Dear Friends,
This session has had me questioning the
integrity of some of my peers. Many of our elected officials are using
their power to play political games instead of being focused on helping
Nevadans.
You might have heard that last Thursday there
was a very heated floor session regarding SB 175, which we had amended
“Amanda’s Law” (aka campus carry) into. The campus carry
amendment, which was originally AB 148, would have allowed concealed carry
permit holders to carry on campuses across Nevada and was intended to give
Nevadans the right to choose how to defend themselves. I felt obligated to
bring this bill forward after hearing the story of Amanda Collins, a
concealed-carry permit holder, who was unarmed and attacked in a parking
garage at the University of Nevada, Reno.
AB 148 passed the Assembly with a 24-15 vote in
April. The bill was stalled in the Senate when the Chairman of the
Judiciary Committee, Greg Brower, claimed there were not enough votes to
justify holding a hearing. Campus carry was later amended into another
bill, SB 175, thanks to Chairman Ira Hansen.
After the amendment to keep campus carry alive
did not pass the Assembly in Thursday’s hearing, I asked Speaker John
Hambrick for a roll call vote, where the votes of my peers would be
recorded, which he refused. I then asked for a 1-minute recess, which
Speaker Hambrick also denied. Feeling attacked by my peers, I left the
chambers to seek clarification of the rules from our legal counsel bureau.
My exit wasn’t the smoothest as I opened our chamber door with
purpose, which then lead to Speaker John Hambrick barring me, temporarily,
from the chamber floor. Imagine that?
I have been very passionate about
campus carry, and all of the pieces of legislation I have introduced this
session, because I strongly believe they benefit Nevadans. It is
heartbreaking for me to see legislation that I have worked so hard to
endorse killed because of someone’s personal vendetta.
I have seen these political games numerous times
throughout the 78th Session. Another bill that has drawn a lot of attention
was AB 405, a bill that would require parental notification if a minor is
seeking an abortion. Parental permission is required for a tattoo, but not
invasive medical procedures? There was a great divide between the party
lines on this bill, and it is easy to see where agendas are being
pushed.
This weekend I wasn’t able to go home. We
had been in chambers until 2:30am Saturday morning, passing Uber
legislation. This seems like Washington, DC behavior, passing bills in the
wee hours of the morning.
Hopefully I will get home this weekend to
celebrate my mom’s birthday, which was Monday May 25th. Happy
birthday, Mom. I love you!
As we head into the last days of the
78th Session, I would like to reassure Nevadans that I am fighting to
protect your rights. Thank you for your support.
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