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Yahoo
3 days ago
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County lauds intake center to help unhoused, but federal funding cuts threaten resources
Steven Martin, left, and Justin Golden, are receiving resources at the Navigation Center, which helps people experiencing homelessness get off the streets. (Photo: Michael Lyle/ Nevada Current) Clark County officials have recently touted its Navigation Center, a 70-bed noncongregate shelter that stabilizes unhoused people before referring them to other transitional housing programs and treatment, as the model that could help address Southern Nevada's growing homelessness crisis. Speaking at an event Wednesday honoring its two-year anniversary since opening the facility, Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom said local officials have discussed replicating the intake center valley wide. It's still uncertain how the slashing of federal funding, including major cuts to Medicaid, might undermine the county's goal to build additional centers and connect unhoused people staying at those facilities to services. Many of the resources provided through the Navigation Center, like referrals to health care providers or mental health treatment, are paid through various types of federal funding, including Medicaid, Segerblom said. The county is taking into account 'what we will potentially lose' from all the federal cuts, he added. 'We are all terrified, frankly,' Segerblom said. 'We are very aware all this is on a house of cards.' President Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' that was signed into law this month features steep reductions to the social safety net, including major cuts to Medicaid and food benefits. Nevada stands to lose about $590 million annually in federal Medicaid funding for the next 10 years and more than 114,500 Nevadans are estimated to lose coverage, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Trump is also proposing additional cuts in his 2026 fiscal budget across various agencies, including slashing U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development budget by more than 40%. The cuts include a $532 million decrease in homeless assistance programs and a consolidation of several grants, like those provided by the federal Continuum of Care program that states use to address homelessness. John Fernandez, program manager with WC Health, which the county contracts to provide case management at the Navigation Center, said they are still waiting to learn how cuts could impact operations and efforts to refer people to services. 'If they don't have Medicaid, it will make it difficult for them to receive any mental health providers or even doctors and get some of the assistance they need,' he said. Stabilizing people The Navigation Center is located in East Las Vegas in a former Motel 6, which was converted into the 70-bed intake center with semi-private rooms for unhoused people. During the height of Covid when it wasn't safe for unhoused people to remain in large, congregate spaces like emergency shelters, the county converted former motels into noncongregate shelters. Since opening in 2023, the Navigation Center has been used by the county as a starting place for people seeking to exit homelessness. They are usually referred to the facility by either a service provider or law enforcement. Once at the center, people can stay roughly 30 days, receive required case management twice a week, are assisted with getting vital documents like birth certificates, and begin to get connected to other housing resources or mental health assessments and treatment. 'It gives them a chance to decompress from being unsheltered and then moving on where they can get more intensive wrap-around services and focus on long term housing solutions,' said Brenda Barnes, the social services manager. The county said that nearly 1,800 people have cycled through the center since it opened. While county officials said they are tracking what services people are referred to, how many were housed and recidivism rates of how many end up on the streets, they didn't provide those figures Wednesday. For Justin Golden, a 37-year-old staying at the Navigation Center, the facility has become the place he has needed to stabilize his life. After being released from City of Las Vegas jail in early June, he began couch-surfing as he tried to get connected to resources, like getting a new EBT card for his Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and finding employment. Three weeks ago, while sleeping in a park in Henderson, outreach workers from the Salvation Army referred him to the Navigation Center, he said. Golden lost his identification when he was arrested and struggled to get new documents since he was released, delaying the process of exiting homelessness. Less than three weeks into his time at the Navigation Center, he has been able to start collecting the documents needed and plans to transfer to another transitional housing program offered by the county by the end of the month. Since coming to the center, Golden has shared a room with 27-year-old Steven Martin, who has been experiencing homelessness for nearly a year after moving to Southern Nevada from California. Because of a criminal record, Martin said he has struggled to find employment and earn enough money to get back on his feet. He didn't know where to turn, or where he could get resources, until he was referred to the Navigation Center by a provider. Martin also plans to go to a 90-day transitional housing program after his time is done at the Navigation Center. Though Fernandez has seen the center has been successful, he said the facility is often at capacity. The other noncongregate shelters he refers people to for the next part of their efforts to exit homelessness are also reaching capacity. It will likely create a backlog in the system. 'I think if we could open up another navigation center it would be beneficial for everyone,' he said. 'At this point, we are getting to a capacity where we can't take too many people in. We only have 70 beds here. All the other properties are getting full as well. If we're not able to transition people in 30 days to another property, then we can't take more people.' While opening the navigation center is one of the many steps the county is taking to address the homelessness crisis, the lack of permanent housing remains a fierce and stubborn barrier to addressing homelessness in Southern Nevada, Segerblom said. 'We need more housing,' he said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Regional rail study, wrong-way driving bills among those signed into law
(Photo: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current) Teenagers won't be able to flip burgers at midnight. Newborns will be screened for more rare diseases. Cities will have to consider heat mitigation when drafting master plans. Those are just a few of the real-world outcomes of the hundreds of bills passed by the Democratic-controlled Nevada State Legislature and signed into law by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. The session officially adjourned June 2 but won't truly be over until the governor signs or vetoes each bill that passed. Lombardo has until Friday to approve or reject the bills or else they automatically become law. In 2023, the first-term governor did not allow any bills to automatically become law, opting instead to take a stance on each piece of legislation that came across his desk. (Lombardo's predecessor, Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, did the same.) As of Friday morning, the Legislature's website listed 515 bills as signed and an additional four bills awaiting approval or veto. Eighty-seven bills were vetoed. Here's a look at more than a dozen bills the Nevada Current has previously covered that have now been signed into law: Working teens Teenagers will soon be prohibited from working between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. before a school day, thanks to Assembly Bill 215, sponsored by Assemblymembers Daniele Monroe-Moreno and Brian Hibbetts, a Democrat and Republican, respectively. Teachers and students pushed for the change, citing the negative impact lack of sleep has on learning, mental and social health. The new restrictions, which do include some exemptions, go into effect on Oct. 1. Regional rail group Nevada will soon form a Regional Rail Transit Advisory Working Group to assess the need for regional rail systems in Southern and Northern Nevada and look at potential funding sources for such systems. The group was created by Assembly Bill 256, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch of Reno. The working group will be composed of lawmakers, transit experts and county representatives. They are expected to deliver to lawmakers a report in July 2026 with 'an actionable plan' for achieving regional rail transit and recommendations to the 2027 Legislature. Wrong-way driving Driving on the wrong side of the road will soon be a misdemeanor crime, following the passage of Republican Assemblymember Brian Hibbetts's Assembly Bill 111. Previously, wrong-way driving was only a civil offense. Nicknamed 'Jaya's Law' after 3-year-old Jaya Brooks who died in a wrong-way crash in Las Vegas last year, AB111 was unanimously supported by lawmakers and goes into effect Oct. 1. Protections for health care providers Employees and volunteers of reproductive health care facilities, as well as their spouses, domestic partners or minor children, will soon be able to request a court order that keeps their personal information confidential on otherwise public records within the offices of county recorder, county assessor, county clerk, city clerk, Secretary of State, or Department of Motor Vehicles. Democratic Assemblymember Erica Roth's Assembly Bill 235 saw some bipartisan support in the Legislature before being signed by the Republican governor. The legislation goes into effect July 1. Right to Contraception Assembly Bill 176, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett, strengthens protections against a state or local government burdening access to contraceptive measures. Newborn screenings Nevada will expand the number of rare but treatable conditions newborn babies are screened for, thanks to Senate Bill 348, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Julie Pazina. The expansion is being funded through an increase in the fee hospitals pay the Nevada State Public Health Lab. The prior rate had been the same for more than a decade and kept Nevada behind what the federal government recommends for newborn screening. Raises for elected officials Many county elected officials will get a raise with the passage of Senate Bill 116, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Skip Daly. The bill establishes a formula to elevate the pay for the elected district attorney, sheriff, county clerk, county assessor, county recorder, county treasurer and public administrator of each county. The formula keeps those public servants' pay above the highest paid person in their office. Meanwhile, commissioner salaries across the state are also being bumped up by a set amount, followed by 3% annual increases for five years starting in 2026. The changes will go into effect in July with the new fiscal year. Foster parents People with criminal records of marijuana possession for amounts that are currently legal are now eligible to become foster parents. Democratic Assemblymember Tracy Brown-May sponsored Assembly Bill 107 for Clark County, which told lawmakers that otherwise qualified Nevadans are being needlessly turned away. The state faces a critical shortage of foster homes. Water rights Nevada will establish a Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program that allows willing landowners to sell their water rights back to the state through the year 2035. The program was established by Assembly Bill 104 and unanimously supported. Charters behind on PERS With Senate Bill 418, the Nevada State Superintendent of Public Schools will be able to withhold a charter school's state-funded per-pupil dollars if the charter school is more than 90 days delinquent in retirement contributions to the Public Employees' Retirement System of Nevada (better known as PERS). Administrators for PERS told lawmakers a mechanism for recouping the contributions is needed because of the unique quasi-public nature of charter schools. Local input on tax abatements Companies seeking massive tax abatements will have to enter into agreements to defray the costs of the government-provided services they require. Storey County, home to the heavily abated Tesla Giga Factory, sponsored Senate Bill 69. Heat mitigation Cities and counties with populations exceeding 100,000 people must include 'heat mitigation' as part of their master plans, following the passage of Assembly Bill 96. Inmate firefighters Democratic Assemblymember Jovan Jackson sponsored a bill, Assembly Bill 321 to require the Nevada Department of Corrections to create a program to allow formerly incarcerated people to work as firefighters within the Division of Forestry. The program is expected to help recidivism rates. Medical respite care Nevada's Department of Health and Human Services will apply for a federal waiver to amend the state Medicaid plan to cover medical respite care for people experiencing homelessness. The requirement was passed in Senate Bill 54. Net proceeds of minerals The Net Proceeds of Minerals Bulletin will soon be public again. Long made publicly available by the state, a new interpretation of state law resulted in the bulletin being kept private. Assembly Bill 277 makes the bulletin public again. The bill was sponsored by Republican Assemblymember Rich DeLong and had the approval of the mining industry. Tax increment areas Senate Bill 28 creates 'tax increment areas' in which a portion of future property tax revenue can be used to pay interest on bonds used to finance affordable housing development and public transit. The bill, sponsored by the City of Las Vegas, saw some bipartisan support in the Legislature. Mental health The Medicaid reimbursement rate for mental health providers will increase through Senate Bill 353, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop. Immigration guardianship Assembly Bill 460, sponsored by Assemblymember Cecelia González, streamlines the process for selecting a temporary guardian for minors prior to any immigration action. Insulin costs Assembly Bill 555 prohibits private insurance companies from charging people more than $35 for a 30-day supply of insulin. The bill, sponsored by, Democratic Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, received broad bipartisan support, with only Senate Republicans John Ellison and Robin Titus opposing. Democratic Assemblymember Joe Dalia's Assembly Joint Resolution 8, which would let voters in 2028 decide whether Nevada should establish a dedicated business court, also passed the legislative finish line. Resolutions are not subject to vetoes by the governor. AJR1 is now set to return to the 2027 Legislature for consideration. If lawmakers pass the resolution again, it will appear in front of voters on the 2028 general election ballot for final approval. A dedicated business court could entice large companies to incorporate in Nevada and settle their corporate litigation here, Dalia and other proponents of the resolution have argued. Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Doug Herndon announced the court would try to establish a dedicated business court on its own as early as next year. Herndon said in a statement he didn't believe AJR1 to be necessary.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The veto governor: Paid leave, IVF bills fall as Lombardo crushes his own record
Gov. Joe Lombardo. (Photo: Jennifer Solis/Nevada Current) Gov. Joe Lombardo in 2023 smashed the record for most vetoes during a single legislative sesseion, rejecting 75 bills. This year, he beat his own record, vetoing 87 bills as of Thursday evening. Lombardo himself was not on the ballot last year, but he and his affiliated political action committee campaigned hard — and successfully — on the importance of getting enough Republicans elected to make sure Democrats would not have veto-proof majorities in the Legislature. Lombardo vetoed legislation sponsored by Attorney General Aaron Ford to rein in price fixing earlier this week, as well as a pair of trans protections bills last week. Other notable vetos as of Thursday included: Assembly Bill 388, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch, would have required private employers with more than 50 workers, as well as all public employers, to provide paid family and medical leave. The bill, which was opposed by chambers of commerce, was amended to push the requirement to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2028. La Rue Hatch's bill expanded legislative efforts in 2023, when lawmakers approved PFML for state employees. In his veto letter, Lombardo said the measure had 'broad, burdensome mandates' that would contradict the state's 'business-friendly environment' Senate Bill 217 (Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, D) would establish the right to assisted reproduction treatment, including in vitro fertilization. The bill was a focus of Cannizzaro. Assembly Bill 112 (Assemblymember Duy Nguyen, D) would have allowed workers covered by collective bargaining agreements to use their accrued leave to care for family members. After passing the Legislature with some bipartisan support, Lombardo vetoed the bill, writing in his veto letter that it represented 'yet another effort to mandate benefits for unionized employees outside the negotiation of their collective bargaining agreements, thereby undermining the integrity of those agreements.' In a policy hearing for the bill, union members said it is already common practice for members to use accrued leave to take care of their family but that they face potential discipline for doing so. With the veto, that will remain the status quo. Assembly Bill 597 (Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, D) would have established semi-open primary elections allowing nonpartisan voters to request a Republican or Democratic ballot. The bill passed on the Assembly on party lines, with all Republicans opposing. In his veto letter, Lombardo said the legislation 'would undermine the will of Nevada's voters,' who last year rejected an initiative to establish truly open primaries. Assembly Bill 185 (Assemblymember Natha Anderson, D) would have barred most HOAs from prohibiting licensed home-based childcare operations within their communities. The bill received some bipartisan support. In his veto letter, Lombardo wrote 'expanding access to child care is an important goal' but that the bill would 'erode the integrity of HOA governance.' Senate Bill 121 (State Sen. Dina Neal, D) would have made changes to what homeowners' associations are allowed to require of new residents. The bill received some bipartisan support. Similar to his veto related to home-based childcare providers, Lombardo in his veto letter cited the importance of maintaining HOA autonomy. Assembly Bill 209 (Assemblymember David Orentlicher, D) would have granted sex workers immunity from criminal liability from prostitution-related offenses when they call 911 seeking medical assistance. In his veto letter, Lombardo said the bill 'codifies a lack of trust in law enforcement by assuming that sex workers fear prosecution more than they trust officers to prioritize their safety and the investigation of violent crimes.' An overwhelming lack of trust in law enforcement by sex workers who don't believe law enforcement prioritizes their safety or humanity was the impetus for sponsoring the bill in the first place. Senate Bill 350 (State Sen. James Ohrenschall, D) would have extended the time period the state has for carrying out an execution of someone on death row. Lombardo in his veto letter said the bill would 'result in justice becoming even more elusive for victims and their families,' though he acknowledged it is currently virtually impossible for the state to execute anyone on death row. Assembly Bill 411 (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) would have allowed prescriptions for drugs used for medical abortions and miscarriage management to list the name of the prescribing health care practice, rather than the name of the specific individual providing the prescription. In his veto letter, Lombardo wrote that the bill may reduce transparency in clinical follow-up situations where identifying the prescribing providers quickly is crucial. Assembly Bill 320 (Assemblymember Jovan Jackson, D) sought to stop judges from using dress codes to turn away defendants. In his veto letter, Lombardo said if enacted the bill 'may infringe on the separation of powers by legislatively encroaching on the courts' inherent authority to manage their proceedings.' Assembly Bill 204 (Assemblymember Max Carter, D) would prevent collection agencies from threatening to arrest people for medical debt, obtain a lien against a primary residence, seek to foreclose on a home, or garnish wages. In his veto letter, Lombardo said if enacted the bill 'would increase healthcare costs and undermine fairness by discouraging responsible payment.' Assembly Bill 441 (Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D) would change how the state's publicly financed private school scholarship program is administered. In his veto letter, Lombardo's veto letter said the bill would 'obstruct' the program. Assembly Bill 597 (Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, D) would have established semi-open primary elections allowing nonpartisan voters to request a Republican or Democratic ballot. The bill passed on the Assembly on party lines, with all Republicans opposing. In his veto letter, Lombardo said the legislation 'would undermine the will of Nevada's voters,' who last year rejected an initiative to establish truly open primaries. The full list of bills Lombardo vetoed this year can be found here.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump acknowledges deportation agenda is hurting hospitality, promises ‘changes are coming'
Trump owns a number of hotels in the U.S., including one in Las Vegas. (Photo: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current) Complaints from the farm and hotel industries that President Donald Trump's mass deportation effort is costing them valued workers will prompt change, Trump promised Thursday in a post on Truth Social. 'Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,' wrote Trump, who owns a number of hotels in the U.S., including one in Las Vegas. 'It's a very simple thing to say, 'we're going to secure the border and we're going to deport violent criminals and terrorists.' Everybody agrees with that,' Culinary Local 226 Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said during a phone interview Thursday. 'When you bring in the Marines to arrest dishwashers, that backlash is exploding in industry, among citizens and voters. If there's one thing this president knows how to do it's to backtrack quickly when he gets a backlash.' The U.S. employed more than 782,000 farm workers in 2023, according to the government. About two-thirds are immigrants, according to the government. The leisure and hospitality industries in the U.S. employ some 14 million people, and almost one-third are immigrants, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics. Nevada's hospitality and leisure industries employed 368,400 people as of April, according to the Federal Reserve. 'These industries are run by very smart people, and they understand that the immigrant workforce powers this economy,' said Pappageorge. Pappageorge said he's not bothered by a carve-out from the deportation policy for two industries, suggesting agriculture and hospitality are just the first two to the table. Gov. Joe Lombardo, who endorsed Trump and was endorsed by Trump, did not respond to inquiries about whether he's reached out to the White House regarding the president's deportation plan and disruption to the labor force. The Nevada Resort Association, which represents casino hotels in Nevada, referred the Current to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. 'Along with our members, we continue to communicate with Congress and the administration about the importance of building a strong hospitality and tourism workforce,' the AHLA, which represents 32,000 properties, said in a statement. 'As an industry, we are committed to strict compliance with labor laws and immigration regulations, including those focused on recruitment, background checks and employment verification.' The hospitality industry is already reeling from a precipitous drop in travel resulting from Trump's trade wars, Bloomberg reported last week. 'The AHLA urges Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and strengthen the H-2B visa program, which allows temporary non-agricultural work in the U.S., and the J-1 visa program, which allows participation in exchange programs,' says the AHLA website. 'We believe that the United States can have both an effective and welcoming legal immigration process that enables hotels and other businesses to meet our workforce needs, while also protecting our national security.' How Trump plans to exclude workers from the two industries from deportation is unknown. 'They could do this by prosecutorial discretion possibly,' said Michael Kagan, director of UNLV's Immigration Clinic. Immigrations and Customer Enforcement (ICE) has the option to close cases and allow individuals to avoid deportation.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Attorney general blasts governor's veto of bill to rein in price fixing
Attorney General Aaron Ford and Gov. Joe Lombardo. (Photo: Richard Bednarski/Nevada Current) Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford said Monday that Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's veto of Ford's legislation to crack down on price fixing 'means fewer protections for your wallet.' Lombardo, in his veto message last week, blasted the bill as 'a striking case of government overreach' and 'inherently broad and open to wide interpretation, likely making enforcement subjective and inconsistent.' Assembly Bill 44 sought to expand the state's existing Unfair Trade Practice Act to include knowingly deceptive price fixing of essential goods and services, defining those goods as things 'needed on a daily or recurring basis for the livelihood of a person.' The list of essential goods defined by the bill included housing, food, internet service, ground transportation, and pharmaceutical and other medical products. 'Let's be clear about what this veto means,' said Ford, who has indicated he hopes to take Lombardo's job away from him in next year's election, in a statement Monday. 'It means fewer tools to hold bad corporations accountable. It means fewer protections for your wallet. And it means more power for the people who rig the rules against all of us in the Nevada family.' During his presentations of AB 44, Ford told lawmakers the legislation was designed to bolster consumer protections and wouldn't apply to businesses if they weren't engaging in fraudulent practices. The legislation passed the Assembly 24-18 in April with three Democrats, Assemblymembers Joe Dalia, Duy Nguyen and Venise Karris, joining Republicans in opposing the measure. AB 44 passed the Senate 14-7 in late May, with Republican state Sen. John Steinbeck joining Democrats. The veto showed Lombardo sided 'with corporations that cheat and deceive to make a buck,' Ford said Monday, adding that Lombardo's decision was 'disappointing, but not surprising.' While the bill encompassed several categories of goods and services, perhaps its most notable feature was an attempt to rein in price fixing in the rental market. Landlords and property owners across the country, including in Nevada, have come under fire in recent years for using rent-fixing software to artificially raise the price of rents. Real estate software companies, like RealPage, have been sued by several state attorneys general and the federal government in the last year, though the companyRealPage has denied wrongdoing in these cases. During the legislative session, rental property owners and real estate groups likened the bill's efforts to address price fixing as 'rent control.' 'This bill does not cap in any kind of way how much someone can charge for something as long as they aren't knowingly, fraudulently or deceptively engaging in conduct,' Ford said in a March bill hearing. 'You can charge what you want to charge.'
