JULY 2015
www.thechambernv.org
Lost Opportunities By now, there aren’t a lot of words left to write about the 2015 Nevada Legislative Session. While the punditry and analysis have almost been exhausted, we really won’t know the true legacy of this historic session for years to come. The Governor and the Legislature enacted and funded some fundamental changes in the way we deliver K-12 education in this state and our future workforce should be much better prepared for the new economy. Governor Sandoval took a lot of heat for proposing a gross receipts-based tax to pay for his vision and Chamber members were all over the board with their opinions on his plan. The legacy of this fundamental shift in our tax structure is yet to be determined as well. No matter your thoughts on the final revenue plan that was signed into law, the frustrating thing is that the business community and Nevada’s taxpayers did not receive commensurate spending and operational reforms to go along with it. For the first time since 1929, we had a Republican governor, Senate, and Assembly. At the risk of injecting partisanship into this discussion, Republicans have usually been supportive of Chamber reform priorities such as public employee retirement and collective bargaining reform, prevailing wage changes, eliminating the daily overtime law, and other measures that save taxpayer dollars and allow more services to be delivered to more people. While we did make great progress in the area of construction defect reform, we made a little bit of headway with public employee collective bargaining and retirement benefits, but not enough to ensure that our unfunded liability in the latter doesn’t keep growing. Governor Sandoval threatened to veto a daily overtime bill that has been a priority of the business community for years (and is needed by employees who want more hours) and he actually vetoed two tort reform bills that would have protected innocent retailers and distributors from frivolous lawsuits. It is hard to understand why Republican leadership felt that they needed to trade away reforms in the above-mentioned areas to cajole Democrats into voting for a tax increase that they would have voted for anyway. And it is even harder to understand why those Republicans who voted for the revenue package didn’t demand more reforms for their vote. It is very hard for taxpayers to swallow having more money taken out of their pocket when we do not spend the dollars we currently take more efficiently.
this is your chamber! Let The Chamber be your partner for business. We deliver a strong return on your investment through a variety of resources and opportunities. With over 2,000 members, 200 volunteers and a full time staff of experts, we are the largest business organization in Northern Nevada. We advance your business through the power of connection, business referrals, discounts, regional promotion and sponsorship. Take control and be heard As a business person, you know that free enterprise is the foundation of a strong economy and a prosperous society. At The Chamber, we advocate for public policies that help your business thrive. We realize that economic growth and job creation don’t “just happen” and that is why The Chamber’s results oriented, pro-business advocacy efforts are so important to your business and the future of our community. Getting involved The Chamber offers a multitude of programs and committees that benefit our members as well as lead to growth within our business community. Join one of our councils and help shape policy, become an Ambassador and support new members or enroll in one of our many leadership classes and increase your knowledge and awareness of challenges facing our area. Let us help contribute to your personal and professional growth.
We should have been able to walk and chew gum at the same time, but the Legislature, in its zeal to pass a revenue and education reform package, never seemed to realize that they could have done so much more to improve the lives of business owners, and, by extension, their employees. Unfortunately, the new Nevada is too similar to the old Nevada. Except now, it’s a lot more expensive.
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• New Member Orientation • Biz Talk Blender • Ribbon Cuttings
• DIRECTIONS • The Morning Spark
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• B.E.S.T. Kids Program • DIRECTIONS
• Monthly Luncheons • Biz Talk Blender