April 8, 2020 - LAS VEGAS — The Guinn Center recently has released a series of reports, policy briefs, and infographics that address various dimensions of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Nevada.
“As Nevadans grapple with so much uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, the Guinn Center is committed to providing authoritative, evidence-based resources that shed light on the issues that are affecting our community,” stated Guinn Center Executive Director, Nancy E. Brune, Ph.D.
The Guinn Center’s recent work is detailed below and annotated for convenience:
What the CARES Act Means for Nevada’s Families and Businesses: In March 2020, the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted into law in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this policy brief, the Guinn Center provide a summary of the key provisions of the CARES Act for individuals, families, and businesses. A summary of the CARES Act in Spanish is available here.
Nevada’s Digital Divide: In order to continue educating Nevada’s approximately 500,000 students amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, Nevada’s K-12 public schools have shifted to virtual education. The Guinn Center analyzed data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS). This data provides useful information about the digital divide in Nevada, and the geographic areas where the digital divide is more prevalent. Infographics can be accessed here in English and here in Spanish.
Capacity and Financing for Public Health Emergencies in Nevada: The scale of the novel coronavirus, and its associated disease, COVID-19, is yet unknown in Nevada as cases continue to arise. In this policy brief, the Guinn Center presents a snapshot of the current health care system capacity and then more closely examine budgetary resources available to Nevada for public health emergencies. Infographics can be accessed here in English and Spanish.
The Proposed Budget Reserves Process for State Funding in Nevada: In response to the economic impact of COVID-19 on Nevada’s budget, Governor Steve Sisolak sent a memo in April 2020 to State agencies noting that he is examining the necessity of recommending budget reserves. The Guinn Center evaluates budget reserve targets and the implications for State funding in the current biennium (FY 2020-FY 2021).
COVID-19 and Small Businesses in Nevada: This policy brief examines the impact of previous economic downturns on small businesses in Nevada, using the Great Recession as a case study for what impact the COVID-19 pandemic might have on the Silver State’s economy and overall employment trends. Experience suggests that while Nevada’s economy is resilient, Nevada’s small businesses in certain sectors may suffer from short-term job losses.
COVID-19 Affects Housing Security in Nevada: In this policy brief, the Guinn Center notes that COVID-19 has forced businesses and nonprofits to lay-off employees. Now, with reduced income – or no income at all – housing may become unaffordable for many Nevadans, placing them at an increased risk of eviction. Many federal, state, and local decision-makers have discussed the implications of COVID-19 on housing stability, resulting in a patchwork response to this problem across the country.
Nevada’s Personal Care Aide Workforce: Health care workers are among those on the front lines of response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among this group of workers, personal care aides are among those most vulnerable to risk of exposure. This infographic in English and Spanish provides some data on the personal care aide workforce in Nevada.
Nevada Budget Overview 2019-2021: This policy brief explains Nevada’s budget process—such as the role of the Economic Forum—and provides both a broad-based overview of budgetary sources and spending in the Governor’s Recommended Budget and a detailed account of revenues and proposed expenditures. Infographics can be accessed here. Updated General Fund appropriations are available here.
Nevada’s Uninsured Population: This report examines Nevada’s uninsured population. Its objective is to furnish a composite of Nevada’s uninsured population so that stakeholders have the requisite data to develop a set of policy prescriptions and enhance administrative capacity in service of health insurance coverage expansion, given the consequences of uninsurance. These consequences include: limited access to health care, adverse health outcomes, medical debt, economic losses, and burdens on governmental financial resources. Infographics can be accessed here.
Paid Sick Leave in Nevada: In 2019, Nevada enacted Senate Bill (SB) 312, which went into effect on January 1, 2020. The legislation requires private employers with 50 or more employees to provide paid leave to all scheduled employees at a rate of at least 0.01923 hours of paid leave per hour of work performed. This policy brief examines the impact of paid sick leave legislation in Nevada.
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