Where I Stand On The Issues

Dear Fellow Nevadan, Before the 2007 Nevada State Legislature began its work I posted my legislative goals here on my website home page. The goals were ambitious, but I was convinced they were necessary after holding long discussions with the voters in my own Assembly District 8, with community leaders, and with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

We got the job done. It wasn’t always easy, and there is certainly much more to do, but we met our goals. Here are some of the highlights . . .

Clamp down on high interest loans and deceptive loan practices.

Many Nevadans, needing to make ends meet between paychecks, have turned to the payday loan shops you see all over town. Some of these loan companies even targeted our men and women in the military, such as those stationed at Nellis Air Force Base or in the reserves.

Some of the companies were charging outrageous interest rates. As the Review-Journal reported it,

"This isn't about fair competition. This is about greed," Buckley said. "This is about putting people on a cycle of debt that they never get off."

Buckley displayed a Handy Cash contract that matured after one year, requiring a $1,602.60 payment on a $200 loan.

Buckley: Close payday loan loophole
High-interest lenders still charging 900 percent or more, lawmaker says Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 11, 2007

We passed tough regulations to rein in the out-of-control lenders and protect Nevada consumers. I will continue to monitor this industry to make sure borrowers are protected from deceptive loan practices.

Expand full-day kindergarten

As a mother myself, I’ve seen the effect of early learning and how it helps youngsters develop their skills more fully. Through my own research and with the input of parents and education professionals, it became clear that Nevada could help many more children be successful by expanding the opportunities for full-time kindergarten instead of the half-day sessions usually found in Nevada schools.

I sponsored Assembly Bill 157 to do that. When the financial projections for the next two years were presented to the legislature late in our legislative session, it became clear there wasn’t enough money to offer the program to all schools and students. The severe budget shortfalls which occurred after the close of the legislative session put this program on hold.

We wanted to expand the program to the schools which need the program the most. Starting with this school year more kindergarten students would have the opportunity to learn more, develop their skills more fully, and get a better start in school. As a parent and a lawmaker, I believe this is better for our children, and I am determined to implement this program as our economy improves.

Small businesses and pregnant employees

In Nevada we have a large number of women who never see a doctor during their pregnancies, sometimes resulting in difficult deliveries and children who require costly medical care which could have been avoided through early medical assistance.

Many of these same women work, but they are employed by small businesses which cannot afford health insurance for their employees. The women can’t afford medical care, and the employers can’t afford to offer insurance.

Using Assembly Bill 168, we found a way to provide incentives to the employers so they could afford health coverage for pregnant employees. As a result, we should see more healthy babies and fewer tax-paid bills for sickly children. The recent downturn in Nevada’s economy, and the subsequent budget cuts we were forced to make, put this program on hold, but I intend to pursue it again in the coming legislative session.

Increase accountability in child death reports

One of the things which was truly shocking to me was the inability of various child welfare agencies to document how many children had died, or nearly died, while in their care or under their supervision.

We have all read news stories about children who died while in protective custody and the reports of children who died or went missing while in foster care. When I began investigating, I found it was hard to get accurate information. Sometimes we were told that the dead child’s records were still confidential to protect the child. How could we determine if we had a true problem without clear information?

I worked with the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee to write Assembly Bill 261 to require any agency which provides child welfare services to release upon request certain information relating to a case of abuse or neglect that results in the death or near death of a child.

That legislation passed and is now law, and we have taken a big step forward for accountability.

Broadening the Open Meeting Law

Many of you know I’ve been an advocate for open government and transparency in government action. The Nevada Tax Commission has the ability to alter or diminish taxes on appeal, but the Commission was deliberating in secret, and I believe that was wrong.

I believe we have a right to know their thinking if they adjust a tax bill whether for an individual or for a huge business interest, and we should know whether or not we could be affected by those decisions. I authored, and the legislature passed, Assembly Bill 433 which limits the authority of the Tax Commission to hold closed meetings.

I see that as another step forward for open government.

I would also like to mention the hard work of all legislators. We had our disagreements of course, but we were able to come together for the good of Nevada and pass a wide range of important legislative acts.

Kudos go to those who championed legislation and saw it through. If you click here you can see a partial list of that legislation. I’ve cited the bill number, a brief description, the chief sponsor (or committee) and when the bill became effective.

As always, I welcome your ideas and comments. If you want to send me a note, just click here for an automatic contact form. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely,

Barbara Buckley
Assembly Speaker
Representative from Assembly District 8