Paid for by the Nevada Senate Democrats and the Assembly Democratic Caucus.

6233 Dean Martin Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89118

www.nvsenatedems.com www.nvassemblydems.com

EMPOWERING
HARDWORKING
NEVADA FAMILIES

NEVADA BLUEPRINT

NV DEMOCRATS
NV DEMOCRATS
By the Nevada Senate Democrats and the Assembly Democratic Caucus

FELLOW NEVADANS!
Nevada is Americas opportunity state, and we
are inspired every day by the spirit of hardworking
Nevadans who make this state a great place to live,
work and raise a family.
As a state, we have come a long way since the Great
Recession, but we know that stagnant wages and
a higher cost of living have left too many Nevadans
feeling left behind. Many Nevadans still feel that
government doesnt work for regular people.
It is time to open up a new frontier to hold
government accountable and empower
Nevada families.
Hardworking Nevadans should be able to get
a good-paying job that can support a family,
send their kids to good schools, have access to
quality health care, and earn a secure retirement.
Success should not be reserved only for the rich
and powerful.
We believe that we can create a brighter, better
future for every Nevada family by investing in our
schools, teachers, and higher education and job
training. We must build a more diverse economy
that helps small businesses grow, creates jobs, and
makes Nevada a national leader in technology,
advanced manufacturing, and clean energy jobs.
Sincerely,
Aaron D. Ford,
Senate Majority Leader
OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT | NEVADA DEMOCRATS
OUR GOAL IS
We also need to protect our heritage. That TO PUT NEVADA
means preserving Nevadas natural environment,
protecting our constitutional rights, and making FAMILIES FIRST.
it easier for our citizens to participate in the
democratic process.
To that end, we offer our Nevada Blueprint an
agenda outlining our principles and legislative
goals for the 2017 Legislative Session. Together
we will make each day as bright and full of
promise as we can.
Jason Frierson,
Speaker of the Assembly
OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT
The following is our Nevada Blueprint an agenda outlining our principles and legislative goals
to empower Nevadans and give everyone a fair shot at success.
BETTER SCHOOLS SECURITY FOR FAMILIES & SENIORS
Success starts with high-quality pre-K through
Protecting their pocketbooks, their health, and preventing
12th-grade education.
fraud and abuse.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO COLLEGE A DIVERSE ECONOMY WITH GOOD PAYING JOBS
AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS Make Nevada the nations leader in the clean energy economy and put
Improving Nevadans access to higher Nevada at the cutting edge of the high-paying, high-tech jobs of the future.
education and advanced vocational training.
 OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT | NEVADA DEMOCRATS
BETTER SCHOOLS
We believe that we must invest in public education, put
More funding for our schools
and more choices for parents.

their kids schools are run. Nevada students deserve highly

great teachers in every classroom, and give teachers qualified teachers and a rigorous curriculum that helps
the resources they need to help their students succeed. them achieve their very best.
Parents should have more choices and more say in how

OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT WILL:

Provide an influx of badly needed funding to our schools
through a tax on recreational marijuana sales and
dedicate funds directly to public education.
Repeal mandates and reduce high-stakes testing so
that students and teachers can focus on learning, not
just learning the test.
Make financial literacy a curriculum requirement
so students learn basic life skills like balancing a
checkbook or establishing good credit.
Provide parents with full public school choice through
the creation of more magnet schools and career and
technical academies, expanded open-enrollment and a
well-regulated charter system.
Prepare our students for high-tech jobs by providing
well-funded Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) education programs.
Enact a Back-to-School sales tax holiday so parents
can shop for school supplies tax free.

JOBS of the Future

Diversifying Nevadas economy will help end the cycle of boom and bust
while making Nevada an easier place to bring, start and grow a business.
OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT WILL:
Make Nevada a leader in the new energy economy by setting renewable
energy standards that will encourage solar and other renewable
technologies to grow.
Offer fast-track job training and retraining programs to prepare
Nevadans for new jobs, particularly in the advanced manufacturing and
technology fields.
Promote energy efficiency, energy storage standards, residential and
community solar, and other programs that will both create new jobs and
help Nevada transition to more clean energy consumption.
Provide apprenticeships for vocational training on publicly funded projects.
Putting NV JOBS & WORKERS FIRST
To expand economic opportunities, we must help small businesses expand and grow, hold corporations
HIGHER EDUCATION
We cant attract new businesses if we dont have an
and Job Training
costs at four-year universities low while expanding
accountable to make sure that the jobs we are promised actually come and, most importantly, put
Nevada businesses and jobs first. educated workforce ready to be hired. Nevada must affordable job training and community college programs
offer a variety of higher education and job training that that allow students to be job-ready in less time and
OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT WILL: programs to be competitive. Thats why we will keep for less money.
Give Nevada businesses the first crack at state contracts, so that our tax dollars are spent
boosting Nevada businesses and Nevada workers first.
OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT WILL:
Help local business get off the ground by providing small business loans, reduced red tape and
small business incubators to help people start and grow their businesses. Make it easier for Nevada families to save for college Make Nevada a leader in healthcare education by fully-funding
and create a refinancing program to help Nevadans get the UNLV medical school and expanding health sciences
Offer tax credits for employers who provide or help their employees cover the cost of child care. out of student loan debt faster. programs at community colleges.
Hold corporations accountable when they take tax incentives to make sure that the jobs we are Cap costs at community colleges and fund new Expand Teach Nevada scholarships and loan incentives
promised actually come to Nevada. community college and vocational training for students who study education and commit to teach in
programs, particularly those for emerging and new Nevada schools.
industry jobs.

SECURITY
for our Families
OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT WILL:
Protect retirement savings and pensions and crack down on senior fraud and abuse to
protect the savings for which our seniors have worked so hard.
Ensure Nevadans are paid what theyve earned by toughening penalties for wage theft.
Require that men and women are paid equally for doing the same work and set a
living wage so everyone has the opportunity to provide for their family.
Protect workers from exploitation by protecting their right to organize.
OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT | NEVADA DEMOCRATS
OUR NEVADA BLUEPRINT WILL:
Keep our public lands in public hands so that they remain open for hunting, fishing, hiking, PROTECTING
NEVADAS HERITAGE
and recreation.
Increase accountability and improve administration of state benefits for veterans so that
those who served our country are treated with the respect they deserve.
Honor Nevadas culture of freedom and personal liberty by protecting Nevadans of all and our Rights
backgrounds from discrimination, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
religion, or immigration status. Protecting our future means respecting our natural environment, honoring our
veterans, and safeguarding our most basic rights.
Make sure Nevadas criminal justice system is fair to everyone.
Fight to ensure that voting is free, fair, and accessible for all eligible voters in Nevada.
Health and security should be our top priority, whether that means protecting seniors
from fraud and abuse, ensuring insurance companies cover basic services that families
depend on, or holding corporations accountable so Nevadans are treated fairly on
the job. Making Nevada the best place to live, work, and raise our families starts with
treating families with decency and fairness.
Implement an earned sick leave program so employees can take a day off when they
or their immediate family members get sick.
Require health insurance companies to cover basic preventative care, such as cancer
screenings, womens health services, and screenings for autism in children.
Improve quality of life by improving the quality of healthcare for seniors, particularly
cognitive and palliative care.