Nevada Wins PAC News

Why We Focus on Legislative Races

by Ron Knecht

President, Nevada Wins PAC

Why does the Nevada Wins PAC focus on only a few state legislative races? Because the legislature is where the action is, the place that counts on almost every issue in our state. The Legislature has a controlling voice on every important issue to voters. And which party controls the Legislature determines the outcomes of issues.

Election integrity? The U.S. Constitution and increasingly court decisions place authority in legislatures’ hands to control election officials, practices and ballot counting and certification. K-12 education? Some people think they just need to speak at local school board meetings or get elected to the board to assure quality education and end indoctrination. However, local school districts are constrained by state education officials' directives, which are governed by … the legislature.

Unfair and excessive state and local taxes? They are controlled by the legislature. Likewise, protection of private property and reining in most excessive state and local regulation. Ditto, law enforcement practices. And a lot of health care and insurance matters, especially concerning Medicaid and even Medicare. Even abortion issues.

The governor has a major voice on these legislative matters because he must sign bills before they become laws. But bills originate in the legislature, which can keep important matters from ever reaching his desk. Further, the many interests in the legislature will cut deals with governor to give him things he wants in return for his approval of their pet measures.

But more important than electing intelligent, highly competent individual legislators who agree with you on issues is having control of the legislative processes and leadership. That means having a majority caucus in each house, the Senate and Assembly.

The majority party elects the Speaker of the Assembly; the majority leadership and caucus decide who gets appointed to each committee and who chairs them. Committee chairs and majorities decide what bills get heard and passed to the full house for action. And the house leadership decides what bills get brought up for floor votes and who gets appointed to conference committees where differences between versions passed by the two houses get ironed out.

So, the most important thing is to have a majority in each house. That is what our PAC is focused on. We seek majorities by being data driven and scientifically targeting districts we can win with good campaign messages and action, especially those now held by Democrats. That makes our limited resources most effective.

Ron Knecht, MS, JD & PE(CA), is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Nevada Policy Research Institute and previous state controller, higher education regent and legislator.