The Pew Charitable Trusts - State and Consumer Initiatives from Nevada

Illinois Follows Nevada with Highest Unemployment

State unemployment numbers fluctuate and once again Nevada tops the country, but the state that comes in second is new.

Tensions Rise Amid Demise of Utah-Nevada Water Pact

Will Las Vegas’ thirst spark a water war between Utah and Nevada?

30 Cities: An Introductory Snapshot

Pew recently updated its 30-city snapshot interactive, with new data on population, home values, income and unemployment. Pew's American Cities Project focuses on the biggest city in the nation's 30 largest metro areas.

States in Recovery: Housing

The housing crisis that threw states into economic free fall is helping them climb back out.

Pay Boost on the Horizon for Some State Workers

Far fewer people are working for state governments than before the recession began, but those who remain may get modest salary increases this year.

Nevada and New Jersey Jockey for Online Gambling Revenue

One day after Governor Chris Christie gave conditional support to a bill that would open up New Jersey to gambling on the Internet, Governor Brian Sandoval Friday released a statement saying “the need to act quickly has become even more important.”

Issue To Watch: School Testing

A number of states are pushing to up the stakes on reading tests for younger students and assign letter grades to schools.

Nevada State of the State Address 2013

CARSON CITY, Nevada -- Jan. 16 -- Following is the prepared text of Gov. Brian Sandoval's (R) 2013 State of the State Address:

Public Safety in Nevada

Public safety in Nevada.

Falling Short on Dental Sealants: Nevada

How well is Nevada protecting kids from tooth decay?

States Get More Time to Decide If They Will Run Their Own Health Insurance Exchanges

Only a few new states have opted to build and operate their own insurance exchanges. More are taking a wait and see approach.

The Impact of the Fiscal Cliff: Nevada

Federal and state finances are closely intertwined, and the fiscal cliff’s tax and spending provisions will have consequences for states.

Next Elections: Races for Legislative Leadership

For aspiring legislative leaders, the elections aren’t over yet. Even as the final counts from last week’s votes are still being tallied, lawmakers who hope to be house speakers or senate presidents are courting their colleagues.

Early Voting in Battleground States

Earlier today, we provided an update on the millions of voters across the country who cast their ballots before Election Day. A look at data from certain battleground states finds significant use of early voting both by mail and in person.

Dollars in the Desert: Nevada State Senate Contest Rakes in Big Money

Outside money is pouring into the most expensive state legislative campaign in Nevada. Will it determine the outcome?

The State of Voter Registration in the 2012 Election

This infographic discusses the partnership among Pew and seven states to launch the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a tool which helps securely compare voter records between states to better maintain voter records, save money, and streamline processes. Additionally, 13 states now offer online voter registration.

States Roll Out and Expand Online Voter Registration, Increase Efficiencies

In Nevada, new registrations jumped following a campaign to promote online registration, including television and radio ads, meetings with business leaders and students, and promotional outreach for National Voter Registration Day.

Still Risky: Checking Accounts in Nevada

Download the graphic.

Best of #StateReads: Michigan Confronts Crime by Parolees and Probationers

This week’s extraordinary journalism about state government, tagged to #StateReads on Twitter.

No Child Left Behind: Not Dead Yet

Most states have received waivers from the federal No Child Left Behind law, but some have found flexibility harder to come by.

Widening Gap Update: Nevada

Nevada consistently failed to pay its full annual pension contribution from 2005 to 2010. The system was 70 percent funded in fiscal year 2010 and faced a $10 billion funding gap. Most experts agree that a fiscally sustainable system should be at least 80 percent funded. The state also had a $2 billion bill for retiree health care costs, only 2 percent of which was funded, well below the 8 percent national average in 2010.

North Dakota Voters Sidestep Controversies

On an Election Day that featured intraparty legislative races in several states, North Dakota voters shied away from several controversies over the University of North Dakota's “Fighting Sioux” nickname, protections for religious liberty and local property taxes.

Squeezing Local Governments

Cities, counties and school districts are facing a one-two punch: simultaneous drops in property tax revenue and state aid. The blows come even as demand for services is growing. This fiscal squeeze—not seen since 1980—has resulted in painful choices for local governments large and small.

Time Served in Nevada

The average offender in Nevada released in 2009 served 2.5 years in custody, 14% less than the average offender released in 1990.

While Congress Stalls, States Worry About Highway Funds

A three-year standoff in Congress makes planning transportation projects harder for states.

Early Voting in Clark County, Nevada

In Clark County, Nevada, as in a growing number of jurisdictions across the country, the notion of Election Day as a one-day event is disappearing.

Nevada Governor Moves to Political Center on Taxes

TODAY'S TAKE: Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, a Republican elected on a strict no-tax platform, angered conservatives last year when he extended a series of temporary tax increases that were scheduled to expire. On Tuesday (March 13), Sandoval announced that he wants to extend them again.

Job Numbers Show Nevada Economy Finally Turning a Corner

TODAY'S TAKE: For the first time in five years, Nevada added more private-sector jobs than it lost in 2011, according to figures the state released Tuesday (February 28).

Nevada Gamble: Lawmaker Resigns to Help Her Party

TODAY'S TAKE: A Nevada state senator from a safely Democratic district has resigned to run in a more competitive one, hoping to oust an incumbent Republican and keep her party in control of her narrowly divided chamber.

Congressional Wrangling Leaves Sales Tax Deduction in Question

TODAY'S TAKE: Residents of seven states without an individual income tax are watching the budget debate on Capitol Hill to see whether they will be able to keep writing off state sales taxes on goods they purchase.

Nevada's Active Voter Rolls in Flux

Nevada's active voter rolls include some very inactive dead residents, people registered to vote in more than one state, and thousands who have moved and never bothered to tell election officials. Nationwide, up to 24 million active voter registrations are no longer valid or accurate, according to a report released today by Pew Center on the States

Nevada Has Head Start as States React to Federal Gambling Decision

States all over the country can act quickly now that the federal government has reversed its outright ban on Internet gambling. But one state may have an advantage over the others in gearing up for the new system.

More Water for Las Vegas Means More Resentment in Rural Areas

Will Las Vegas, Nevada's economic engine, get permission to draw extra water from underneath the state's rural eastern counties? One state bureaucrat has the power to decide a question that has long concerned environmentalists and has aggravated a statewide political rift.

Casinos, Online Poker Get State Attention

Massachusetts is planning new resort-style gambling casinos, and Florida and New York may open their first commercial casinos as a way to generate more tax revenue. Meanwhile, states that already have casinos are looking at new ways to tap the gambling that takes place online illegally.

Election Websites: Nevada

Being Online Is Still Not Enough provides state-by-state reviews and analysis based on detailed criteria of election websites for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

States Beginning to Rethink Indigent Defense Systems

Governments can save on legal costs by setting flat fees for those who defend the poor. But many wonder if the practice is fair to defendants.

Will Nevada Diversify Its Boom-and-Bust Economy?

ECONOMY & BUSINESS BEAT: The state that leads the nation in unemployment and foreclosures is doing some soul-searching over how to control its volatile economic cycles.

Nevada Law Frees Hands but Clogs Shoulders

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: Nevada police started enforcing a law banning drivers from using handheld devices, but discovered some motorists are taking risks to comply with the new rule.

Tax Supporters Turn to the Ballot Box

As it becomes more difficult to get state legislatures to pass tax increases, people who think cash-strapped states have cut budgets too much are taking their case straight to voters.

Health Care Law is Bigger Challenge for Some States

TODAY'S TAKE: Eight states will face the greatest difficulties in handling the influx of new Medicaid patients expected after the federal Affordable Care Act goes into full effect in 2014, a new study says.

Reducing California's Car Fleet a Tough Sell

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: California is well short of Governor Jerry Brown's goal of selling half the state's fleet of cars… A national safety group tells states not to outlaw driving while talking on the phone… Utah adds a designation for veterans on its driver's licenses, and other transportation news.

After Standoff, Illinois Road Construction Continues

TRANSPORTATION BEAT: Illinois senators agree to back off in a budget fight that threatened to halt the state's summer road building season … Nevada clears the way for its first and only tollroad … Digital billboards could soon be legal in Missouri and Oregon, and other transportation news.

How a Court Ruling Ended Nevada Budget Fight

With just days remaining in the legislative session, Nevada's Republican governor and Democratic-led Legislature were locked in a stalemate over the state budget. That's when the Nevada Supreme Court stepped in with a ruling that may change the way all future Nevada budgets are built.

Business Tax Cuts Pass in Michigan But Falter Elsewhere

Republican governors are trying to make good on their promises to cut corporate taxes, but some are finding a bit more resistance than they may have expected.

Court Ruling Upends Nevada Governor's No-Tax Stand

TODAY'S TAKE: A Nevada Supreme Court ruling ripped a $656 million hole in the state budget Thursday (May 26). Republican Governor Brian Sandoval, who has denounced tax increases, now says he will go along with tax extensions sought by Democrats.

All Public Sector Employees in New Jersey Will Have to Live In-State

MANAGEMENT BEAT: No more commuting from New York and Philadelphia for New Jersey workers … Governments are spending more time collecting and organizing data than using it … A collective bargaining showdown in Nevada, and other management news.

Measuring Transportation Investments: Nevada

A May 2011 report, Measuring Transportation Investments: The Road to Results, found considerable differences among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Children's Dental Health: Nevada

Nevada meets half of the eight policy benchmarks aimed at addressing children’s dental health needs. In 2009, the state surpassed the threshold of Medicaid-enrolled children receiving dental care, even though Medicaid reimbursement slipped slightly in relation to dentists’ usual fees.

States' Casino Tax Revenue Tops $7 Billion

Gambling expansion meant a sizeable amount of extra money for some states last year - but it meant a declining take for others.

Governors Target Rules at Businesses' Behest

Newly elected Republicans - and some Democrats - have made rethinking regulations a top priority. That has environmentalists and consumer advocates nervous.