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Conservatives come out for Laxalt
Led by a former governor and lieutenant governor, as well as a Las Vegas Sands operative and three ex-state senators, conservatives are rallying next week in a pair of fundraisers to help attorney general hopeful Adam Laxalt. Ex-Gov. Bob List and former Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt will headline one event Tuesday at the latter's restaurant, The Bootlegger, while Las Vegas Councilman Bob Beers, one of those ex-senators, will host one at Mundo in downtown Las Vegas two days later.
GOP sets up two more PACs to help take the state Senate
I have been saying for some time that the amount of money spent in the three state Senate districts that will determine the majority in 2015 will be astronomical. And at the end of August, the Senate Republicans ensured it will be even larger by setting up two new political action committees on the same day.
Moody's gives thumbs up to Tesla deal for local, state governments
Here's the report issued today on the Tesla deal by Moody's, which sees the deal as a benefit to governments but dlayed and/or mitigated by the abatements:  Credit implications of current events US Public Finance Nevada State and Local Governments Would Benefit from Planned Tesla Factory On Thursday, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval announced that the state had reached an agreement with Tesla Motors (unrated) for the electric car manufacturer to build its lithium ion battery factory, known asÂ
Major mining company to host DC event for guy who wanted to raise mining taxes by $600 million; Sandoval DC event set
Barrick Gold of North America is hosting a meet and greet next week for lieutenant governor hopeful Mark Hutchison, who last year signed onto a $600 million tax increase proposal on the industry. The event is one of two for Team Hutchoval in DC next week, but both are now meet and greets and not fundraisers for Hutchison and Gov. Brian Sandoval because of Wednesday's special session to approve those Tesla abatements. State law prohibits lawmakers and the top two constitutional officers from raising money within 15 days after the session.
The Democrats lose more ground in key state Senate districts
The key state Senate districts continue to tilt GOP, as the Democrats have lost ground in all three southern areas for quite some time. You can see the details in the chart below, but it's clear that the GOP and its friends in Engage Nevada have focused their efforts in those three districts, although much of it is simply due to more Democrats being knocked off the books. Some observations from an insider who did the analysis:
Here comes the special!
If you are a lobbyist – and I don’t say this often – I feel sorry for you in the next 36 hours or so as lawmakers furiously dial for dollars before Gov. Brian Sandoval issues the proclamation for the special session, cutting them off for 15 days.
MY COLUMN: How the Tesla deal was done and what it means
Ltr from HMR to Musk_10.23.13.pdf, Ltr to Gov Sandoval_Tesla_10.31.13.pdf, Teslahandoutside1.pdf, Teslahandoutside2.pdf On Oct. 23 of last year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wrote two letters. In a missive to Tesla’s Elon Musk, who spoke to Reid’s Clean Energy Summit in 2012, the majority leader wrote he had “offered his full support for making the case” that Nevada was the right place for Musk’s proposed battery “gigafactory.”
T-minus 90 to Tesla---updating blog
CARSON CITY-- 2:30 PM Look for huge numbers to be thrown around: $100 billion impact over 10 years, 20 percent-plus impact on Reno economy. Big tax abatements, but argument that nothing to abate if they are not there. Tesla giving, too, I hear. Special session could start as early as Wednesday, but Finance chair Debbie Smith is out of pocket, not returning until early next week. Other logistics also could hold it up, too. ALSO: Follow me on Twitter at @ralstonreports.
Culinary to Howard Hughes boss: Don't let labor dispute nearby "mar Summerlin's bright future"
As Summerlin gets ready to celebrate the opening next month of a multi-faceted retail/office development, the Culinary union has written to the master planner warning about the owners of an adjacent parcel and hinting at possible labor actions. In a letter this week, Culinary research analyst Meredith Schafer asks Howard Hughes CEO David Weinreb to "call on Station Casinos to ensure that a high-profile and contentious labor dispute at Summerlin's Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa does not mar Summerlin's bright future...." Subtle, eh?
Look what I found hanging on my door
So I woke up one day after reporting that the margin tax is winning to find something hanging on my door. It tells me, as you can see below, to vote no on 3, the motto of opponents to The Education Initiative. It's an expensive, colorful door hanger.