers the right to choose their service provider from an open retail market.

4. Washoe County Question 1, which asks Washoe County voters whether to authorize a sales and use tax of 0.54 percent in the county to fund only capital projects in Washoe County School District for the acquisition, construction, repair, and renovation of school facilities.

Free parking for the event will be provided on the top floor of the West Stadium Parking Garage. These presentations are a part of the William S. Boyd School of Law’s Voter Education Program 2016 (VEP). In addition to the Fact Sheet presentation, the Guinn Center is also co-sponsoring a social media video contest for students enrolled in Nevada high schools and the Nevada System of Higher Education.

The Guinn Center does not have an official position on the ballot initiatives. The Guinn Center Fact Sheets are designed to provide a summary of the initiative as it is written, a history of the related legislation, a summary of the arguments that support and oppose the measure, and the possible implications should it pass into law.

Las Vegas – The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will present several of its Fact Sheets on the various questions on Nevada’s 2016 General Election Ballot at forums hosted by the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Joe Crowley Student Union at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The events will take place as follows:

• Wednesday, September 14, 2016, 1:00–3:00pm: Gun Forum: – Ballot Initiative Forum at the William S. Boyd School of Law (998 E Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, 89119), featuring a presentation on the Guinn Center’s Fact Sheet Question 1: The Background Check Initiative.
• Wednesday, September 21, 2016, 1:00–3:00pm: Marijuana Legalization: Ballot Initiative Forum at the William S. Boyd School of Law (998 E Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, 89119), featuring a presentation on the Guinn Center’s Fact Sheet Question 2: Initiative to Regulate and Tax Marijuana.
• Wednesday, September 28, 2016, 1:00–3:00pm: Energy Market Amendment: Ballot Initiative Forum at the William S. Boyd School of Law, (998 E Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, 89119), featuring a presentation on the Guinn Center’s Fact Sheets on Question 3: Energy Choice Initiative and Clark County Question 5: Fuel Revenue Indexing.
• Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 6:00–8:00pm: Ballot Initiative Forum at the Joe Crowley Student Union Theatre at the University of Nevada, Reno (1664 N Virginia St, Reno, 89503) featuring a presentation on the Guinn Center’s Fact Sheets on the Statewide Ballot Initiative Questions and Washoe County School District Capital Projects Funding. (Parking at this event is free.)

These presentations are a part of the William S. Boyd School of Law’s Voter Education Program 2016 (VEP). In addition to the Fact Sheet presentation, the Guinn Center is also co-sponsoring a social media video contest for students enrolled in Nevada high schools and the Nevada System of Higher Education.

The Guinn Center does not have an official position on the ballot initiatives. The Guinn Center Fact Sheets are designed to provide a summary of the initiative as it is written, a history of the related legislation, a summary of the arguments that support and oppose the measure, and the possible implications should it pass into law.

For more information on the fact sheets or to read them in full, visit the Guinn Center’s Policy Reports page.

Las Vegas, NV – The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Prioritieswill host a public forum for candidates seeking positions on Nevada’s education boards: the Clark County School District Board of Trustees, the Nevada State Board of Education, and the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

In 2015, Nevada’s political leaders passed legislation that invested over $400 million per year into Nevada’s education system. In order to ensure Nevada’s taxpayers would receive a positive return on investment from these reforms, the Legislature included stronger measures of accountability in many of the education bills.

The quality of governance of these State and local education boards can also impact the return on investment of these new programs. The Guinn Center is partnering with Switch to host this candidate forum to raise awareness about the roles and responsibilities of these positions and the individuals seeking these positions.

The event will take place as on Wednesday, October 5th from 6:00 to 7:30p.m. at the InNEVation Center (6795 S. Edmond St., Las Vegas, 89118).

Reno, NV – The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will host a public forum for candidates seeking positions on Nevada’s education boards: the  Washoe County School Boards of Trustees, the Nevada State Board of Education, and the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

In 2015, Nevada’s political leaders passed legislation that invested over $400 million per year into Nevada’s education system. In order to ensure Nevada’s taxpayers would receive a positive return on investment from these reforms, the Legislature included stronger measures of accountability in many of the education bills.

The quality of governance of these State and local education boards can also impact the return on investment of these new programs. The Guinn Center is hosting this series of candidate forums to raise awareness about the roles and responsibilities of these positions and the individuals seeking these positions.

The events will take place on Tuesday, October 4th, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., Nevada Discovery Museum (490 S. Center Street, Reno, 89501).

Elko, NV – The Kenny S. Guinn Center for Policy Priorities and the Elko Area Chamber of Commerce will co-host a luncheon to present fact sheets on the four statewide questions on Nevada’s 2016 General Election Ballot at the Elko Convention Center (700 Moren Way, Elko, Nevada, 89801) on Monday, October 3, 2016 from 12:00p.m. to 1:30p.m.

The four fact sheets each address one of the following questions:

1. The Background Check Initiative, which would require an unlicensed person who wishes to sell or transfer a firearm to another person conduct the transfer through a licensed gun dealer who runs a background check on the potential buyer or transferee.

2. The Initiative to Tax and Regulate Marijuana, which would regulate and tax the cultivation and sale of recreational marijuana in Nevada in a manner similar to alcohol.

3. The Energy Choice Initiative, which would prohibit a legal monopoly for electric utility generation and would give Nevada electric utility customers the right to choose their service provider from an open retail market.

4. The Medical Patient Tax Relief Act, which would provide a sales and use tax exemption across the state for durable medical equipment, oxygen delivery equipment and mobility enhancing equipment prescribed for human use by a licensed healthcare provider.

Each of these fact sheets is designed to provide a summary of the initiative as it is written, a history of the related legislation, a summary of the comments that support and oppose the law, a status report on how other states and the federal government address the issue. They conclude with several policy considerations for stakeholders.

The Guinn Center does not have an official position on the ballot initiative. Rather, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the initiative, the possible implications should it pass into law and provide a nonpartisan fact sheet to inform voters and elected officials about the initiatives. For more information on the fact sheets or to read them in full, visit the Guinn Center’s website.

The luncheon is open to the public. Food and drinks will be provided. To RSVP, contact Megan Rauch at the Guinn Center.

Las Vegas – On Friday, September 23, 2016, The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will co-host a half-day data workshop aimed at providing hands-on learning related to data practices for nonprofits.  The event will take place at the inNEVation Center from 8:00 a.m. until noon and is co-hosted by the Young Nonprofit Professionals of Southern Nevada (YNPN) and UNLV’s Nonprofit, Community, and Leadership Initiative (NCLI).

Earlier this year, the Guinn Center hosted another workshop for nonprofits, during which participants completed an informal survey that asked about how effectively their organizations used data to advocate and raise awareness about the needs they are addressing. Many participants said that finding and using data, as well as tracking their own data, often hinder efforts by their organizations to apply for government and private grants. Approximately 65 percent of survey respondents said that their nonprofits did not know where to find relevant, current data to use in grant applications. Similarly, 65 percent of survey respondents said that their organizations do not use comprehensive data to inform the scope and delivery of services. The September 23^rd event will address many of these needs.

Participants are asked to bring a laptop in order to take full advantage of the hands-on learning activities. To RSVP, contact Megan Rauch at the Guinn Center or Lola Brooks at YNPN.

Las Vegas – The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will present several of its Fact Sheets on the four statewide questions on Nevada’s 2016 General Election Ballot at the Regular Meeting of the White Pine County School District Board of Trustees (135 Avenue C, Ely, Nevada 89301) on Monday, September 20, 2016.

The four statewide ballot questions address the following questions:

1. The Background Check Initiative, which would require an unlicensed person who wishes to sell or transfer a firearm to another person conduct the transfer through a licensed gun dealer who runs a background check on the potential buyer or transferee.

2. The Initiative to Tax and Regulate Marijuana, which would regulate and tax the cultivation and sale of recreational marijuana in Nevada in a manner similar to alcohol.

3. The Energy Choice Initiative, which would prohibit a legal monopoly for electric utility generation and would give Nevada electric utility customers the right to choose their service provider from an open retail market.

4. The Medical Patient Tax Relief Act, which would provide a sales and use tax exemption across the state for durable medical equipment, oxygen delivery equipment and mobility enhancing equipment prescribed for human use by a licensed healthcare provider.

The Guinn Center does not have an official position on the ballot initiatives. The Guinn Center Fact Sheets are designed to provide a summary of the initiative as it is written, a history of the related legislation, a summary of the arguments that support and oppose the measure, the possible implications should it pass into law , and a status report on how other states and the Federal government address the issue.

For more information on the fact sheets or to read them in full, visit the Guinn Center’s website.

LAS VEGAS, NV — Guinn Center for Policy Priorities Director of Social Policy Erika R. Marquez, Ph.D. has been appointed to the Regional Health Equity Council (RHEC) for the Pacific and Southwest. The council is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health’s National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities, and its mission is to increase the effectiveness of programs that target the elimination of health disparities through the coordination of partners, leaders and stakeholders.

The Pacific and Southwest Regional Council’s three priority areas are: community health workers, environmental scan and health information technology. Dr. Marquez has conducted extensive research on the built environment, the impacts of substandard housing, social determinants of health, healthcare infrastructure, health access and ways to approach public health policy and programs utilizing systematic approaches, including Health Impact Assessments. She was was instrumental in transitioning the Clark County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program into an integrated Healthy Homes approach through the development of the Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership, which subsequently received multiple years of federal funding to improve the quality of housing in Clark County.

In May 2016, Governor Brian Sandoval appointed Dr. Marquez to the Board of Registered Environmental Health Specialists. She also sits on the Clark County Department of Social Services Citizens Advisory Committee.

Dr. Marquez received Bachelor of Science degree from San Francisco State University, and earned her Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and her Ph.D. in Public Health with a focus in Social Behavioral Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She served as the Project Manager for several Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-funded grants. Dr. Marquez has also served on various committees, including the National Center for Healthy Housing Coalition, the Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership, the Clark County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and the National Council of La Raza – Affordable Care Act Health Summit.

LAS VEGAS – The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities released its First Fact sheet on the various ballot initiatives that voters will consider this November. This Fact Sheet discusses the Medical Patient Tax Relief Act, which is an initiative to amend the Nevada Constitution to provide sales and use tax exemptions for individuals requiring certain medical, oxygen delivery and mobility-enhancing equipment. Currently, the state exempts prosthetic devices from sales and use tax, and the proposed amendment would expand exemptions to include items such as: oxygen tanks and concentrators, ventilators, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, nebulizers, drug infusion devices, feeding pumps, infant apnea monitors, hospital beds, bath and shower aids, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and crutches.

The measure, which is sponsored by the political action committee the Alliance to Stop Taxes on the Sick and Dying, aims to provide relief to patients who require these devices, many of whom are elderly or disabled. Nevada is one of the few states belonging to the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA) that does not currently provide sales tax exemptions for such equipment. Should the measure pass, the equipment would not only be exempt from the statewide 8.85 percent sales tax, but it would also be exempt from the additional local sales and use taxes levied in 13 of Nevada’s 17 counties.

The Guinn Center’s full Fact Sheet on the Medical Patient Tax Relief Act can be found online, along with an accompanying podcast and infographic. This is the first in a series of Fact Sheets the organization will publish before the 2016 General Election in November. The other Fact Sheets discuss the other ballot initiative questions: Background Check Initiative, Initiative to Tax and Regulate Marijuana, Energy Choice Initiative, Fuel Revenue Index, and Washoe County 1-Sales Tax.

Each of these fact sheets is designed to provide a summary of the initiative, a history of the related legislation, a summary of arguments for and against the initiative, and a discussion of potential impacts.

The Guinn Center does not take an official position on the ballot initiative. Rather, the purpose of this Fact Sheet is to discuss the initiative and provide an independent analysis of the facts to inform voters and elected officials about the initiatives. For more information on the fact sheets or to read them in full, visit the Guinn Center’s website. In 2014, the Guinn Center published Fact Sheets on The Education Initiative and Question 2: An Amendment to the Nevada Constitution.

LAS VEGAS, NV — Education is one of the biggest expenditures in Nevada’s budget. In Fiscal Year 2015, Nevada spent approximately $4.1 billion on education, almost 80 percent of which was for salaries and benefits. In 2012-2013, the average inflation-adjusted salary for Nevada’s teachers was $55,957, the 18^th highest in the country. After adjusting for cost of living differences, Clark County School District’s starting salary for new teachers of $40,000 makes it the 6^th highest starting salary for new teachers in the country.

Education costs in Nevada have been trending upward for a number of reasons. First, the traditional salary schedule generally increases compensation for teachers as they gain more experience and additional education, regardless of student achievement.

A number of institutional features unique to Nevada also make it difficult to contain costs, including the Nevada’s K-12 funding formula, known as the “Nevada Plan.” To build the State’s biennial budget for education, the estimated financial “need” of K-12 public schools is calculated using historical expenditures, without taking into account market conditions or the true costs of educating students. Additionally, managing costs and reducing inefficiencies can also be challenging when every school district has its own local collective bargaining unit, which manages discussions about compensation and benefits. The decisions that school districts and local unions make about salaries and benefits get rolled up into the next biennium budget. Finally, around the country, health care costs are increasing and this, too, impacts school district budgets.

States and school districts around the country are exploring new models that might help address costs and even address inequities between districts. This Guinn Center offers some recommendations –designed to reduce costs and inefficiencies in our K-12 system– that may be taken under advisement by Nevada’s leaders and members of the SAGE Commission.

1. Commission a legislative study to explore the appropriate design and fiscal impact of a statewide salary schedule: Salary schedules vary tremendously across Nevada. A number of states have implemented a statewide salary schedule as a tool “to recruit and retain qualified teachers and as a way to ensure some level of equalization of teacher salaries across districts.
2. Conduct an assessment of benefit programs for teaching professionals: Benefit rates vary across school districts. And across the State, health care costs are rising and for many districts, the State-funded group insurance rate per student does not cover the full cost of health care insurance premiums. A statewide assessment could help inform solutions to reduce inefficiencies and costs across the State.
3. Require that school districts conduct an external third party evaluation of new salary schedules and career ladders, and all benefits on teacher retention, teacher quality, and student outcomes: Recently, Nevada and its school districts have established programs to improve the recruitment and retention of teachers. An evaluation of these programs can determine whether they have helped improve student achievement and reduce teacher turnover, which can also be costly.

Read Full Report at: https://guinncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Instruction-Costs-2016.pdf

Read Executive Summary at: https://guinncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Executive-Summary2.pdf

Las Vegas, NV – June 28, 2016 – The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will host a half-day workshop today aimed at helping Nevada’s nonprofits strengthen their advocacy capacity. The workshop, entitled “Building Advocacy Capacity among Nevada’s Nonprofits,” will take place at the CSN Cheyenne Campus (3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030) from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Heather McLeod Grant, co-author of the best-selling book, Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Non-Profits, will be the event’s keynote speaker.  She will also lead a session on networking.  Ms. McLeod Grant has more than 20 years of experience in the social sector.  She was most recently a Global Account Manager at Monitor Institute, where her work focused on scaling impact, leveraging networks for social change, and transforming large-scale nonprofits; she has advised many leading organizations of our time. Prior to joining Monitor, Heather worked at McKinsey & Company, and co-founded Who Cares, a national magazine for social entrepreneurs. She lectures at Stanford, speaks at industry conferences, and has been widely published. Heather currently serves on the Woodside Elementary School Site Council and the board of Jacaranda, a women’s health-care nonprofit in Africa. She has previously served the Stanford Social Innovation Review, the National Civic League, Hands On Bay Area, and the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University. She holds an MBA from Stanford University and an AB from Harvard University.

Other topics that will be covered at the workshop are:

• The Nevada legislature
• Nonprofit Lobbying: Advocating without Jeopardizing Your Tax-Exempt Status
• Using Data to Tell Your Story and Influence Others
• Social Media 101 (including how to engage millennials).

The cost of the workshop is $20.00 (Guinn Center members are free). Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Las Vegas, NV – The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities hosted a series of public forums in southern Nevada for candidates seeking positions on Nevada’s three education boards: Clark County School District Board of Trustees, Nevada State Board of Education, and the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

In 2015, Nevada’s political leaders passed legislation that invested over $400 million per year into Nevada’s education system. In order to ensure Nevada’s taxpayers would receive a positive return on investment from these reforms, the Legislature included stronger measures of accountability in many of the education bills.

The quality of governance of these State and local education boards can also impact the return on investment of these new programs. The Guinn Center is partnering with Nevada Succeeds and H.O.P.E. (Honoring Our Public Education), a parent advocacy group, to host a series of candidate forums to raise awareness about the roles and responsibilities of these positions and the individuals seeking these positions.

The schedule of events was as follows:

• Tuesday, May 17th, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., Henderson Convention Center, 200 S Water Street, Henderson, NV 89015. Moderated by Las Vegas Review-Journal Columnist and Political Commentator Steve Sebelius.

• Wednesday, May 25th, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., Centennial Hills Library, 6711 N. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas, 89131. Moderated by Las Vegas Review-Journal Columnist and Political Commentator Steve Sebelius.

• Tuesday, May 31st, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd, Las Vegas, 89106. Moderated by thinkLaw Creator and Owner Colin Seale.

An informal Q&A period will followed the formal moderated program. Following the June primaries, the Guinn Center will be hosting a series of candidate forums in Elko County and Washoe County.

LAS VEGAS, NV — On April 8, 2016, President Obama announced his intent to appoint Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director of the Kenny Guinn Center of Policy Priorities to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. This Commission advises the President and the U.S. Secretary of Education on matters pertaining to the educational attainment of the Hispanic community with a focus on early childhood education, K-12 education, and higher education policies.

“Nevada is fortunate to have someone with Dr. Brune’s professional experience, deep commitment to public service, and analytical skills to help Nevada and our country identify programs and strategies that will help our students, particularly our Hispanic students, succeed in school and beyond,” said Governor Brian Sandoval. “Dr. Brune’s deep knowledge and understanding of Nevada’s educational challenges as well as our success stories will benefit the Commission and the work they do.”

In a statement released on April 11, U.S. Senator Harry Reid stated, ““Dr. Nancy Brune is a brilliant policy mind with a passion for public service, and our nation’s Hispanic students will be well served by the expertise and commitment she brings to the commission. As a former educator in Nevada institutions of higher education, Dr. Brune witnessed first-hand the challenges facing Hispanic students – and she is well equipped to improve outcomes.”

“Clark County School District, the 5^th largest district in country, has a Hispanic student population of almost 47 percent. Washoe County School District’s Hispanic population is 39 percent. Nevada has two Hispanic Serving Institutions – the College of Southern Nevada and Truckee Meadows Community College,” said Brune. “It is important that Nevada, with our growing Hispanic population, is represented on this Commission and can help inform and shape programs and policies that will help our Hispanic students succeed.”

In 2014, Dr. Brune authored a report titled “The State of Latinos in the Intermountain West,” which examined the educational attainment of Latinos in Nevada and the region. The Guinn Center is currently working on a number of policy reports that are exploring the STEM minority gap in Nevada, college access and affordability, and educational outcomes of English Language Learners with disabilities.

Dr. Brune also serves as a Senior Fellow at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law. She is the author of over 60 articles, reports, essays, and op-ed pieces. Dr. Brune received her Ph.D., Master of Philosophy and Master of Arts degrees from Yale University and her Master of Public Policy and B.A. degrees from Harvard University. She has held research fellowships at Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Brune serves as the Chair of the Institutional Advisory Council of the College of Southern Nevada, one of Nevada’s Hispanic Serving Institutions, where she also teaches. She was appointed by Governor Sandoval to sit on the English Mastery Council and the Jobs for America’s Graduates-Nevada board of directors. Dr. Brune also serves on the board of the Discovery Children’s Museum, KIDS COUNT Nevada Executive Committee, and Goodwill Industries of Southern Nevada and is the Vice-Chair of Southern Nevada Public Television.

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LAS VEGAS, NV — The Board of Directors of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Michael “Mick” Hitchcock, Senior Adviser at Gilead Sciences, Inc.

“We are pleased to have Dr. Hitchcock join our Board,” said Phil Satre, Chairman of the Guinn Center’s Board. “His knowledge of the healthcare industry and medical field will help inform our ongoing research in the area of healthcare.” Currently, the Guinn Center is examining issues related to workforce development challenges in the healthcare industry, mental health and the regionalization of services, and the state of health care infrastructure in Nevada.

Dr. Hitchcock is Senior Advisor at Gilead Sciences, Inc. He has been with the company for over 22 years and has held a variety of positions, including Vice President with responsibility for project and portfolio management, strategic planning, medical affairs, and research. During his tenure, he oversaw the growth of the company from a small, 100-person biotech startup to the 5th largest (by market capitalization) pharmaceutical company in the world. The company has introduced life-changing treatments for HIV and Hepatitis C.

Prior to Gilead, Dr. Hitchcock spent 12 years with Bristol-Myers Squibb. He has held two post-doctoral positions at the Georgetown University Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and the National Institute of Health. A resident of Reno since 2009, Dr. Hitchcock serves as a Trustee on the University of Nevada Reno Foundation and as a member of the College of Science Advisory Council. Dr. Hitchcock received his Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne, Australia and Bachelor and Masters of Science degrees from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in England.

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LAS VEGAS, NV — Over the past two decades, Nevada has experienced tremendous population growth, particularly in Clark and Washoe Counties. This has placed tremendous demands on Nevada’s infrastructure and has taxed the capacity of state public school facilities. As such, the need to construct and/or upgrade K-12 public school facilities has become a pressing issue in both urban and rural counties.

In 2015, the Nevada Legislature established the Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission (AB 421) to assess best practices in education and the fiscal management of education funding in the State. The first meeting of the SAGE Commission on February 11, 2016 will take up the crucial issue of the State’s school facilities. In advance of that meeting, the Guinn Center has prepared a report, Nevada School Facilities Construction and Maintenance, in which we describe K-12 school capital facilities and maintenance needs across the State, discuss financial drivers of school construction costs, and conclude with a series of recommendations.

The Guinn Center’s recommendations to the SAGE Commission include:

1. Consider expanding the State’s role in the construction and maintenance of school facilities by providing financing, technical assistance, and detailed guidelines

2. Establish uniform criteria for assessing the condition of facilities and prioritizing facility needs

3. Identify new sources of revenues to support the construction and maintenance of school facilities

4. Consider the impact of instructional requirements and management systems on school facilities

5. Improve efforts to secure land for school sites

6. Assess the benefit of expanding the role of the State in developing design fee guidelines and standards

7. Leverage existing resources to improve delivery methods

8. Improve financing options available to school districts

9. Explore the creation of new facility funding options for charter schools

“School facilities have emerged as a critical statewide issue,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director at the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “The Guinn Center’s recommendations seek to move beyond traditional financing options to ensure Nevada’s students have adequate facilities for years to come.”

Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Nevada-School-Facilities-Construction-and-Maintenance-Feb-2016.pdf  (Full report)  or

https://guinncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Executive-Summary1.pdf (Executive Summary)

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Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Guinn-Center-Faraday-Development-Incentives-2015.pdf

LAS VEGAS, NV—The Nevada Legislature will be considering a $335 development incentive package for Faraday Future this week. To focus attention on issues legislators should consider while reviewing this proposal, the Guinn Center has released Development Incentives Revisited: A Guide for Nevada Legislators.  

 “Decision-makers should examine best practices from other states and build on our own experience locally to ensure that the tax package is in the best interest of Nevada,” said Tom Gallagher, founding board member of the Guinn Center. According to Executive Director Nancy E. Brune, the Faraday incentive package has a strong recapture provision. “The recapture provision is stronger than the one included in the Tesla deal.”

The Guinn Center offers some recommendations for increasing the benefits and reducing the costs of the proposed incentive plan. The recommendations are as follows:

• Support the proposed recapture (clawback) provision in the Faraday incentive package: The proposed package includes a strong recapture provision. Faraday Future will pay taxes into a fund (escrow account) that will be rebated only after the $1 billion investment target has been achieved.

• Include performance-based measures: As they did with Tesla Motors, legislators should include specific employee (hiring) targets in the Faraday Future agreement.

• Create a workforce development training program: The State needs a formal, coordinated way to identify, train, and assess the workers that Faraday Future (and even other companies) need. This model has demonstrated success with the TMCC Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathway program.

• Encourage GOED to conduct a school facilities impact study: Since property taxes are the principal source of funds for school facility needs, property tax abatements could have a substantial impact on the ability of Clark County School District to respond to student population growth that could result from Faraday’s operations Working with CCSD, GOED should conduct a school facilities impact study and develop a funding plan that identifies a new (or existing) funding mechanism to address future facility needs.

• Establish a government commission to monitor the contract and performance targets: This commission (comprised of citizens, nonprofits, legislative auditors, and tax policy experts) would be charged with monitoring the progress of Faraday Future, tracking the incentives and abatements schedule, ensuring that performance targets are met, and evaluating Faraday’s economic and fiscal impact. The committee would be required to report to the Governor and Nevada Legislature once a year.

• Strengthen accountability and disclosure: GOED should standardize reporting requirements (e.g., provide templates) across incentive packages that allow for comparisons and monitoring of the project.

• Identify the specific impact of Faraday on current and proposed highway projects: NDOT and GOED should provide the exact list of which current or scheduled highway projects would be affected (or postponed) by the funding requirements of the Faraday Future highway project.

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Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#EducatingNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV— On Monday, October 12, 2015, a legislatively created Advisory Committee will convene to begin the process of reorganizing the Clark County School District into local precincts. To help frame critical issues the Committee will need to consider as it drafts a reorganization plan, the Guinn Center has released a policy report titled: Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Issues to Address in the Reorganization of the Clark County School District.

“Crafting the plan required by AB 394 will be a highly complex endeavor,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director of the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “The Advisory Committee should examine five critical issues as it develops the reorganization plan: community based communication, demographic and educational equity, funding equity, education facilities, and governance structure.”

Community Based Communication and Information Process: AB 394 requires the Clark County Board of Commissioners to hold public meetings to present preliminary findings and the proposed plan. The report provides recommendations on how to increase communication with community stakeholders to gather and share information.

Demographic and Educational Equity: The goal of the legislation is to create smaller entities that would be more responsive to local needs. The report discusses how the number of precincts and their configuration should include consideration of equity concerns for racial and socioeconomic groups. The report also recommends strategies for ensuring all students have access to a high-quality education.

Funding Equity: To ensure that funds are distributed equitably and used efficiently by the new precincts, the report discusses how per pupil funding can be determined for each precinct and the central district. It also recommends criteria for determining which functions would more effectively be performed by the central district or the precincts.

Education Facilities: The Advisory Committee must consider the large scale of facility needs and insufficiency of funding. The report discusses the implications of either continuing to administer facilities functions centrally or transferring ownership and responsibility to precincts.

Governance Structure: The report discusses options for the structure of the precinct boards. It also discusses how the structure could allow for greater public input and include mechanisms to keep precincts accountable for student achievement and fiscal efficiency.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, independent research center focused on providing fact-based, relevant, and well-reasoned analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, data-driven research and analysis to advance policy solutions, inform the public debate, and expand public engagement.

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LAS VEGAS, NV — The Board of Directors of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to announce the appointment of Daniel W. Hamilton, Ph.D., Dean of the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

“We are thrilled to have Dan join our Board,” said Phil Satre, Chairman of the Guinn Center’s Board. “He has been an early supporter of the Guinn Center and has informed our strategic direction and outreach. In the short time he has been in Nevada, he has had a tremendous impact on the Law School and its strategic vision. We look forward to continuing our collaborations with Dan and the law school faculty.”

The fourth dean of the Boyd School of Law, Dean Hamilton assumed the deanship in July 2013, and also serves as the Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law. He joined UNLV from the University of Illinois College of Law where he was the Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Professor of Law and History.

Dean Hamilton received his Ph.D. in American legal history in 2003 from Harvard University. He received his J.D. from George Washington University and his B.A. from Oberlin College. Before coming to UNLV, Dean Hamilton taught property law, legal history, and constitutional law at the University of Illinois College of Law and the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Dean Hamilton researches and writes primarily on American property ideology and the legal and constitutional issues raised by the Civil War. He has written numerous articles and reviews on American legal history, including works in Civil War History, the Chicago-Kent Law Review, the Journal of Supreme Court History, the Journal of American History, the Journal of Southern History, the Journal of Interdisciplinary History, the Journal of National Security Law, and the Law and History Review. His book, The Limits of Sovereignty: Property Confiscation in the Union and the Confederacy During the Civil War, was published by the University of Chicago Press.

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LAS VEGAS, NV — The Board of Directors of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Advisory Council Members. They are: Dr. Michael “Mick” J.M. Hitchcock and Dr. James Thomson.

“The Guinn Center is thrilled to welcome Mick and Jim onto our growing, accomplished team,” said Dr. Joseph Crowley, founding Guinn Center board member and former President of University of Nevada Reno. “Mick and Jim both have extensive, first-hand knowledge of how to build and grow businesses and organizations. They bring a fresh, no-nonsense perspective to our organization. Mick, in particular, will bring tremendous expertise as we broaden our work in health policy.”

Dr. Hitchcock is Senior Advisor at Gilead Sciences, Inc. He has been with the company for over 22 years and has held a variety of positions, including Vice President with responsibility for project and portfolio management, strategic planning, medical affairs, and research. During his tenure, he oversaw the growth of the company from a small, 100-person biotech startup to the 5th largest (by market capitalization) pharmaceutical company in the world. The company has introduced life-changing treatments for HIV and Hepatitis C. Prior to Gilead, Dr. Hitchcock spent 12 years with Bristol-Myers Squibb. He has held two post-doctoral positions at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and Dentistry and the National Institute of Health. A resident of Reno since 2009, Dr. Hitchcock serves as a Trustee on the University of Nevada Reno Foundation and as a member of the College of Science Advisory Council. Dr. Hitchcock received his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Melbourne, Australia and Bachelor and Masters of Science degrees in biochemistry from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in England.

Dr.  Thomson serves as special advisor for regional development to President Len Jessup of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution that helps improve policy and decisions through research and analysis, which he led as CEO from 1989 to 2011. With annual revenues of over $250 million and a staff of more than 1,600, RAND’s research programs address a range of domestic, international, and national security issues. RAND’s core competencies include health care services, supply chains, energy and environment, transportation and infrastructure, education, personnel management, demography, defense, and international security.

In addition to his leadership at RAND, Dr. Thomson was previously an experimental nuclear physicist and published numerous scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. He served as a U.S. government official dealing with defense and arms control matters, serving both in the Department of Defense and at the White House. Dr. Thomson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and International Institute for Strategic Studies, and serves on the board of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. He is a director of AK Steel Corp. and Praedicat, Inc. Dr. Thomson holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of New Hampshire and a Master’s and Ph.D. in physics from Purdue University.

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Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#EducatingNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV— The Nevada Legislature and Governor Brian Sandoval took bold steps during the 2015 Legislative session to make targeted investments to improve student achievement. Three of the major initiatives approved include Read by 3 ($27 million), Zoom Schools ($100 million), and Victory Schools ($50 million). While each of these programs has a different emphasis, they also share overlapping goals and will serve similar populations. To help ensure these policies are implemented in a comprehensive and integrated manner that maximizes the impact on student achievement, the Guinn Center has released a policy brief titled: Integrated Implementation of Nevada Literacy and Intervention Programs.

“Policymakers at the State and local level will be making critical decisions over the next two months to implement Read by 3, Zoom Schools and Victory Schools,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director of the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “Implementing these initiatives as part of a comprehensive strategy can lead to transformative change. We have developed guiding principles and specific recommendations to help ensure the public receives a positive return on its investment.”

Guiding principles for implementation include:

• Emphasize integrated implementation: The three programs should be viewed as integrated components of a comprehensive intervention strategy that utilizes all of the funding sources available at each school.
• Align goals and metrics to the State Improvement Plan and the Nevada State Literacy Plan: These plans have been approved previously by the State Board of Education and should be used to ensure that all of Nevada’s schools are working towards the same statewide policy goals.
• Provide flexibility in use of funds: Policies and regulations approved by the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) and the State Board of Education should provide flexibility to school districts and charter schools in the use of funds to meet the unique needs of each school and to achieve program goals.
• Minimize duplication of effort: Needs assessments and plans should be integrated into existing efforts. Uniform interim and summative assessments should be used to evaluate progress under all three programs.
• Emphasize accountability across all levels: Accountability is integral to success at all levels, including schools, local governing boards, and the State.

Recommendations

• Read by 3: (1) how to integrate and align literacy plans into existing efforts; (2) how to standardize early literacy assessments; (3) how to prioritize funding for learning strategist positions; (4) how to define learning strategist duties and provide them with professional development; (5) how to create statewide outcome measures; and (6) how to implement third grade retention policies.
• Zoom Schools: (1) how to integrate funds into existing planning processes; (2) how to maximize flexibility of funds; (3) how to use funds for recruitment and retention of teachers; and (4) how to determine performance outcomes and provide support to help schools meet these outcomes.
• Victory Schools: (1) how to integrate needs assessments and plans into existing efforts; (2) how to coordinate administration of Victory Schools with Zoom Schools and Read by 3; (3) how to maximize flexibility of funds; (4) how to use funds for recruitment and retention of teachers; and (5) how to define measurable objectives, evaluate performance, and impose sanctions.

Implementation Challenges Ahead

There are several key challenges that school districts, charter schools, and NDE will face as implementation of these initiatives moves forward.

1. Short implementation timeline: School districts and charter schools face very short implementation timelines which makes it difficult to conduct in-depth needs assessments, critically evaluate why some past investments have not been successful, and design quality programs. It is also challenging to make investments that will be sustainable since funding for Zoom and Victory schools may not continue at the same level in future years.
2. Capacity to implement changes: Existing staff at school districts and charter schools have varying levels of capacity to implement transformative change. It will also likely be challenging for school districts and charter schools to implement plans in a timely manner due to inadequate staffing pipelines and limited availability of contract services.
3. Learning Strategist impact on General Fund: There is limited Read by 3 grant funding available to fund the required learning strategist position at each elementary school. Because Federal funds cannot be used for this position due to supplanting restrictions, there could likely be a significant impact on the General Fund of school districts and charter schools.
4. State capacity for oversight: NDE has not previously provided oversight that emphasizes outcomes over compliance. The Department will need to build this capacity to ensure programs are implemented successfully.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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LAS VEGAS, NV — The Board of Directors of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to announce the appointment of three new Advisory Council Members. They are: Dr. Dana R. Bennett, President of the Nevada Mining Association; Ms. Nichole Lamboley, Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Nevada Division of Insurance and former Deputy Secretary of State under Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller; and Ms. Elizabeth Thompson, political commentator, journalist, and editor of the Territorial Enterprise.

“The Guinn Center relies on Advisory Council members to serve as external reviewers for our policy briefs prior to their release,” said Philip G. Satre, Chairman of the Guinn Center’s Board. “Collectively, these individuals bring incredible expertise in a wide number of policy areas and a deep knowledge of political communication in both the legislative and executive branches. We look forward to having them inform and shape our research agenda and communications strategy following the Legislative session.”

Dr. Bennett previously served as the Northern Nevada Regional Director for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Governor Brian Sandoval’s first Senior Researcher. Prior to that, she served as Staff Director for the Nevada Legislative Committee on Public Lands and also staffed policy committees concerned with state and local government operations, technology in education, health care, and natural resources. Between her tenures in the legislative and executive branches, Dr. Bennett spent many years in the private sector, operating a policy research business and employed as a legislative advocate. She has a Ph.D. from Arizona State University and has authored three books and more than 50 articles, reports, and other publications.

Ms. Lamboley is the Chief Deputy Commissioner at the Nevada Division of Insurance and former Chief Deputy Secretary of State for Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller. Prior to joining Secretary Miller’s administration, she served as campaign manager for Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. Ms. Lamboley spent three years as Legislative Affairs Manager for the City of Reno in charge of the city’s State, Federal and intergovernmental lobbying efforts. Ms. Lamboley received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s degree with an emphasis in Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Ms. Thompson is a political commentator and editor of the Territorial Enterprise, a news website and monthly print magazine focused on Nevada policy, politics, business and culture. She is a former co-host of Vegas PBS’s “Nevada Week in Review,” as well as the former co-host of “The Agenda.” From 2009 to 2012, Ms. Thompson was the publisher and editor of the Nevada News Bureau, the political analyst for KTNV channel 13, and a political blogger for National Review Online. Ms. Thompson has appeared on MSNBC and Fox News to provide analysis on the Nevada political landscape and has been quoted in or noted by numerous national publications including Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, and Politico. She has a B.A. in English from UNLV.

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LAS VEGAS, NV — The Board of Directors of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to announce the appointment to the board of Stephanie Tyler, President of AT&T Nevada.

“We are delighted that Stephanie Tyler has decided to join our board,” said Philip G. Satre, Chairman of the Guinn Center’s Board. “We will benefit greatly from her vast knowledge of the political and legislative landscapes in Nevada and the Intermountain West, her background in communications, and her deep ties across the entire State.”

Ms. Tyler is responsible for external affairs for AT&T Nevada including; state and local government relations, community affairs, regulatory and legislative activities.  She also oversees external affairs operations in Utah, Idaho and Montana. Ms. Tyler is a former Nevada State Senator and has run several statewide and district campaigns in both Nevada and California. After spending six years lobbying the California Legislature, Ms. Tyler took a one-year leave of absence from AT&T at the request of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve as Political Director to his successful re-election campaign. A native Nevadan, Ms. Tyler spent the early years of her career in a variety of political jobs including serving as staff to U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt in his capitol and district offices. Ms. Tyler is an active board member of several state-wide and community organizations. She currently serves as Treasurer of Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates, Vice Chair of the Desert Research Institute Foundation Board of Trustees, and Secretary of the Girl Scouts of Sierra Nevada.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing the state of Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to advance policy solutions, inform the public debate, and expand public engagement.

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Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#EducatingNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV— As the Legislature considers whether to expand full-day kindergarten to all schools, it is important to consider the potential impact on health. Drawing on a recent study, Full-Day Kindergarten in Nevada: A Health Impact Assessment, the Guinn Center has released a policy brief tying the recommendations of the study to legislation pending before the 2015 Legislature.

“The Health Impact Assessment found that expansion of full-day kindergarten has the potential to increase academic achievement, which in turn can lead to improved future health outcomes,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director of the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “Access to full-day kindergarten also improves access to services in schools that can improve future health outcomes, such as school meals, nutrition education, and physical activity. There are several bills pending before the Legislature that can help maximize the health impact of full-day kindergarten.”

Recommendations and related Legislation include:

1. Expand full-day kindergarten: Prioritize allocation of new funds for full-day kindergarten for schools with the highest rates of low-income students and English Language Learners and evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Related legislation: Governor’s budget, which proposes expansion of full-day kindergarten to all schools; and SB 508, which funds kindergarten students at the same rate as other students beginning in FY 2018.
2. Increase access to school meals: Ensure kindergarten students in full-day programs receive access to both school breakfast and lunch, and increase participation by implementing strategies such as Breakfast after the Bell. Related legislation: SB 503, which implements Breakfast After the Bell
3. Increase access to health services in schools: Collect a representative sample of height and weight information of all students (including kindergarteners), track changes over time, and provide public reports of data. Related legislation: SB 402, which removes the sunset on requiring Clark and Washoe School Districts to conduct a sample of height and weight for students in 4th, 7th, and 10th grades.
4. Increase access to physical activity: School districts could ensure that kindergarten students receive the minimum minutes of physical activity included in each school district’s or school’s Wellness Policy through a combination of recess, physical education, and physical activity integrated into academic instruction. Related legislation: SB 178, which requires students to take at least 30 minutes of physical education per day.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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LAS VEGAS, NV — The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is proud to announce the Southern Nevada business community will recognize its executive director, Dr. Nancy E. Brune, this month with two separate distinctions for her efforts to help advance Nevada through policy research and analysis.

On May 14, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Southern Nevada will recognize Brune as a finalist for the 2015 Annual Women of Distinction Awards. NAWBO’s Annual Women of Distinction Awards “honors Southern Nevada’s most dynamic female entrepreneurs for excellence in their field and for ‘inspiring success’ in future generations of community leaders.”

In addition, the Las Vegas Business Press will recognize Brune this month as one of the 2015 Women Who Mean Business in Southern Nevada. Brune is one of 15 women, “who are both blazing career trails in diverse fields and volunteering their free time to the community’s residents,” to be recognized with this prestigious award.

The Guinn Center is a new bipartisan policy center that provides independent, data-driven analysis and solutions to decision-makers in the public and private sector about challenges facing Nevada. Brune has advanced the Center’s role in public policy circles, bringing substantive research to help Southern Nevadans make important choices about education and economic development.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Brune leading the Guinn Center,” said Phil Satre, Chair of the Guinn Center’s Board of Directors. “As the Guinn Center’s founding executive director, she assumed the helm without a blueprint or model to follow. Over the last year, Nancy has taken risks, forged collaborative partnerships and earned the respect of many. Nancy has broken new ground and forged new territory. And she has done it all with a big heart, a sound mind, strong principles and a deep commitment to help the people of Nevada.”

Since the Guinn Center launched in February 2014, the non-profit organization has provided policy reports and workshops designed to help members of the business community better understand recent ballot initiatives and current legislative proposals, including The Education Initiative (margin tax) and the Governor’s restructured Business License Fee (as well as Assembly Bill 464).

“As someone who attended the workshops the Guinn Center offered on the margin tax and the tax proposals under consideration this legislative session, I deeply appreciate their no-nonsense, fact-based approach to providing information and analysis so that I can better determine how these policies will affect my business,” said Todd A. Nigro, president of Nigro Development.

Prior to joining the Guinn Center, Brune served as a senior policy analyst at Sandia National Laboratories and has consulted for the Harvard School of Public Health, JPMorgan Chase, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the World Bank. She is a valued member the Knowledge Fund Advisory Council, English Mastery Council, Jobs for America’s Graduates-Nevada and the STEM Advisory Council. In addition, she is chair of the College of Southern Nevada’s Institutional Advisory Council. Brune received her Ph.D. from Yale University and her Master of Public Policy and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Harvard University, and has authored more than 45 publications.

“We are committed to providing independent analysis to members of the Nevada business community and policymakers, as well as to community organizations who may not have the resources to undertake their own analysis,” Brune said. “We’ve been proud to partner with various business associations and chambers of commerce and provide a casual setting where individuals can ask questions about these very complicated tax issues. Our goal is to be considered the go-to source for solid, independent analysis on the complex policy challenges facing our state.”

More information about the NAWBO Southern Nevada’s Women of Distinction Awards ceremony on May 14 can be found here. Details about the Las Vegas Business Press Women Who Mean Business Celebration on May 21 can be found here.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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For Immediate Release

Learn more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#GoverningNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV— The Nevada Legislature is currently considering several tax proposals to increase funding for education. The Governor has proposed restructuring the Business License Fee (SB252). Other proposals include a Special Revenue Fee (SB378) and an increase in the Modified Business Tax (AB464).

To inform legislative debate and help community members and business owners understand the proposals and how they could affect different types of businesses, the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities has released a report titled, Comparison of 2015 Nevada Tax Proposals. The report compares each tax proposal, and offers a set of policy considerations and recommendations. “Each of the tax plans contain elements of good tax policy,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director of the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. Recommendations are summarized below.

Recommendations:

1. Adopt a gross receipts tax.

There is a compelling state interest to diversify Nevada’s tax structure and grow the revenue base. A gross receipts tax, as proposed by SB 252 and SB 378, would diversify Nevada’s tax base. Approximately 60 percent of general fund revenues are derived from two sources: gaming taxes and sales and use taxes. And only 4.3 percent of the businesses registered in Nevada pay the Modified Business Tax (MBT).

2. Adopt a single/limited gross receipts tax rate.

Under SB 252, the revised Nevada Business License Fee (BLF) structure has approximately two dozen rates. The different rates introduce greater complexity and uncertainty. Nevada lawmakers should adopt a single rate or limited rate schedule, similar to the gross receipts tax structure implemented in Ohio and Kentucky.

3. If SB 252 tax rates are adopted as proposed, establish an Interim Legislative Committee to improve collection of information on businesses operating in Nevada and review (and revise) preliminary rates as more accurate information is collected.

If multiple rates are adopted as proposed in SB 252, the Legislature should establish an Interim Legislative Committee to review the rates to ensure they accurately reflect and capture Nevada’s economy. This review should take place after the first year. Legislators should include a provision that requires review of BLF rates every four years.

4. Allow companies to file consolidated returns.

One criticism of gross receipts taxes is that they may lead to pyramiding, the imposition of a tax on each stage of production. However, tax policy experts suggest that one way to reduce pyramiding is by allowing companies (especially those that are vertically integrated) to file consolidated returns.

5. Eliminate MBT health care premium deductions and reduce payroll deductions.

The Guinn Center views favorably AB 464’s provisions that seek to improve Nevada’s overall tax structure by reducing and/or eliminating deductions. The Legislature should eliminate MBT health care premium deductions and reduce payroll deductions.

6. Eliminate the higher rate MBT for financial institutions and mining.

The Guinn Center supports AB 464’s provision to eliminate industry-specific tax rates and the disparate treatment of financial institutions. Similarly, Legislators should eliminate the Branch Bank Excise Tax. We support not increasing the MBT rate for the mining industry, which would occur under the Governor’s proposal. Under AB 464, the mining industry would pay the same rate as other industries.

7. Adopt a Hybrid: Implement a gross receipts tax with single/limited rates and revise the MBT to eliminate/reduce deductions and eliminate industry-specific rates.

The Guinn Center recommends that Legislators adopt the various elements of good tax policy contained in each of the tax proposals under consideration.

• In order to diversify Nevada’s tax base, Legislators should implement a gross receipts tax, which would reduce the State’s vulnerability to economic downturns and would grow with and capture Nevada’s diversifying economy.
• Adopt a single (or limited) gross receipts tax rate, which will reduce the transaction costs.
• Given that Nevada does not collect information on gross receipts currently, Legislators should consider adopting both a gross receipts tax and AB 464 in order to meet revenue targets while diversifying the State’s tax base.
• Upon adoption of a gross receipts tax, explore the possibility of reducing the MBT rate (as proposed under AB 464 at 1.56 percent) so as to meet desired revenues for 2015-2017 biennium.
• Establish an Interim Legislative Committee that would review SB 252 BLF rates and the combined impact of SB 252 and the MBT on industries. Policymakers should ensure that certain industries are not disproportionately experiencing the burden of these taxes.

To help inform the general public about the tax proposals, the Guinn Center is sponsoring a Tax Policy Town Hall on April 21, 2015. The event will feature a panel discussion with tax policy experts, followed by a question and answer session. Panelists will include Dr. Nancy E. Brune and Victoria Carreón of the Guinn Center, UNLV William S. Boyd Law Professor Francine Lipman, Former Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley (D-Las Vegas), and former Senator Randolph Townsend (R-Washoe County).

The event is cosponsored by the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Accion Nevada, the Urban Chamber of Commerce, and the Latin Chamber of Commerce. The event is free and open to the public. Event details are shown below:

Event: Tax Policy Townhall

Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Time: 6 pm to 8 pm

Location: CSN West Charleston Campus, 6375 W. Charleston, Las Vegas, 89146, Building K, Room 101

RSVP: https://guinncenter.org/events/tax-policy-town-hall/

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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For Immediate Release

Learn more at: https://guinncenter.org/events/tax-policy-town-hall/

LAS VEGAS, NV— The Nevada Legislature is currently considering several tax proposals to increase funding for education. The Governor has proposed restructuring the Business License Fee (SB252). Other proposals include a Special Revenue Fee (SB378) and an increase in the Modified Business Tax (AB464).

To help community members understand the proposals and how they could affect different types of businesses, particularly small businesses, the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is sponsoring a Tax Policy Townhall. The event will feature a panel discussion with tax policy experts, followed by a question and answer session. Panelists will include Dr. Nancy E. Brune and Victoria Carreón of the Guinn Center, UNLV William S. Boyd Law Professor Francine Lipman, Former Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley (D-Las Vegas), and former Senator Randolph Townsend (R-Washoe County).

The event is cosponsored by the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Accion Nevada, and the Urban Chamber of Commerce. The event is free and open to the public. Event details are shown below:

Event: Tax Policy Townhall

Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Time: 6 pm to 8 pm

Location: CSN West Charleston Campus, 6375 W. Charleston, Las Vegas, 89146, Building K, Room 101

RSVP: https://guinncenter.org/events/tax-policy-town-hall/

“The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to partner with education and business organizations to help educate our community about the tax proposals pending before the Nevada Legislature,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director of the Guinn Center. “The Tax Policy Townhall will provide business owners – particularly small business owners – with the opportunity to ask questions and gain a better understanding of the potential impact on their individual businesses.”

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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Read more at:https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/

LAS VEGAS, NV— Governor Brian Sandoval has proposed restructuring the existing Business License Fee to provide additional funds for education. To provide a guide for Legislators as they consider the proposal, the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities has released a new policy brief, The Business License Fee: What We Still Don’t Know.

“The proposed Business License Fee embodies characteristics of good tax policy: it is broad-based, stable, and equitable,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director of the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “While we have some concerns with the determination of license fee rates and whether they adequately account for the profitability of each industry, we believe that the structure of the revised Business License Fee is worthy of serious consideration by our Legislators.” More information on remaining questions and recommendations are summarized below.

What we don’t know

1. What are the Business License Fee revenue estimates by industry?
2. Should the allocation of revenues generated by the Business License Fee toward the K-12 and higher education systems be made explicit in the proposed legislation?
3. What is the rationale for the proposed Business License Fee rates?
4. What is the combined impact of the revised Business License Fee and the Modified Business Tax?
5. Will the Business License Fee avoid pyramiding (or the imposition of a tax on a tax)?

Recommendations

1. Begin collecting and reporting data on gross receipts prior to the implementation of any revenue plan.
2. Ensure BLF fee rates are transparent, simple, and reflect the profitability of the industry.
3. Consider the advantages of having a single/limited license fee rate schedule and phasing in over time.
4. Phase out the MBT and adjust rates for the BLF over time to ensure revenue targets are met.
5. Explore the advantages of explicitly earmarking BLF revenues toward education in the legislation.
6. Ensure that any legislative tax proposal helps improve Nevada’s overall tax base and structure.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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For Immediate Release

Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#EducatingNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV— Nevada’s public charter school students are entitled to receive a proportionate share of school funding from Federal, State and local Sources. In practice, however, charter school students have experienced limited accessibility to State and Federal categorical funds compared to students at school districts. Charter schools also have limited access to facilities funding and must use their operations funding to meet these needs. The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities has released a new policy brief, Nevada Charter Schools: Improving Access to Categorical and Facilities Funding, whichrecommends ways the Legislature can improve access to funding for charter school students.

“The funding disparities between charter schools and school districts are striking,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director of the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “The Legislature should implement structures that ensure proportionate funding such as categorical block grants. These grants could provide flexibility while also maintaining accountability and transparency.”

Recommendations include:

1. Create State categorical block grants to ensure charter school students receive a proportionate share of any State categorical funding outside the main funding formula. Allow funds to be used flexibly but also create accountability measures with performance goals and benchmarks.
2. Maximize access to Federal categorical funds by: (1) requiring sponsoring agencies to provide technical assistance to charter schools; (2) encouraging charter schools to place greater emphasis on collection of Free and Reduced Lunch eligibility data to maximize State and Federal funding for at-risk students; and (3) ensuring that sponsoring school districts provide charter schools with equal access to Federal grants administered at the district level.
3. Create new options for charter school facilities funding by: (1) exploring ways to mandate that school districts set aside a portion of new bond proceeds for charter schools, (2) creating a State funding mechanism for charter school facilities funding to avoid taking scarce local resources away from school districts; and (3) allowing facilities funds to be used for leasing costs at charter schools.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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For Immediate Release

Read more at:https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#GoverningNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV— Governor Brian Sandoval has proposed almost two dozen initiatives to help move Nevada’s education system into the 21st Century. The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities and Nevada Succeeds have co-authored a new report that reviews empirical research to analyze which of these proposals are most correlated with improved student outcomes: Examining Nevada’s Education Priorities: Which Initiatives are Worth the Investment? Based on this review, the report ranks each initiative as high, medium, or low priority.

Programs ranked as the highest priority, include:

• Pre-K (early childhood) programs;
• A new funding formula, phased in to address specific student populations such as English Language Learners, at-risk students, and special education students;
• Language Acquisition Intervention programs;
• Programs aimed at career and technical education and college and career readiness;
• Professional development for teachers; and
• Extension of rollover bonds for school construction.

The report finds that efforts to improve education outcomes do not work in isolation and that the quality of implementation is intrinsic to success. For example, early childhood education programs are only effective when taught by highly trained teachers. To ensure that programs are successful, the State must demand greater accountability and link financing to performance goals.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

Nevada Succeeds is a bipartisan education policy organization founded by concerned members of Nevada’s business community. We seek to bring effective, evidence based education practices to Nevada’s P-20 Education System by engaging education professionals, policy makers, and the public to understand the needs of our State and to advance the policy solutions that will improve literacy outcomes for all students by improving the quality of teachers, leaders, and systems in Nevada.

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For Immediate Release

Read more at:https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#EducatingNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV— Nevada’s system for funding K-12 education is complex and has not been substantially revised since it was created in 1967. In his 2015 State of the State Address, Governor Brian Sandoval recommended modernizing Nevada’s school finance system by considering the needs of individual students. The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities has released Nevada K-12 Education Finance to help Legislators and the public understand the current school finance system and to identify issues for the Nevada Legislature to consider during the 2015 Session.

“Nevada’s current school finance system has been criticized for providing inadequate funding and for not providing targeted funding to students with special needs,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director at the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “The Guinn Center aims to demystify the current education finance system, synthesize recent efforts to change the funding formula, and provide a roadmap for decision-makers.” The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will provide a briefing for Legislators on February 16, 2015 on its new report: Nevada K-12 Education Finance.

Issues for the Legislature to Consider Include:

1. Historic expenditures vs adequacy formula: Should Nevada move from a school financing system built on historic expenditures to a funding formula based on the cost to educate students?
2. Differential funding for special populations: Should the Nevada Plan be amended to include weights to account for the extra costs required to educate populations such as English Language Learners, low-income students, and special education students?
3. Categorical Funds: Should the State fold existing categorical programs into the main funding formula and make these monies flexible? Should the proposed weights be funded as categorical programs or should they be folded into the main funding formula? Should charter schools receive a direct allocation of State categorical funding to achieve parity with school districts?
4. Outside Tax Revenue: Should any tax revenues outside the Nevada Plan be incorporated into the funding guarantee? Should outside revenues be considered when calculating weights for special needs?
5. Enrollment: Should Nevada move from a single count day for enrollment to multiple count days?
6. Implementation: Given limited availability of state revenues, how should the State implement a new funding formula? Should it be phased in over time and should districts be held harmless?
7. Revenue: Should legislators increase revenue for K-12 education? What are the potential sources of increased revenues?

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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For Immediate Release

Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#EducatingNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV—School districts throughout Nevada have critical, unmet capital needs and currently have insufficient resources to fund repairs and build new schools. Governor Brian Sandoval, in his State of the State, said he would “support legislation to approve a temporary rollover of bonding authority for the construction and maintenance of local schools, with state oversight.” However, the current structure of financing tools limits the potential impact of this proposed policy change. Existing financing tools rely largely on local funding and have not generated adequate revenue. The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities has released Expanding Financing Options for Nevada’s K-12 Facilities, which offers recommendations for expanding the financing options available to school districts to meet their capital needs.

“School facilities have emerged as a critical statewide issue,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director at the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “Unfunded school capital needs total $7.3 billion in Clark County for current needs, $784 million in Washoe County for current needs and projected growth, and over $450 million in rural school districts. The Guinn Center’s recommendations seek to move beyond traditional financing options to ensure Nevada’s students have adequate facilities for years to come.”

Recommendations include:

1. Create a statewide funding mechanism for school facilities.

2. Provide school districts with the ability to create Special Improvement Districts.

3. Explore the feasibility of creating multi-county tax districts for rollover bonds.

4. Change Existing Laws Related to Tax Caps and Abatements

a. Exempt new voter-approved bonds from the statutory tax cap of $3.66 per $100 of assessed valuation.

b. Exempt voter-approved tax increases from the property tax abatements for one year.

c. Reset property tax abatements when property is sold.

5. Encourage the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to conduct a school facilities impact study and develop a funding plan prior to approval of development incentives.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will be presenting its recommendations on February 4, 2015 during the Senate Committee on Government Affairs hearing on Senate Bill 119, which would extend rollover bond authority for ten years. 

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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For Immediate Release

LAS VEGAS, NV — The Board of Directors of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to announce the appointment to the board of Susie Lee, Board President of Communities in Schools. Ms. Lee had previously served on the Guinn Center’s Advisory Council.

“We are thrilled that Susie Lee has decided to take on a greater role in the Guinn Center as we grow and develop solutions to the policy challenges facing this state and our region,” said Philip G. Satre, Chairman of the Guinn Center’s Board.  “We will benefit from her vast experience in the development and management of new non-profits and in strategic planning.”

Ms. Lee is an active member of the community and provides leadership in establishing and helping non-profit organizations evolve, most notably Nevada Women’s Philanthropy, where she is President Emeritus. She was the founding Executive Director of Mobilized Assistance and Shelter for the Homeless (MASH) Crisis Intervention Unit. In 1995, Ms. Lee became the founding director of Inner-City Games, which is now the After-School All-Stars, and has remained a member of the Board for the past 10 years. As a public education advocate, she has served on the Clark County School District (CCSD) Superintendent’s Educational Opportunities Advisory Committee, CCSD English Language Learners Program Task Force, as well as the Nevada Accountability Advisory Committee.  During the past 19 years, Ms. Lee has provided her time and commitment to several non-profit organizations including Public Education Foundation, Teach for America, Special Olympics, The Meadows School, and Keep Memory Alive.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing the state of Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to advance policy solutions, inform the public debate, and expand public engagement.

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For Immediate Release

Read more at:https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#SustainingNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV— Nevada is exploring how to move from a governance system that is centrally controlled by the state to one that provides more local input and is responsive to community needs. To help inform transformation of Nevada’s mental health system, the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities has released Mental Health Governance: A Review of State Models and Guide for Nevada Decision Makers.  

“Before Nevada embarks on an effort to change how mental health services are delivered, it is important to review lessons learned in other states,” said Victoria Carreón, Director of Research and Policy at the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “Nevada is not alone in trying to restructure its mental health system to improve behavioral health outcomes. While every state has a unique history, Nevada can learn from what strategies have been more successful than others.” The report reviews governance models throughout the United States and looks in depth at seven states: Arizona, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington.

The report recommends that the Silver State use four guiding principles for developing a quality governance system:

1. Provide the best care at the lowest cost;
2. Encourage savings across programs and agencies;
3. Ensure that money follows the client from the hospital to community; and
4. Hold providers accountable for positive outcomes.

Nevada will also need to consider several key decision points as it develops a new governance structure. The report analyzes the issues Nevada will need to consider in the following areas: overall structure, governing board structure, funding, and outcomes/ information technology.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will be presenting its report to the Nevada Behavioral Health and Wellness Council on December 9, 2014 at 9:00AM at the Legislative Building in Carson City. More information is available at: http://www.health.nv.gov/BHWC.htm

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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For Immediate Release

Appointment of Senior Fellow to the Guinn Center

LAS VEGAS, NV — The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities announces the appointment of Dr. Robert McCord as a Senior Fellow. Dr. McCord is Associate Professor Emeritus in the School of Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) after having held the position of Associate Professor at the UNLV School of Environmental and Public Affairs from 1999-2011. Dr. McCord has written and spoken frequently on the topics of educational administration, education law and education policy analysis, and school improvement. He is the owner and principal of Education Management and Consulting Services (EdMCS), which works with educational institutions and school districts around the country.

Dr. McCord is currently a member of Nevada State Public Charter School Authority. From 1997-1999, he served as Deputy Assistant Superintendent for Educational Accountability and Government Relations in the Clark County School District. Dr. McCord is a former principal.

“We are pleased to have Dr. McCord join the Guinn Center,” stated Dr. Carol Harter, Chair of the Black Mountain Institute Advisory Board and former UNLV President. “He has deep knowledge of the K-12 system and a sound appreciation of best practices in educational instruction and programming around the country. His expertise in educational programs and initiatives will enhance the ability of the Guinn Center to provide legislators with timely, independent analysis that can assist them as they consider education policies that will benefit Nevadans in the next Legislative Session.”

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School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Contact: Max Gakh
maxim.gakh@unlv.edu
702-895-5472

Press Release – Announcing Health Impact Project grant to study health impacts of Nevada legislation affecting full-day kindergarten
November 7, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNLV AND PARTNERS TO STUDY HEALTH EFFECTS OF FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN, WHICH WILL BE CONSIDERED IN UPCOMING SESSION

Legislative modifications to full-day kindergarten could impact Nevada children’s health

Las Vegas—Today, UNLV’s School of Community Health Sciences announced a new collaborative project to inform decision makers about the health impacts of anticipated legislative proposals to expand full-day kindergarten in Nevada. Evidence shows that quality early education programs not only improve educational outcomes, but can also improve long-term health outcomes and reduce cases of stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and asthma.

As the Nevada Legislature convenes in February 2015, UNLV’s School of Community Health Sciences, the Southern Nevada Health District, the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, Honoring Our Public Education (HOPE), educators in Clark County, the Las Vegas Healthy Communities Coalition, the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, and other community partners around the state will conduct a health impact assessment or HIA of full-day kindergarten legislation.

Dean Shawn Gerstenberger of the School of Community Health Sciences said, “Education policy can also impact health. Through this project, we can highlight how full day kindergarten decisions may affect the future health of Nevadans.”

An HIA is a promising tool that can be used to anticipate health impacts of real-time decisions. HIAs help identify and address the likely health benefits and risks of a decision made in a field outside the health sector, in this case education. HIAs use a flexible approach that brings together public health expertise, scientific data, and input from community and other stakeholders to examine the potential health risks and benefits of key policy proposals. Based on the potential effects identified, HIAs provide practical recommendations to capitalize on opportunities to improve community health and to minimize any potential health risks.

This HIA was made possible by a grant of more than $89,000 from the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts dedicated to promoting the use of health impact assessments in the United States. More information and a searchable map of HIA activity in the United States are available at www.healthimpactproject.org.

The UNLV School of Community Health Sciences is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.unlv.edu/publichealth.

The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Health Impact Project, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation or The Pew Charitable Trusts.

This project is supported by a grant from the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

For Immediate Release

Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#GoverningNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV—During this election cycle, the citizens of Nevada will be asked to vote on three ballot initiatives. One of these is Question 2, which addresses the constitutional provision capping the taxation of minerals extracted in Nevada. It reads: “Shall the Nevada Constitution be amended to remove the cap on the taxation of minerals and other requirements and restrictions relating to the taxation of mines, mining claims, and minerals and the distribution of money collected from such taxation?” 

“The Guinn Center’s intent is to provide a Fact Sheet summarizing information and arguments in support of and opposed to Question 2 so that voters can go to the polls feeling as though they are well-informed and have a better understanding of the issues,” said Dr. Nancy Brune, Executive Director of the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities.

The Fact Sheet on Question 2 offers the following:

• A description of Question 2 and why it is coming before the voters;
• A summary of Senate Bill 400 from the 2013 Nevada Legislature, which will go into effect on November 25, 2014, if a majority of voters approve Question 2;
• The calculation of net proceeds of mineral taxes, by county;
• The state-wide distribution of the net proceeds of mineral taxes, by county;
• A description of the economic impact of the mining industry in Nevada; and
• A summary of the arguments for and against Question 2.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and fact-based analysis of critical policy issues facing the state of Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to advance policy solutions, inform the public debate, and expand public engagement.

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For Immediate Release

Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#SustainingNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV—Nevada faces a critical shortage of mental health professionals. To focus on issues that can be addressed during the 2015 Legislative Session, the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities has released Nevada’s Mental Health Workforce: Shortages and Opportunities.  

“Improving mental health services has become a top priority for Nevada’s Governor and Legislature,” said Victoria Carreón, Director of Research and Policy at the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “Building Nevada’s mental health workforce has emerged as a critical component of this effort.” Recommendations to reduce licensing barriers for mental health professionals coming from other states include:

• Simplify licensing exam requirements by requiring only national exams and not State-specific tests.
• Eliminate years of experience requirements and accept training requirements from other states.
• Create uniform procedures for administering fingerprinting and allow provisional or full licenses to be granted before receipt of fingerprint results.
• Provide temporary or provisional licenses to professionals in good standing in other states until they meet all Nevada requirements.
• Create uniform 30-day timelines to consider applications.
• Consider joining interstate compacts in medicine, nursing, and psychology to improve recruitment from other states and facilitate telehealth services.

To improve competitiveness of State mental health employee salaries, the Guinn Center recommends increasing State salaries, benefits and incentives for mental health professionals and reducing reliance on contract workers. To create a sustainable mental health workforce over the long-term, the State should direct the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation to create a plan with an emphasis on engagement, training, recruitment, and retention.

The Guinn Center will be presenting its recommendations during a panel on health care provider shortages at the UNLV and UNSOM Interprofessional Health Equity Symposium on October 10, 2014. More information: http://www.law.unlv.edu/HealthEquitySymposium2014.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and data-driven analysis of critical policy issues facing Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research and analysis to advance policy solutions and inform debate.

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For Immediate Release

Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#GoverningNevada

LAS VEGAS, NV—The Nevada Legislature will be considering an unprecedented $1.3 billion tax incentive package for Tesla Motors this week. To focus attention on issues legislators should take into account while reviewing this proposal, the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities has released Development Incentives: A Guide for Nevada Legislators.

“Nevada has provided relatively few tax incentives to businesses in the past compared to other states,” said Philip G. Satre, Chairman of the Guinn Center’s Board. “It is important for legislators to examine best practices from other states to ensure that the tax incentive package is in the best interest of Nevadans. A growing number of states are putting in place provisions that promote transparency and accountability, emphasize performance, encourage local hiring, and focus on job training.”

“Drawing on these best practices, the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities recommends that the Legislature ensure that development incentives include performance-based measures and clawback provisions,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director. Other recommendations outlined in the policy brief include:

• Require that transferable credits (valued at $120 million) included in the Tesla tax incentive package are transferred at their original value and not at a discount.
• Reduce sales and use tax abatements relative to property tax abatements, and lower the overall amount of sales and use tax and property tax abatements.
• Establish a government commission to monitor the agreement and performance targets.
• Establish a standing committee between Tesla and the Nevada System of Higher Education to build the workforce pipeline.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and fact-based analysis of critical policy issues facing the state of Nevada. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to advance policy solutions, inform the public debate, and expand public engagement.

For Immediate Release

Professional Development is Key to Improving Literacy Levels in Nevada, But Are We Using Every Resource?

WHAT

Nevada Succeeds and the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities will present a report on the current state of Professional Development in Nevada, highlighting both best practices as well as areas of opportunity to improve the current system, with a special focus on literacy outcomes – critical given Nevada’s large English Language Learner population.

The presentation will also speak to the unused federal funds that were revealed during the creation of this report, and how current resources can be reassigned or reprioritized in order to support Nevada’s teachers via Professional Development; presentation to be followed by a panel discussion of education leaders from across Nevada’s education system.

WHEN: Monday August 4th, 2014, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

WHERE:  The Public Education Foundation, 4350 S. Maryland Parkway,  Las Vegas, NV 89119                                                                                                                                                 

Details

Report Coauthors & Presenters:

Seth Rau, Policy Director at Nevada Succeeds

Victoria Carreon, Director of Research and Policy at the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities

Following the report presentation, a panel discussion will occur, and will feature the following panelists in addition to the two report presenters:

Dena Durish, Director of Educator Effectiveness, Nevada Dept. of Education

Marty Gardner, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, CCSD

Ernie Rambo, Teacher leader at Johnson Middle School, CCSD

Salvador Rosales, Coordinator IV, Reading Rangers/WIPR, English Language Learner Department, CCSD

Both Seth Rau and Victoria Carreon will be available for interviews following the event, and the full report can be found at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#EducatingNevada

Inquiries may be directed to:

Jacob Silverstein, Communications Director, Nevada Succeeds

775 -301-5201 or jacob@nevadasucceeds.org

For Immediate Release

Former Executive Director of the Morrison Institute and Former President/Publisher of the Reno Gazette Journal Susan Clark-Johnson Joins the Board of Directors of the Kenny Guinn for Policy Priorities

LAS VEGAS, NV — The Board of Directors of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to announce the appointment to the board of Ms. Susan Clark-Johnson, who recently stepped down as Executive Director of Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan think tank providing data-driven analysis of policy issues, a position she held from 2008-2013. Ms. Clark-Johnson retired in 2008 as president of the Gannett Company’s publishing division, with responsibility at the time for over 100 newspapers, websites and magazines across the country.

Prior to that, she was publisher and CEO of The Arizona Republic, and President of Gannett’s western division. From 1985 to 2000, Ms. Clark-Johnson was chairman, publisher and CEO of the Reno Gazette-Journal and President of Gannett’s western division. While in Reno she served as co-founding chair (with Phil Satre) of the Forum for a Common Agenda. Ms. Clark-Johnson is currently executive-in-residence at the Walter Cronkite School for Journalism and Mass Communications at ASU.

She is a member of the board of directors of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and Chyron Company. Ms. Clark-Johnson has been recognized by numerous organizations, including lifetime achievement awards from The Washington Women’s Center, and the National Association of Female Executives. She was awarded the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award for Diversity efforts from the National Association of Minority Media Executives, and the Jerry J. Wisotsky Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League. Ms. Clark-Johnson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Phoenix Council on Foreign Relations. She is active in community organizations, serving on a variety of non-profit boards including Lake Tahoe Summerfest. She lives at Lake Tahoe, Nevada and Paradise Valley, Arizona.

“We are delighted that Sue has agreed to join the board and lend her vast experience and insights to the Guinn Center’s mission and work. Her experience at the Morrison Institute and her distinguished career in journalism and publishing will enhance the Guinn Center’s ability to provide relevant, timely, and accurate information,” said Philip G. Satre, Chairman of the Board.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and fact-based analysis of critical policy issues facing the state of Nevada and the Intermountain West. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to advance policy solutions, inform the public debate, and expand public engagement.

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For Immediate Release

Appointment of Senior Fellow to the Guinn Center

LAS VEGAS, NV — The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities announces the appointment of Brian Davie as a Senior Fellow. Mr. Davie recently retired after 28 years of service with the Legislative Counsel Bureau (LCB), the nonpartisan staff arm of the Nevada Legislature. He served as a Senior and Principal Research Analyst with the Research Division, and spent the past 19 years managing the Las Vegas Office of LCB as its first Legislative Services Officer.

Mr. Davie has participated in every legislative session in Nevada since 1985. He has staffed numerous interim and standing legislative committees, producing research and reports on a variety of major public policy issues including reapportionment, public lands, and school safety. Mr. Davie received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United State Military Academy at West Point, New York, and obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.

“We are pleased to have Brian Davie join the Guinn Center,” stated Senator Randolph Townsend, Secretary of the Guinn Center’s Board. “I had the pleasure of working with Brian while I was in the Senate and he was at the LCB. His knowledge of the workings of the Nevada legislature and the complex policy challenges facing Nevada will enhance the ability of the Guinn Center to provide legislators with timely, independent analysis that can assist them as they consider policies that will benefit Nevadans.”

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and fact-based analysis of critical policy issues facing the state of Nevada and the Intermountain West region. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to advance policy solutions, inform the public debate, and expand public engagement.

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For Immediate Release

Read more at: https://guinncenter.org/publications/policy-reports/#AChangingNevada.

Building the Infrastructure of Opportunity for Latinos in Nevada

LAS VEGAS, NV—Latinos in the Intermountain West were hit hard by the Great Recession and have had more difficulty recovering economically than non-Latinos. To improve economic resiliency, states need to develop an infrastructure of opportunity, according to The State of Latinos in the Intermountain West, a new report authored by the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. Key elements of the infrastructure of opportunity include access to quality education, effective training and job development, health care, and capital.

“We found that outcomes for Latinos in the areas of education, economic well-being, and business development often lag behind non-Latinos throughout the Intermountain West,” said Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director of the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. “Nevada’s Latinos often fare worse than Latinos in other states in the region. We have developed some policy guidance for policymakers in the areas of education, workforce development, and access to capital, that we believe could help build a robust infrastructure of opportunity.”

To highlight the paper’s findings, the Guinn Center will host an event on June 30, 2014 featuring three panel discussions on policies improving the well-being of Latinos in the areas of higher education, workforce development, and access to capital. “The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to be able to host an event on Latinos featuring national policy experts,” said Philip G. Satre, Chairman of the Guinn Center’s Board. “One of the Guinn Center’s goals is to engage policymakers and community members in a rich discussion based on data-driven analysis. These experts have real-world experience researching and implementing policies that have improved the well-being of Latinos. This experience can help inform the policy debate in Nevada.”

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and fact-based analysis of critical policy issues facing the state of Nevada. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to advance policy solutions, inform the public debate, and expand public engagement.

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For Immediate Release

LAS VEGAS, NV — The Board of Directors of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is pleased to announce the appointment to the board of directors of Mr. Chris Roman, President and Chief Executive Officer of MundoFox affiliates KMCC-DT Las Vegas and KYVV-DT San Antonio.  Prior to heading MundoFox, which has stations in Las Vegas and most recently San Antonio, Texas, Mr. Roman held senior leadership positions at Entravision, most recently as the Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing Solutions.

Mr. Roman is an active member of the community and sits on the board of United Way of Southern Nevada, the Nevada Broadcasters Association, and Nevada Succeeds, a non-profit, non-partisan coalition of business leaders committed to improving the state’s education system for workforce development and economic growth. He is also an Advisory Board member of UNLV’s Greenspun College of Urban Affairs.

“We are thrilled to have Chris Roman join the board of directors. He has deep ties to the business community and the Latino community in southern Nevada. He also has a deep understanding of public opinion and regional issues, and knows the importance of providing real-time and relevant information,” said Philip G. Satre, Chairman of the Guinn Center’s Board.

The Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a nonprofit, bipartisan, policy center focused on providing independent and fact-based analysis of critical policy issues facing the state of Nevada. The Guinn Center engages policy-makers, experts, and the public with innovative, fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to advance policy solutions, inform the public debate, and expand public engagement.

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Ward 3 Councilman Bob Coffin will host a Latino Network of Southern Nevada event Friday at Las Vegas City Hall, 495 S. Main Street, from 9 a.m. to noon. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman will provide opening remarks, followed by presentations by Ruben Murillo, president of the Nevada State Education Association on Communities and Schools Working Together; Rae Lathrop, associate director with the Outside Las Vegas Foundation on the Downtown Achieves initiative; and Dr. Nancy Brune with the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities on Opportunities in the Policy Landscape.

There will also be workgroup sessions and a networking lunch.

The Latino Network of Southern Nevada is a networking forum for Latino leaders, community members, and organizations that advocate for issues and policies beneficial to the Latino community.

Contact: Dr. Nancy E. Brune, Executive Director

Phone (702) 522-2178

LAS VEGAS, NV—The Kenny C. Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, a new bipartisan policy center in Nevada that provides data-driven and independent analysis, will be hosting its first major event on June 30, 2014: Building the Infrastructure of Opportunity for Latinos in Nevada.

At the event, the Guinn Center will release its first major policy report titled The State of Latinos in the Intermountain West. This report will discuss seminal issues affecting Latinos in Nevada and the Intermountain West states, and will discuss how to build an infrastructure of opportunity to improve outcomes.

The event will feature three panel discussions highlighting research and best practices by national experts on policies improving the well-being of Latinos in the areas of higher education, workforce development, and access to capital.

Event Information

June 30, 2014

8:00 AM to 12:30PM

InNEVation Center, 6795 Edmond Street, Suite 300, Las Vegas, NV 89118

For more information, see the Guinn Center’s website at https://guinncenter.org/events/.