A Mesquite journalist sued by the chief of police has responded with a motion to have the lawsuit dismissed and seek $10,000 in compensation. Barbara Ellestad, who operated the Mesquite Citizen Journal before shutting it down earlier this year, was sued by Mesquite Police Chief MaQuade Chesley for defamation after …
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Senators Marilyn Dondero-Loop and James Ohrenschall today were named First Amendment Champions by the Nevada Press Association for their work preventing a public notice mandate from being eliminated. In the last three weeks of the 2021 legislative session the Department of Administration introduced SB-445, a budget bill relating to state …
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Advocates of open government had a very good session in the Nevada Legislature in 2021. Only two bills containing provisions the Nevada Press Association opposed became law and their impact on transparency will be relatively minor. The other bills we fought either died in committee or were amended to our …
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For advocates of open government in Nevada, two of the most problematic bills introduced so far in the 2021 legislative session would override the state’s existing transparency standards in favor of more-secretive rules imported from the federal government. Assembly Bill 39, sponsored by the Department of Public Safety, would create …
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Sunshine Week starts in two weeks. Launched in 2005 by the American Society of News Editors — now News Leaders Association (NLA) — Sunshine Week has become an enduring initiative to promote open government. How you will celebrate Sunshine Week 2021 at your news organization? You can find ideas and …
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This is a story about a skirmish in the eternal struggle for information between reporters and the governments they cover, and about the value of professional journalism. The story begins on March 13, when Gov. Steve Sisolak declared a state of emergency and ordered non-essential businesses closed until the threat …
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Sunshine Week, the annual spotlight on open government and the role of a free press, is coming up March 15-21. Sponsored by the News Leaders Association and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the week offers a chance for NPA members to remind their readers of the importance …
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In November, the Attorney General’s Office hosted a day of training for members of state boards and commissions subject to Nevada laws regulating their processes and conduct, including administrative rule making, state contracting and ethics in government. The training also featured modules on the responsibilities of official boards …
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The Nevada Press Association’s highest legislative priority in 2019 was improving government compliance with the state’s Public Records Act. The vessel for our aspirations was Senate Bill 287. The final version of SB 287 established penalties for local governments and state agencies that willfully violate the law; limited their use …
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By Richard Karpel In my short tenure with NPA, I haven’t heard any members complain about how government agencies implement the Open Meeting Law (Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 241). Moreover, I attended two meetings of the OML Task Force and found the government representatives who also attended the meetings to …
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