Up in Assembly Judiciary: Bill #AB59 to raise tobacco sales age in Nevada from 18 to 21.

Change happened at federal level in December 2019, & states have 3 years to enforce it or they risk losing 10% of a block grant.

33 states already raised the age.

When states entered a huge Master Settlement Agreement with tobacco companies in the late 1990s, states were charged with "diligent enforcement" of the law in exchange for yearly payments from the settlement.

Payouts are big: Nevada received $41 million from the MSA in 2019.
One criticism is that only a small fraction of these settlement funds are directed to address smoking and its health effects. Historically, nearly half of it has buoyed the merit-based Millennium Scholarship.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/has-ne…
Health groups - including Southern Nevada Health District and the American Heart Assoc. - oppose #AB59 because they don't think it has enough enforcement mechanisms.

They want 1-2 compliance checks a year on retailers and threat of license suspension / revocation for violations.
Cigar association, joining the health groups in opposition to #AB59, has this observation:

"The data shows that youth seldom attempt to buy expensive cigars and pipe tobacco from our mail-in companies."
AG's Chief of Staff Jessica Adair with a forceful response to critics of #AB59, says some folks reversed from support without warning.

Says a bill her office sponsored last session to increase enforcement didn't pass, and that failing to pass this bill would jeopardize funding.
A heartfelt moment from @Wheeler4Nevada, who says he started smoking at age 13, is now 67, and urges passage of #AB59.

"I know that quitting smoking is easy because I've done it hundreds of times ... I don't want to see our kids start smoking at their most vulnerable age."

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More from @MichelleRindels

4 Dec 20
Updates from @DetrNevada: The number of initial claims for regular unemployment last week is down to its lowest point since mid-March, at 6,442 claims.

PUA initial claims at 8,345, one of the lower points recently.

but just during pandemic, more than 1.4M initial claims filed
@DetrNevada The number of 'continued claims' - certifications filed last week saying someone is unemployed for a given week - is down but just by a small margin of ~4,000, to 273,037.

Officially more people participating in a CARES Act-funded extension program now than regular state UI.
@DetrNevada Trust fund for state unemployment benefits is down to about $46 million, which is enough for less than 2 weeks of payments.

Nevada still has not started borrowing from feds, likely because the amount it's paying each week is declining as more folks transfer to federal extensions
Read 4 tweets
4 Dec 20
After an all-day hearing in Washoe County, Judge Barry Breslow says he finds the state (DETR) IS in contempt of a July court order to pay or resume paying certain groups of unemployment claimants.
Judge acknowledges that his order was too short, and his call to have DETR pay these claimants within a week "was unrealistic."

"The court apologizes," Breslow says. "Nevertheless, here we are in December and we still have issues."
Judge says DETR "exemplified extraordinary effort to comply and get people their benefits."

Notes state faces severe consequences if it pays money in violation of federal guidelines.

"Those are serious concerns ... but those were concerns made ... in the summer."
Read 7 tweets
3 Dec 20
The #EconomicForum is meeting today to set a forecast for Nevada's general fund revenues for the current and next two fiscal years. That will form the basis for the governor's recommended budget going into the #nvleg session in February.

Watch here:
Gaming tax revenue, which accounts for 18 percent of Nevada's general fund revenue, has been rocked by the pandemic, as evidenced by this chart.

Forecasts vary based on everything from new 25% capacity limits on casino floors, to rising COVID cases and midweek resort closures.
Table games more dependent on tourists but Nevadans' loyalty to slots is helping buoy gambling tax.

In some markets, slot revenue is already back up to pre-pandemic levels.

Still, without NFR rodeo, CES and big New Year parties, gambling tax in for 'bumpy road' next few months.
Read 18 tweets
1 May 20
.@GovSisolak kicks off his presser by apologizing / retracting a statement and that indicated #nvleg bore blame for lack of investment in unemployment system
Follow @RileySnyder for most complete live tweets, btw.
Sisolak says the dog appears to be clearing away and people are wondering why they can't go out or grab a beer with friends. Says threat seems distant and abstract now. Reminds that models initially predicted thousands of deaths
Read 13 tweets
13 Sep 19
.@BernieSanders is headed to Carson City for a 3 pm speech and swag row - complete with a Demo-cats button - is all set up.
Sisters Amber and Alyssa took off school a bit early to be at the Bernie rally and got some T-shirts out of the deal
Ryan has been a Bernie fan for years, largely because of Medicare for All. He's been feeling the pinch since aging out of his parents' health care and says the policy would be a game changer for many of his friends. Second choice candidate: Tulsi.
Read 14 tweets

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