ASSEMBLYWOMAN MICHELE FIORE Newslatter 06/21/2013

Friends, I have never fully appreciated what it means for our Nevada legislators to literally stop their lives for 120 days to serve in Carson City. I am so thankful for the experience, and I cannot wait for 2015; however, it is nice to be back in District 4 with my neighbors and my family. Speaking of family, I am so proud to announce the birth of Mara and Morrigan, my twin granddaughters. Jayden arrived on May 20th, so it has been a busy month for my family.    (Left - Jake holding his new little sister, Jayden Right - Jayden in her cute hat)    (Left - Mara & Morrigan sleeping Right - Mara with her eyes open and Morrigan snuggling up)

ASSEMBLYWOMAN MICHELE FIORE NEWSLETTER 06/13/2013

Friends, I'm so thankful that Governor Sandoval has listened to the thousands of Nevadans who have contacted his office urging him to oppose SB221. Less than an hour ago Governor Sandoval vetoed this bill. Senate Bill 221 hits home for me. Not only would this gun control legislation negatively impact law-abiding Nevadans from one end of the state to the other, I am appalled to hear about the hundreds of thousands of dollars the New York based, Mayor Bloomberg funded Mayors Against Illegal Guns spent in Nevada to buy this vote. Even more, they flooded our Legislators and Governor with calls from people who live across the country, claiming to speak for Nevadans. But Nevadans pushed back. The Governor's office is reporting thousands of calls urging him to veto SB221, and for every call in support, there were four calls opposed. This is what we call public outcry.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN MICHELE FIORE NEWSLETTER 05/07/2013

Friends, The 77th Session of the Nevada Legislature is scheduled to conclude in less than 30 days, and while the budget is starting to take up more time, we're still hard at work on proposed legislation. Last week Assembly Bill 248 was heard by the Senate Judiciary committee, and I'm so thankful for the overwhelming support from the law enforcement community. Click here to watch some highlights of the support for AB248 AB248 has been a huge learning experience for me as this bill has evolved into an interim study so the judicial and law enforcement community can really look into ways to improve our criminal infraction system. I'm hoping to be invited to join this interim committee and will keep you posted on AB248's progress during the interim and the 78th Legislative Session in 2015.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN MICHELE FIORE NEWSLETTER 04/30/2013

Friends, On Thursday last week I attended the University of Nevada, Reno College Republicans and College Democrats debate on the 2nd Amendment. I was blown away by the caliber of our young people and their discussion of such a passionate topic.       As part of my visit to the UNR campus, I also wanted to carry my concealed firearm for my own security. This has been a very important issue to me this year, and I wanted to experience first hand the system that the school put in place to deal with these requests. I submitted my request to UNR President Marc Johnson's office on April 18th, outlining my concerns about my safety and requesting to carry my firearm on campus, per university policy. University staff followed up with some specific questions before making their decision. On April 24th I received notification that I had been given conditional approval - I would be allowed to stow my firearm in my vehicle, and I would be given a police officer for the evening.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN MICHELE FIORE NEWSLETTER 04/24/2013

Friends, Yesterday was the second major deadline for the 77th Nevada Legislature. Bills had to be passed from their first house by midnight last night, April 23rd. I'm excited to report that three of the bills I proposed passed that hurdle and will be continuing forward. This is the halfway point for bills; they will now be heard by their second committee before being voted on by the second house. From there they go to the governor.   Assembly Bill 248 - This bill would change many of our minor vehicle infractions from criminal to civil, which is consistent with many other states. My goal with this bill was to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers when people are arrested for minor infractions that would be better resolved through a fine. This bi-partisan bill is supported by 57 sponsors and co-sponsors and passed from the Assembly 41 to 0. It now moves to Senate Judiciary. If passed by the Senate, it will proceed to the Advisory Commission on the Administration of Justice during the interim to determine what it will take to implement and address some concerns that have been voiced by judges. The findings from the Commission will be presented to the Legislature in 2015.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN MICHELE FIORE NEWSLETTER 04/19/2013

Friends, Last night the Assembly voted on AB284, and I want to set the record straight about why I was opposed to this bill. AB284 has been proposed by Assemblywoman Lucy Flores to allow victims of domestic violence to end a lease agreement with their abuser. I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment; however, I could not vote for the bill because of a critical flaw that was not corrected. Currently, a victim of domestic violence must contact police or request a restraining order to receive protections. Under this bill, we would allow the termination of a lease with a police report, a restraining order or the affidavit of a 3rd party.   My concern with the 3rd party is that there is no obligation to contact the police so an investigation can be conducted. There is no opportunity for the police to take preventative stepssuch as revoking concealed weapon permits or removing firearms that are allowed when a complaint of domestic violence is filled.

MICHELE FIORE NEWSLETTER 02/26/2013

Friends, Every week in Carson City is busier and better than the week before, and I love making sure the voices from District 4 are being heard. Last week revolved around three big issues: sex trafficking, online gaming and homeowner's associations. On Wednesday Nevada's Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto presented AB67 to a joint meeting of the Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees and a crowd of at least 100 guests. We heard the story of our Las Vegas neighbor Andrea Swanson whose daughter was trafficked by her high school boyfriend. She was a student at Centennial High School in our Assembly District 4, the school where my daughter, Savanah, attended. Amy Ayoud who I have the utmost respect for and consider a friend also shared her story of being trafficked and gave voice to the countless women and children living that horror every day. The hearing on AB67 lasted nearly 4 hours, and even after being called to the floor, many of our peers from Senate Judiciary chose to stay and listen. My heart breaks for our victims, and I'm so thankful for my peers who are making this a priority.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN MICHELE FIORE'S NEWSLETTER

Friends, Yesterday I was given the opportunity to meet with Governor Sandoval to discuss our goals for the 77th Nevada Legislature that starts on Monday. We had a great conversation about the legislation being proposed to keep Nevada competitive for businesses and a place where our neighbors can still achieve the American dream.      In these last few days before the session begins, I have also spent a lot of time reflecting on our Founding Fathers and the framework they created for our nation. I have found their insights particularly helpful as there is more and more speculation about the types of legislation my peers will be introducing. I think we forget that spirited debate has always been part of the political process. The Founding Fathers found it impossible to agree on the Constitution without the first 10 amendments, each protecting a right our Founding Fathers believed was essential to protecting the freedom of future generations. When I read their words, it amazes me how carefully and precisely each sentence was crafted and how much they left to personal interpretation.