The Year in Review

With the year winding down, I thought it would be interesting to look back at the 10 most popular blog posts from the past year:

1. Released emails burn county firefighters - Obtained emails show local firefighters working with their supervisors to game the sick-leave system.
2. Brothels aren't the only things Harry Reid wants abolished - In an address before the state legislature, Sen. Harry Reid calls for an end to term limits in Nevada.
3. Officers refuse to participate under new inquest system - Las Vegas Police Protective Association President Chris Collins tells his officers not to participate in the revamped coroner's inquest process. The department would suffer a series of black eyes later in the year following a Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative series on officer-involved shootings and the death of Stanley Gibson shortly thereafter.
4. Gov. Sandoval releases office's salary information - An encouraging first step from the newly sworn-in governor.
5. Nevada ethics case heads to Supreme Court - An early post on Nevada Commission on Ethics v. Carrigan, an ethics case involving Sparks city Councilman Michael Carrigan. The case would eventually be decided by the Supreme Court in favor of the Commission; it held that the act of voting by a public official is not a form of free speech.
6. Transparency award given in secret - Sounds like an article from The Onion, but isn't.
7. Reid finally sees the light on earmarks - Sen. Harry Reid "reluctantly" comes out in support of a one-year earmark moratorium.
8. Berkley's husband's healthcare influence questioned - A New York Times front-page piece on how Rep. Shelley Berkley's husband benefited from her efforts to save the kidney care department at University Medical Center.
9. Judge "wishes" reporter wouldn't cover story - Judge Allan Earl is apparently a unclear on the whole "freedom of the press" thing.
10. Public officials easing into top-flight lobbying jobs following departures - Politico has the scoop on Obama administration officials leaving for top jobs on Wall Street, K Street and major PR firms.

It's been a great year for TransparentNevada and NPRI and 2012 should be even better. We have some great projects on the horizon and hope to bring you even more transparency stories as the election gears up. So stay tuned and thanks for reading. Happy New Year!

Transparency Review (12/26-12/30)

• A coalition led by the AFL-CIO hopes to collect 72,000 signatures on a proposal to force lawmakers to consider a business tax next session. The coalition's proposal is similar to the "margins tax" introduced by Democrats during the 2011 Legislative Session. If the Legislature doesn't act, the initiative would be placed on the 2014 ballot.

• Beginning next election cycle, Secretary of State Ross Miller will have limited subpoena powers to question third-party and anonymous Internet attack ads. Miller's new power was part of the omnibus campaign finance reform package passed last session.

• The Elko Daily Free Press editorial board supported a recent state Supreme Court ruling regarding government e-mails as public records. The recent ruling involved former governor Jim Gibbons, and said Gibbons can't cite confidentiality as a reason to withhold e-mails he sent while in office. Instead, Gibbons must provide a "general, factual description of each record withheld."

• Keep checking http://transparentnevada.com and following @TransparentNV on Twitter in 2012 for the latest public-salary and transparency updates. Have a Happy New Year!
  

What is best for Nevada: caucus or primary?

The Las Vegas Sun's Anjeanette Damon examines the differences between a primary and a caucus, and concludes that since Nevada is relatively new to the caucus format, a primary election may be more effective for the state.

Nevada's GOP presidential caucuses are scheduled for Feb. 4, 2012, and Damon notes that the state GOP is allowing each county to set its own rules and times on caucus day, which could lead to confusion among party voters.

Unlike a primary, where voters simply go to the ballot box and select a candidate, a caucus involves party members in each precinct debating the merits of each candidate and then participating in a poll reflecting the group's favored candidates.

Damon notes that Carson City is planning to institute a "vote and go" process that reflects a traditional primary, whereas Clark County is favoring staggered voting times to alleviate crowds.

In 2008, Hillary Clinton's campaign sued to prevent the Nevada Democratic Party from holding a caucus on the Strip, where then-candidate Barack Obama had heavy culinary-union support. Spokesmen for Mitt Romney’s and Ron Paul's campaigns, the only two campaigns with offices in Nevada this year, said it's "unlikely" either campaign would sue.

Transparency Review (12/19-12/23)

• State Sen. Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, one of the defendants named in NPRI's separation-of-powers lawsuit, on Monday announced he will resign from his position at the Public Utilities Commission. Denis claimed NPRI's lawsuit didn't influence his decision, telling reporters instead that he wanted a private-sector job with "more flexibility.
  



• Even though he's only been in office for one year, Gov. Brian Sandoval confirmed he plans to run for re-election in 2014, reports Ray Hagar of the Reno Gazette-Journal. Sandoval also denounced the possibility of being a vice-presidential candidate in 2012, saying he "made a commitment to the state of Nevada to serve my term and that is exactly what I will do."
  



• Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Ross will face a recall election after a list of 1,105 signatures was presented to city election officials on Wednesday. The number of signatures barely passed the 1,084 required to force a recall in Las Vegas.
  



• TransparentNevada recently added November and December Board of Education contracts, as well as third quarter House of Representatives financial disbursements. Continue checking http://transparentnevada.com/ or follow us on Twitter @TransparentNV for the latest updates.

Columnist lists separation of powers, redistricting as top political stories of year

Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston listed "The courts rule" as his No. 1 political story in Nevada during 2011, citing court rulings on everything from redistricting to the CD-2 special election.

Additionally, Ralston hinted at NPRI's recently filed separation-of-powers lawsuit in Carson City's first district court, saying Judge James Todd Russell, who ruled on the redistricting and special election cases, could hear NPRI's case in 2012.

Ralston also listed "Ensign abandons ship" as his No. 2 story of the year, referring to the former senator's resignation in April. Ralston noted the domino effect of Ensign's resignation, as it led to former CD-2 congressman Dean Heller's appointment to the Senate, which gave way to the CD-2 special election won by Republican Mark Amodei.

The remainder of Ralston's list included:

3) "The budget that failed," referring to Gov. Sandoval's failed budget plan.

4) ”The masterful maps," referring to the special masters and their map plan, which resulted from the Legislature failing to pass new maps.

5) "Sandoval rising," referring to Gov. Sandoval's "superb political skills" during Session.

6) ”The end of legislative leadership," referring to the lackluster leadership (according to Ralston) of Assembly Speaker John Oceguera and Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford.

7) "The Goofy Old Party," referring to the Nevada Republican Party conceding New Hampshire’s superior role in the 2012 GOP primary/caucus cycle.

8) "Prince Harry lives and breathes (fire)," referring to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's continued influence over state politics.

9) "Marshalling a congresswoman," referring to State Treasurer Kate Marshall's unsuccessful campaign for CD-2.

10) "A Goodwoman always wins," referring to Carolyn Goodman winning the Las Vegas Mayoral election, replacing her husband, Oscar.

Transparency Review (12/12-12/16)

• Newly appointed Henderson City Attorney Josh Reid will earn $190,000 in his new position, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Reid's appointment was met with controversy after it was discovered that his father, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, lobbied city council members on behalf of his son.
• The Las Vegas Sun's Anjeanette Damon speculates about Secretary of State Ross Miller's mid-cycle fundraisers. Miller's term doesn't end until 2014, and Damon speculates he may be preparing to run for attorney general.
• On Wednesday, the Reno City Council approved new voting wards for the city. The Council supported their own, city-backed map as opposed to an alternative, NAACP-backed map that would've kept Reno's "ethnically-diverse" northeast neighborhoods in a single large ward as opposed to dividing it amongst three wards.
• Politico reports that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee erased over $19 million in debt months ahead of schedule. The DCCC wasn't predicted to clear their debt until early 2012, but had a large 2011 fundraising cycle led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi raising $25 million.

Heller reintroduces 'no budget, no pay' bill

Senator Dean Heller (R., NV) reintroduced his "no budget, no pay" bill on Tuesday that would withhold congressional paychecks if Congress fails to compromise on a budget resolution by the beginning of the fiscal year.

Heller previously introduced his bill in July, citing Congress' inability to pass a budget since 2009, but the bill was never brought to a vote.

The "no budget, no pay" idea has bipartisan support with Rep. Jim Cooper (D., TN) introducing companion legislation in the House. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (D) and former-Indiana senator Evan Bayh (D) have also expressed their support.

Cooper and Heller announced their bills as part of the No Labels campaign, a nonpartisan organization working to "make Congress work!"

Government accountability has been one of Heller's goals since he was appointed to former-senator John Ensign's seat last summer. He was an outspoken advocate of transparent Joint Deficit Reduction Committee meetings and has never voted for congressional salary increases.

Reid backs maligned NRC commissioner

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., NV) defended Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Gregory Jaczko over the weekend, claiming criticism against Jaczko is a "politically motivated witch hunt."

Reid's defense comes in the wake of a letter from four other NRC commissioners who criticized Jaczko for using bullying tactics and causing "serious damage to the commission."

The letter further accused Jaczko of intimidating staff members and ignoring the will of the panel's majority on certain orders.

Jaczko, a former Reid aide, defended himself in a statement and said problems stemmed from the other commissioners' "lack of understanding."

The House Oversight and Government Reform committee is expected to hold a hearing about the NRC on Wednesday. The AP didn't report on if Reid plans on testifying on Jaczko's behalf.

Transparency Review (12/5-12/9)

• The State Ethics Commission is seeking $65,000 from the Interim Finance Committee for hiring new staff and alleviating a two-year backlog of unpublished requests, the Nevada News Bureau reports. The state Board of Examiners will review the request on Tuesday, and if approved, the request will be considered by the Interim Finance Committee at their Dec. 15 meeting.
• No party filed a challenge to the special masters' redistricting maps by the Wednesday, Dec. 7 deadline, meaning the masters' maps will be Nevada's official election maps for the next decade. Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechia (R-Eureka) was displeased with some of the districts but told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that an appeal would likely take 18-months, which "would not serve anybody."
• A former Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles employee could face up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a federal bribery charge of accepting thousands of dollars to provide illegal immigrants with driver's licenses. The employee's sentencing is scheduled for March 6, and she could face a $250,000 fine in addition to jail time.
• The Las Vegas Sun's Anjeanette Damon reports that the Legislature's new Sunset Committee is expected to begin reviewing the various boards and commissions throughout the state in order to create "more nimble, transparent and responsive regulation" throughout the state. The drawback, according to Damon, is that some lawmakers on the committee may target groups for political reasons.

Former assemblyman Williams is two years late on his campaign-finance-violation fine

After two years of not paying on a fine stemming from a campaign-finance violation, former assemblyman Wendell Williams sent the state a $100 check.

The check arrived over a month after his wife, Zelda Williams, informed the Las Vegas Sun the check had been mailed.

The Sun reported that the state plans on continuing their pursuit of a civil action from the attorney general's office for Williams' additional $9,400 in unpaid fines.

Williams' $100 payment was his first payment towards the fines since August 2009, and he owes another $1,940 to the City of Las Vegas for using a city phone and incorrectly reporting time cards during his tenure in the Legislature.

According to the Sun, the city wrote off Williams' debt after unsuccessfully trying to collect it from him.

NPRI's Steven Miller chronicled Williams' troubles in his "Lawmakers vs. the Law" series published last Spring.

Reid announces election finance reform bill DOA

House Republicans voted last week to eliminate the Election Assistance Commission and the "three-dollar checkoff" on federal 1040 tax forms, claiming they wanted to eliminate another "bloated federal agency."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., NV), however, declared the bill dead on arrival, calling the reform "an act of voter suppression."

The $3 donation box was created in the wake of the Watergate scandal, reports Karoun Demirjian for the Las Vegas Sun, and the EAC was created following the 2000 Bush v. Gore election controversy.

The EAC was created along with the "Help America Vote Act," which provides grants to help counties update their voter registration lists and educate voters, which is one of the reasons Reid wants to save the commission.

The Obama Administration issued a statement siding with Reid, even though Obama was the first presidential candidate to turn down public financing, which is aided by the $3 1040 donations.