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The mission of the Government
Affairs Department of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce is
to provide a comprehensive, non-partisan state and local
political program to promote and protect a strong local
economy in Clark County. The Las Vegas Chamber of
Commerce Government Affairs Department brings together all
sectors of the business community to create one voice for
business. The Government Affairs Department handles
policy issues while business owners concentrate on
running their companies. Government Affairs also works to
elect the candidates who understand the best interests of
business owners and their employees through
endorsements,
contributions and
grassroots campaign
support.
Throughout the 2004 election cycle, the
Chamber actively promoted pro-business candidates through
our endorsement process. Additionally, the Chamber worked
to promote ballot questions important to business and defeat
detrimental measures. During the 73rd Nevada State
Legislature, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce will be
actively involved in promoting pro-business issues and
protecting the rights of free enterprise in the state.
Recent
Accomplishments:
In the
2004 election, Chamber efforts:
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Defeated Ballot Question 2, “Nevadan’s for the National
Average” requiring annual per pupil funding in K-12
public education equal or exceed the national average.
This question could have cost taxpayers between $1.2 to
$1.6 billion over the next biennium and would likely
have resulted in significant tax increases for the
business community.
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Passed Ballot Question 3, “Keep Our Doctors in Nevada”.
These
tort reform measures will further refine
the work of the State legislature to address
skyrocketing medical malpractice premiums and help bring
health care costs down for recipients of care, thus
bringing down the costs of doing business. These
liability costs to doctors drive up costs for all
Nevadans and threaten our access to quality healthcare.
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Defeated Ballot Questions 4 & 5.
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Question 4 was thinly veiled as the “Insurance Rate
Reduction and Reform Act”. It tried to entice
voters with promises of lower insurance rates to
distract from the fine print. In reality, this
ballot question would have erased recent medical
malpractice reforms and driven up the cost of
healthcare.
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Question 5, “Stop Frivolous Lawsuits and Protect
Your Legal Rights Act” would have made it more
difficult to label a lawsuit “frivolous” and would
have removed accountability from the legal system
allowing trial lawyers to profit unfairly.
Additionally, this ballot question would have
prohibited the state legislature or judges from
placing limits on jury verdicts or trial lawyer’s
contingency fees.
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Chamber-endorsed candidates enjoyed an 88% success rate
in the 2004 General Election.
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Lynette Boggs MacDonald won her hard fought battle
against challenger David Goldwater to maintain her
County Commission F seat. This is a major victory for
the Republican in a traditionally Democrat district.
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Senator Michael Schneider was reelected to his
Senate District 8 seat (bold this first phrase) after a
contentious battle. Schneider has always had continuous
dialogue on important issues with the business community
and is supportive of the construction industry.
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Valerie Weber won a tough battle in her race for
reelection in Assembly District 5 by only 244 votes.
Assemblywoman Weber was first elected in 2002. She has
consistently ensured the passage of pro-business
legislation.
During the 72nd Nevada State Legislature,
the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce monitored or was actively
involved with nearly 1,000 bills. Government Affairs worked
diligently to create a business friendly tax structure and
prevent a business income tax in any form. The debate
resulted in the elimination of the employee head tax, defeat
of the Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) and the implementation of
the Modified Business Tax (MBT) and corresponding taxes on
financial institutions. (taken from above section)
In 2003, the Chamber defeated the following legislation:
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The
Gross
Receipts Tax (GRT) and prevented any
form of business income tax. The GRT was an inequitable
tax. It unjustly burdened some industries more than
others and would have hurt Nevada’s image as a
business-friendly state.
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Requiring employees to
contribute to a labor union without
actually becoming a member of the union.
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"Sunshine Litigation," an effort by
trial lawyers and others to open up lawsuit settlements
to disadvantage business defendants in future litigation
and create additional lawsuits.
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Allowing teachers to strike.
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Permitting
collective bargaining for state
employees.
The
Chamber supported the following pieces of legislation:
Election Activities:
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In 2004, 88% of
Chamber-endorsed candidates were successfully elected in
the general election.
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In 2003, 80% of Chamber-endorsed candidates were
successfully elected in the general election.
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In 2002, 98% of Chamber-endorsed candidates were
successfully elected in the general election
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