Where I Stand On The Issues

I've always thought it was the best policy to take a definite stand on issues and let people know where I stand. I've tried to write my legislation to help working people and the elderly living on fixed incomes. Here are a few issues I have worked on in the Nevada Legislature.

Senior Prescription Drugs

Thousands of Nevada seniors were without prescription drug insurance coverage. Our state developed a program to help low-income seniors in need of prescription medication, but the program was just not working. Only 200 Nevada seniors had enrolled while thousands were in need of help. After talking with seniors, physicians and senior advocates, I rewrote the program. We made it easier to understand, more cost effective, and we reduced the co-payment fees charged to the elderly.

I am working now to make further improvements. Additionally, I'm looking at ways the state can pass along even greater savings by purchasing the most commonly-used prescription medications in bulk. Because of my work, I was asked to testify before Congress on prescription drug programs for seniors and Medicare recipients. I hope our experiences can help other states make positive changes.

Assisted Living for Seniors

Sometimes temporary setbacks turn into blessings. I'd worked to create an assisted living facility for seniors on fixed incomes who cannot afford the sky-high rates often charged. Unfortunately, there was no money in the state budget for the project.

That's when Harrah's Entertainment stepped in to earmark a grant towards the project. I asked the state's Housing Division to match the grant. Then, I turned to U.S. Senator Harry Reid to find a piece of BLM land for the project. The City of Las Vegas produced land and funds to help build the project.

Now, the Silver Sky project is almost 80% completed. Not only will we have a fine model facility, we have developed a method to create more affordable assisted living projects in the future. For more information on it, look at their website, www.silverskyassistedliving.com.

And, we are able to build on this first success. I am working with Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Ross to acquire new land for another facility for those in need of affordable assisted living.

Consumer Protection

As a legislator, people often come to me with problems they face. Sometimes it involves an area overlooked by the law where people are cheated and there is no protection. This often gives me ideas for new legislation.

I found that some car salespersons and realtors had actually falsified buyers' credit applications in order to make a sale. Later, the buyers could not keep up their payments, lost the car or house, and were often left with nothing. I sponsored legislation changing the law to make falsification of a credit application an unfair and deceptive trade practice.

In another case, a young woman bought a used car only to find it was two different wrecked cars welded together. Because it was unsafe to drive, she made a claim on the dealer's bond only to find that because the fair market price of the two welded wrecks was nothing, she had nothing coming. A bill I sponsored now allows people to recover their losses.

We had a law on the books which allowed you to recover your losses for shoddy repairs done by a contractor. However, some contractors simply declared bankruptcy to dodge the claims. The only alternative for the consumer was to file a costly law suit. I introduced and the legislature passed new legislation so the Contractor's Board could review the case and grant recovery funds to help repay the cost of making the right repairs.

These consumer protection laws will prevent people from being ripped off and keep our state from becoming a target for con artists.

Identity Theft

We are all reading more and more about identity theft where a criminal gains access to your social security number, credit card number or other identification and then creates a new identity. They run up bills, ruin credit ratings, and create havoc for the victims. With electronic fund transfers, the internet and other new ways of conducting financing, it became easier than ever to prey on people. Nevada, like many states, had not caught up to the times.

I introduced legislation which changed our law to specifically make identity theft illegal, closing a loophole and helping to protect consumers.

Corporate Fraud

While the bill was not intended to create a shield to protect actions such as Enron took, that's just what the bill did. I stood in opposition to that part of the bill, saying people must be held accountable for their actions. I am glad to report we killed a bad idea.

While the bill was not intended to create a shield to protect actions such as Ken Lay and Enron took, that's just what the bill did. I stood in opposition to that bill and urged other legislators to vote no, saying people must be held accountable for their actions. I am glad to report we killed the legislation.

Mobile Homes

When the Nevada Manufactured Homeowners Association, the association of residents who own mobile homes and live in parks, asked me to introduce a rent justification bill, I did. I know that too often these residents, often elderly, are faced with higher rents or the costly choice of moving their homes after putting in years of work and landscaping.

While this bill passed the Assembly, it was killed by the Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee. It will take a change in the composition of the Senate to get this bill through their house. Ask your State Senate candidate where he or she stands.

A success for mobile homeowners was a new law requiring mobile home sales people to obtain yearly continuing education. It is our hope we can reduce the number of complaints about questionable business practices and protect buyers.

Your Power Bills

The Public Utility Commission is responsible for independently regulating the rates for the power companies in Nevada.

However, the state legislature can play a part. When the question of deregulation came up several years ago, I spoke against it and voted against it. I felt there was too great a chance for price gouging and profiteering.

I spoke against the sale of Nevada power plants to out-of-state companies for the same reason. I voted to end deregulation once it was passed.

The PUC has rejected a large part of Nevada Power's proposed rate increase. The legislature must carefully follow the events of the next few months to see what further action should be taken.