Annie Black

(Annie Black) – The never-ending debate over “rights” boils down to a simple, established concept:

“Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man’s nose begins.”

And that was the essence of what became a rather heated clash between me and Nevada State Sen. Dina Neal during a hearing on Senate Bill 254 (SB254) this week.

(Grab a beverage: This is a bit of a long one…)

The bill, among other things, would prohibit landlords from even checking an applicant’s criminal record, let alone choosing not to rent to someone based on their criminal record.

Section 33 of the bill declares it “an unlawful discriminatory practice” for a property owner to “inquire into or conduct a background check to determine the arrest record, conviction record or record of criminal history of an applicant or tenant” or to “refuse to rent or lease…a dwelling to an applicant because of any arrest record, conviction record or record of criminal history.”

Sen. Neal, the bill’s sponsor, testified before the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs on Thursday.  In Round 1 of the questioning, I asked…

“What gives us the right to say to private property owners, ‘You have to rent to this person because the state has invested a lot of money to keep them out of prison’?”

 

And because Sen. Neal had tried to make a distinction between someone renting a room in their home and a commercial development, I continued…

“A property owner who owns an apartment complex has the same exact property rights as a home owner… Property rights are property rights.  And what gives us the right to tell them who they can rent to? 

“That’s not discriminating against someone; that’s a risk assessment.  These people have a business and they have to make an assessment on who’s a good risk and who’s a bad risk.  What gives us the right to tell them they can’t do that?”

In her long-winded, self-righteous response, Sen. Neal claimed the Legislature had the power to do this for public policy purposes.  She went on to claim ex-cons “should be treated equally” and “they have a right to housing.”

To come up this constitutional “ghost” authority, Sen. Neal then tried to compare prohibiting a landlord from considering someone’s criminal record to the “takings” power of government in “eminent domain” cases.

That’s ridiculous.  If the government “takes” your private property for, say, the purpose of building a new highway, the government is also required to pay the private property owner a fair market price for the property.

Well, that’s not what we’re talking about here at all.  So in a follow-up question during Round 2, I countered…

“I think there’s a clear difference between guaranteeing equal rights to housing for somebody on the basis of their ethnicity, their religion, their gender – whatever those things that are out of your control are – versus somebody who chooses to go to prison because they choose to break the law. … These people made a choice to break the law and I believe that we don’t have the place to tell a private property owner who they can and can’t rent to.”

Well, that got the good senator a little hot under the collar.  She then tried to compare infringing on private property rights to government programs designed to help ex-cons transition back into society once they’ve served their time.

She then – in another long-winded response dripping with moral superiority – indignantly alleged that a landlord choosing not to rent an apartment to an ex-con who chose to break the law was akin to establishing a “caste system.”

No, it isn’t.

A caste system is where the government divides people by their race, ethnicity or religion.  That’s totally different from a private property owner choosing to not rent an apartment to somebody who chose to break the law, got caught and spent time in jail for it.

In Round 3 of the Q&A, I acknowledged a public policy objective to help ex-cons re-enter society; however, “I don’t want it to be at the expense of people’s property rights.”

I went on to note those same property rights for landlords have been infringed upon by the government due to the “eviction moratorium” imposed by Gov. Sisolak and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) during the COVID pandemic…

“Another one of my concerns is…imposing a bunch of new rules on people that have not been able to collect rent for almost a year and a half.”

The increasingly agitated senator then launched another long-winded excuse for this infringement on private property rights by explaining that some apartment owners received “government assistance” and “billions of dollars of subsidies.”

She went on to assert that ex-cons should “be equally viewed as the same as any of us.”

But they’re NOT the same as any of us.  They chose to break the law, got caught and did time in prison.

Worse, according to a 2014 report by the Nevada Department of Corrections, “31.90% to 52.04% of offenders with prior felony charges in Nevada became re-incarcerated.”

Sen. Neal then went into full “virtue signaling” mode – and, of course, invoked “the children” – in defending the indefensible rent moratoriums (which, by the way, a federal judge struck down this week)…

“And here’s the reason why.  Because it was far more dangerous to place those families on the street.  And so we had to make a decision about whether or not we wanted to place an additional burden temporarily on private owners in order to save a greater good.

“The greater good was a single mother and families who potentially were going to be on the street who then, what, they what, they, you don’t longer have milk for their kids; they don’t have a bed to sleep in. …

“So, yes, the government makes a decision to burden apartment owners in order to save families from a greater loss and expense… Sometimes we make social justice decisions.  We do.”

Which, of course, totally misses the point.

If the government wants to provide government services for some “social justice” reason, that’s one thing.  But the government has no authority to provide such assistance at the expense of the rights of a private property owner.

And a 15 month-plus “burden” is not “temporary.”

Sen. Neal then wrapped up her testimony in an increasingly agitated state and returned to her bill…

“They (felons) have served their time.  Punishment is not forever.  And we are not living in a caste system.  And when it’s decided someone is free, they are free.  And they need a right to a house.  And all I’m saying is that, ‘Can I get an application and be approved?’ 

“That’s it!  It’s not deep.  But for some reason because of our ideological fences, we have already decided that certain individuals cannot make it through. But that was the case in the sixties.  Blacks weren’t allowed to live in houses. 

“There’s a whole set of case laws where we were literally denied because of the color of our skin.  And we couldn’t change that.  And now you’re telling me, as we move into 2021, that ex-felons…have no rights in this society. 

“And if that is the case, keep them in prison!  Cause I don’t understand why we’re letting them out if we really feel that they have no value and they are not worthy of a roof over their head!  That is the crazy thing to me!” 

Nice deflection.  But I don’t buy it and that’s NOT what we’re talking about.

No one is saying ex-felons “have no rights in this society,” “have no value” and are “not worthy of a roof over their head.”  THAT’S crazy.

An ex-felon’s questionable “right to a house” ends when it infringes on the private property rights of a landlord, just as “your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man’s nose begins.” 

I will always defend the rights of private property owners against unconstitutional government infringement and will be voting “no” on SB254.

NOW ON ANNIE-TV

* My floor statement on what legislators should do with the half-billion dollar “windfall” in revenue predicted by the Economic Forum.  Click here to watch “Kids in the Candy Store.”

* Why I walked out and boycotted the 2021 “class photo” of the State Assembly.  Click here to watch “Mask Madness!”

FROM ANNIE-GRAM MAILBAG

“Once again, you hit it out of the park!  All of this ‘junk racism’ is really wearing thin.  I feel that the supposed racism has reversed itself and is now very heavily racist against white people.” – Name withheld by request

“Thank you, Annie. I’m so impressed with your style in articulating the truth, informing us of what’s really happening in our legislature as well as calling out the Bad Actors‼️  You certainly have a very unique style and it’s VERY REFRESHING‼️” – Ann DeBaufre

“The RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) are more dangerous than the lockstep Democrats. Having RINO ‘friends’ that betray you is the same as having no friends at all; maybe worse.” – B.J. Adams

“Annie, I love your fire! It’s good to know my Assemblywoman Melissa Hardy is voting with Dems. I’m emailing her to let her know I voted for her and that I won’t again if she keeps voting with Dems like she did on AB109 (anti-charter school bill). My kids are out of school, but every bill affects taxpayers.” – Nancy Hullum-Turner

“I am a proud member of Annie’s Army! We are ready to back you all the way!” – Barbara Fish

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“No one wants to see an innocent person put to death.  But in clear-cut cases where there is no doubt about the perpetrator, the death penalty should be applied as soon as possible.” – Tim Hicks, Las Vegas Review-Journal

“It’s time for Republicans to play offense against the left. The constant retreat of elected Republicans is one of the reasons we are in the mess we are in.” – Charlie Kirk, TPUSA

Annie Black is the Nevada State Assemblywoman representing District 19.  You can get more information and subscribe to her AnnieGram newsletter by visiting www.AnnieBlack.net

(Annie Black) – I’m sure you’ve heard the term “junk science.”  It’s defined as “untested or unproven theories when presented as scientific fact.”

Well, welcome to “junk racism.”

Same principle.  Over and over again we’re told – by the left and media (sorry, I repeated myself) – that America is plagued with “systemic racism” even though there is absolutely NO proof of the claim.

To the contrary, this supposedly “racist” nation recently elected a black man president of the United States.  TWICE.

Which brings me to U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a black Republican, who delivered the GOP response to President Joe Biden’s systemically boring Address to Congress Wednesday night.

And he hit it out of the park.

He also hit a raw nerve.

His most powerful and controversial statement: “Hear me clearly. America is not a racist country.”

Fact Check: TRUE.

But…hoo-boy!  That lit up the “Race Hustlers of America” club.  Big time.

Many immediately attacked the Senator for supposedly “selling out” and being a “race traitor.”

“Trotting out sycophantic black folks who will serve as apologists for white supremacy is a tried-and-true tactic that racists have used for centuries,” bleated Talbert Swan of the NAACP.

Those upset over Sen. Scott “leaving the liberal plantation” even adopted a social media hashtag for the old “Uncle Tom” slur against any conservative or Republican black who dares to challenge the left’s racist narrative: “Uncle Tim.”

In response, Sen. Scott noted that opponents weren’t attacking his policies, “but are literally attacking the color of my skin.  You cannot step out of your lane according to the liberal elite left.”

So who are the real racists, right?  But here’s the interesting thing…

Asked about Sen. Scott’s declaration on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris, a black Democrat, replied: “No, I don’t think America is a racist country.”

FINALLY, bi-partisan agreement on something in DC!

But that hasn’t stopped the Kamala administration – oh, sorry – the BIDEN administration from whipping out the race card every chance it gets, including the President falsely claiming Georgia’s new election reform law was “Jim Crow in the 21st Century.”

Junk racism.

Instead of fanning the flames of race hatred and division, we should be pursuing the ultimate goal of continuing down the path towards a color-blind society.  But that’s hard to do when every time you turn around every issue these days is couched in racial arson.

For example, consider this provision tucked inside a Senate Joint Resolution (SJR11) in the Nevada Legislature purportedly dealing with the alleged “wage gap” between men and women…

“These facts and figures represent the consequences of sexism and white supremacy in the United States and how the country systematically devalues women, particularly women of color, and their labor.”

Reminds me of an old line about how liberal newspapers would report on the Earth being destroyed by an asteroid: “World Ends Tomorrow! Women, Minorities Hardest Hit!”

Unsupported and false claims of racism are, indeed, junk racism.

Declaring Aunt Jemima syrup and Uncle Ben’s rice to be racist is junk racism.  Accusing people of being racist who aren’t is junk racism.  Proclaiming racism, as Gov. Sisolak has done, to be a “public health crisis” is junk racism.

And I’m sure I’ll be called a racist now for saying so.

But it that’s the best you got, you don’t got squat.

FROM ANNIE-GRAM MAILBAG

• “Hi, Annie. Thank you for providing the statistics showing the percentage of times that Republicans in the Nevada Legislature actually voted with the Democrats. What an eye-opener. … I intend to print this list and take it with me the next time I go to the polls.” – Francine Huffman
• “Never in my over 40 years of voting in Nevada have I been so informed on exactly what’s going on with our politicians during a legislative session, unless of course I searched it out. Thank you, Annie Black.  You are the epitome of working for the people!  Every politician in this country could take a lesson.” – E. Christean
• “I love your newsletters. They are the only way I know what is really going on in our Legislature. Thank you for speaking truth.” – Janet Lochman, Dayton
• “Hello, Annie. Thanks for your informative emails, and, more importantly, thanks for your leadership! You are showing Republicans how to be Republicans, and striking fear into the hearts of the Democrats.  You certainly worry them!” – John W. Vettel, LtCol, USAF(Ret)

JUNK RACISM QUOTES OF THE DAY

“It’s clear the R in Republican stands for Racist.” – Actress Rosanna Arquette

“Twitter is still out here going out of its way to make racist attacks against GOP Sen. Tim Scott go viral. Apparently, they want him to suffer for the crime of upstaging Biden via a highly effective speech. Disgusting.” – Mollie Hemingway

“A major strategy of racists, is to incentivize one of it’s Black victims to act as the crash test dummy for white supremacy.  When Uncle Tim Scott says America is not a racist country, he is fully aware he is speaking in bad faith. The purpose is to protect white supremacists.” – Tariq Nasheed

“In today’s episode of ‘Everything Is Stupid’ we look to a recent episode of Jeopardy! that caused some backlash when a contestant, to signal his third win, held up three fingers in what was considered by a large group of morons to somehow be a white power symbol.” – Harris Rigby

“As another (UCLA) student reiterated, soap dispensers are racist because they force ‘black and brown bodies’ to show their palms — ‘the only light areas of the skin’ — in order to get soap out.” – Sullivan Israel, The College Fix

“Snapchat, a social media platform, is looking to ‘redesign’ its camera technology in order to make it more ‘inclusive’ after employees complained, ‘the camera is, in fact, racist,’ according to an Axios report.” – Breitbart News

“According to a feature published in CNN’s style section, fonts designed to communicate ‘Asianness’ that appear on restaurant menus, food packaging and other items are offensive and perpetuate ‘crude’ stereotypes.” – RT.com

Annie Black is the Nevada State Assemblywoman representing District 19.  You can get more information and subscribe to her AnnieGram newsletter by visiting www.AnnieBlack.net

(Annie Black) – This is NO WAY to do the people’s business.

On Tuesday, legislators in the State Assembly considered over 100 bills and voted on 87 of them.  All on the same day.  Like drinking from a fire hose.  And there was NO EXCUSE for it.

Let me give you just one example…

AB3 – a non-controversial bill – was submitted as a BDR (bill draft request) last November.

It received a committee hearing on February 12^th in the Government Affairs Committee.

It received a second hearing/work session on April 6^th and was voted out of committee.

But despite holding MULTIPLE Assembly floor sessions afterwards, the Democrat leadership chose not to hold a floor vote on the bill until the slam-and-jam marathon on Tuesday.

This bill, which was approved unanimously 42-0, could have and should have been voted on long before the April 20 deadline.

But here’s the even bigger problem…

A number of amendments to a number of the bills were dropped in our laps less than 24 hours before we were expected to vote on them.  So there was no time to consult on the amendments with allies, experts or constituents before we had to vote.  This is just plain wrong.

One of my bills (AJR12) – the “Slam & Jam Prevention Act,” which was killed by the Democrats – would require all bills, UN-AMENDED, be posted online for public review for at least 48 hours before legislators could vote on them.

That gives YOU a chance to weigh in.

THAT’S the way to do the people’s business.

Now here’s something else I think you’ll find interesting…though it will again get me in hot water with my GOP colleagues up here.

Of the 87 bills voted on during Tuesday’s slam-and-jam session, 53 of them passed with at least one Republican “no” vote.  All the others were passed unanimously.

On the non-unanimous bills, here’s the list of the 16 Assembly Republicans with the percentage of time they voted with the Democrats…

• Tom Roberts:              58.49%
• Melissa Hardy:            57.72%
• Jill Tolles:                    56.60%
• Heidi Kasama:            49.06%
• Lisa Krasner:               43.40%
• Glen Leavitt:                32.08%
• Greg Hafen:                 32.08%
• Alexis Hansen:            28.30%
• P.K. O’Neill:                 24.53%
• Andy Matthews:          24.53%
• Jill Dickman:                20.75%
• Jim Wheeler:                18.87%
• Richard McArthur:      16.98%
• Robin Titus:                  15.09%
• John Ellison:                11.32%
• Annie Black:                  3.77%

Now, a more thorough study of these votes is called for. There will certainly be cases of some bills in which conservatives can disagree without making them “RINOs.”

However, it should be DEEPLY troubling to conservative Republicans that the two Assistant Minority Co-Leaders, Mr. Roberts and Ms. Tolles, voted with the Democrats more than half the time, while three others in caucus leadership positions – Ms. Krasner, Mr. Leavitt and Mr. Hafen – voted with the Democrats a third of the time.

The caucus has also been decidedly bad at communicating what’s going on up here with the public, and have been totally ineffective in fighting the opposing side.  Make no mistake, it has plenty of tools at its disposal to do so.  It’s simply chosen not to use them.

Go along to get along.

This sadly-expected failure in leadership is why I chose not to join the caucus last November.  Has that decision made my efforts in Carson City bumpier?  Absolutely.  Do I regret my decision?

Not.  One.  Bit.

QUICK HITS

* AB399 is a ridiculous anti-business bill requiring that chickens producing eggs sold in Nevada be housed in cage-free environments.  Assemblyman Glen Leavitt (R-Boulder City) was the only Republican to vote with the D’s on this bill.

* The Clark County Commission voted to extend a “temporary” sales tax hike this week.  As the saying goes, there’s nothing so permanent as a “temporary” tax hike.  Voters need to stop falling for this scam.

* According to an Associated Press report this morning, five of the nine Republicans in the state Senate are thinking about voting to repeal the death penalty in Nevada.  Report doesn’t name names, so you’ll need to contract all of them.  Contact information found at the bottom of this AnnieGram.

FROM ANNIE-GRAM MAILBAG

• “Annie. Remind them that you are not afraid of the storm. YOU ARE THE STORM.” – Eilleen White
• “Love what you are doing up there Annie – keep rattling the cages. These people can learn a lot from you about standing up for what is right.” – David Orlov

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“State Sen. Keith Pickard (R-Clark) on Tuesday said he has changed his position and plans to support a mining tax reform resolution that Democratic leadership in the Nevada statehouse is expected to introduce in the weeks ahead.” – Sam Metz, Associated Press, 4/21/21

“I should not have voted against the mining tax (in the summer special session) because politically it’s killed me.” – Nevada State Sen. Keith Pickard (R-Clark)

Annie Black is the Nevada State Assemblywoman representing District 19.  You can get more information and subscribe to her AnnieGram newsletter by visiting www.AnnieBlack.net

(Annie Black) – Last week, Susan Furlong, Chief Clerk of the Legislative Council Bureau (LCB), ordered the Sergeant at Arms to remove a temporary paper sign on my office door, arguing it violated the COVID “rules” she and the Democrats created before the start of the session.

I responded in an AnnieGram on Saturday pointing out that Ms. Furlong herself was regularly violating her own rules by working in the Assembly Chamber without wearing a mask.

I included this photo of Ms. Furlong in action and noted her hypocrisy…

Well, guess who came to work on Monday and was suddenly wearing a mask?

Yep!

When you don’t stand up for yourself, they just walk all over you. If they think you can be pushed around, they’ll push you around.

But when you fight back…sometimes you win.

Naturally, some of my colleagues are now complaining they can’t understand what Ms. Furlong’s saying behind the mask.

But how is that different from you sitting at home, watching virtually, and not being able to understand what Assemblymembers are saying when THEY speak on the floor?

The answer, of course, is it’s not.

And the common-sense solution is to drop the mask mandate for EVERYBODY in the Chamber.  But that would undermine their efforts to keep as much of the public out of the building as they can for as long as possible.

And they sure as heck don’t want that!

The Death Penalty as Deterrent

For those claiming the death penalty is not a deterrent, consider this Breitbart News story from just this week…

“A murderer who was paroled following decades behind bars has reportedly been accused of killing another individual in Los Angeles after his release.  According to Fox 11, the suspect was recently charged in the stabbing murder of a woman in the weeks after the state canceled his parole conditions.”

Eddie Allen Harris was in prison because he “raped and stabbed a woman to death before leaving her body in an alley” back in 1982.  He was released “due to changes in state law reducing California’s elderly parole eligibility to the age of 50.”

Had Mr. Harris been executed, he would have been permanently deterred from killing anyone else ever again…and that second woman victim would be alive today.

FROM ANNIE-GRAM MAILBAG

• “You go, girl! You are absolutely correct to oppose that (anti-charter school) bill and God bless you for it. You did your due diligence, contacted charter schools, studied it. Stay the course!” – Carole  Fineberg
• “Absolutely agree with your assessment of why Republicans end up with the short end so often! Also appreciate that you made the effort to gather ALL the facts about AB109 and let us know.  Stick to your guns, Annie!” – Darla Lee
• “Thank you, Annie, for giving us, as Paul Harvey says, ‘The Rest of the Story’. … Keep rocking that boat and holding not only the left, but also our own GOP accountable.” – Gary Turner, #AnniesArmy member
• “You are absolutely correct in your assessment of how the Republicans erred with AB109 and how they screw up right down the line in not opposing AS A GROUP bad legislation. This problem has existed for years. Thank you for laying it out so well.” – Rick Kuhlmey
• “I just read your newsletter about ‘Republican table scraps’ and you are totally accurate and by far the freshest breeze to blow through the Nevada legislature in some time! … My own District 35 legislator will not even respond to my calls and emails. I’m not sure I’m represented at this point.” – Judy Sorce- Bauman
• “I know you are busy and deal with a lot of crap every day. Please know that more of us are cheering you on than you know and we appreciate your efforts and especially your communication with We the People!” – Paula “Poya” Daniels
• “Thank you. I like that your letters are long enough that we get a complete picture of what is going on.” – Laura Nguyen
• “I wish you could be cloned! You present the issues in layman’s terms.  Thank you for all you do, especially for your ‘adopted’ constituents!” – Name withheld by request
• “Hi Annie. OMG, I wish I could clone you so we could have you here in Las Vegas. I really enjoy reading your emails. Keep up the great work!” – Lynn Sasaoka
• “Hi Annie. You are right on so many points. … Keep fighting. You are one of the only reasons I have not re-registered Independent from Republican.” – Jeannette Wiley
• “Right on Annie. Name the names!  RINOs or otherwise.  If they make bad or stupid decisions, they should pay the price. Call them out. Maybe then they will know we are watching them.” – Larry Wilkinson

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“Attention, Gov. Steve Sisolak: I have had (and survived) COVID-19. I have been vaccinated. Why is the government requiring me to wear a mask? What law gives you that power? Where is the science that says forcing me to wear a mask is a health benefit to anyone?” – Jeff Fritz, Las Vegas Review-Journal

“To my knowledge the social distancing edict isn’t what people objected to. It’s having to wear that horrible mask. I’d be willing to maintain any distance from people if I didn’t have to wear the stupid thing. I’ve had both injections and, according to the science, am no longer in danger of either catching or transmitting the disease. A better idea would be to turn over the mask wearing decision to individual businesses, as is happening in many other states.” – Steve Bayliff, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Annie Black is the Nevada State Assemblywoman representing District 19.  You can get more information and subscribe to her AnnieGram newsletter by visiting www.AnnieBlack.net

(Annie Black) – In the past, if a person was convicted by a judge – without being offered a jury trial – on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge, they lost their gun rights.

But the Supreme Court ruled not long ago that you can’t take away someone’s gun rights unless the accused is afforded a jury trial.  I agree.

AB42 would prohibit taking away anyone’s gun rights for domestic battery unless they are convicted by a JURY.  And it has to be for the actual use of force against someone, not just getting into a shouting match with your spouse over whose turn it is to do the dishes.

However, if someone IS convicted of domestic battery by a jury, not a judge, then they WOULD lose their gun rights.

I don’t think someone’s gun rights should be taken away from them unless convicted by a jury of their peers.  So I voted “Yes” on the bill.

However, some of my colleagues voted against AB42, arguing that if we didn’t pass the bill then NO ONE would lose their gun rights since they wouldn’t be able to have a jury trial.

I understand the point.  However, if someone is convicted by a jury – not merely accused – of committing domestic battery, I’m not prepared to say they should automatically be given their gun rights back.

And contrary to a claim made by others, this is NOT a “red flag” law.

Red flag laws are directed at people who someone suspects *may* – sometime in the future – commit a crime.  That’s not what this is.  This bill only deals with people who are CONVICTED – by a JURY – of domestic battery.

Now…maybe I’m missing something.  It happens.  Especially with so many bills being voted on so quickly with so little notice.

If so, there’s a chance the bill will be amended in the Senate and sent back to us in the Assembly for a second vote on the amended version.

So if you have any arguments against the bill I haven’t covered here, by all means share them with me now before it possibly comes up again and I’ll take them into consideration.

And thanks for you input!

(Annie Black) – If you have a hundred dollars in your pocket and a mugger robs you – but gives $20 back – you’ve still been mugged and are out $80 of YOUR money!

And with that in mind…

Seems I stirred the hornet’s nest with some of my GOP colleagues for voting against an anti-charter school bill (AB109) and naming the five Republicans who voted with the Democrats for it.

One of those Republicans wrote on Twitter that she supports charter schools and would “never vote to harm” them.  She went on to note that each GOP member of the Education Committee voted for the bill in committee and that the Charter School Authority supported it.

Furthermore, she wrote that the bill was amended and “Instead of 100% licensing for CORE subjects it is 80% by 2026 (was 70%).”

And this is the problem.

First, members of the Charter School Authority are political appointees by the governor.  As such, I don’t take their word as gospel on anything.  Instead, I contacted actual charter school leaders and they opposed the bill.

Secondly, this sort of amendment to the bill is the same trap Republicans have been stepping into for years.

Democrats propose, for example, raising taxes by a million dollars.  Then Republicans “negotiate” the tax hike down to $800,000 – and claim “victory” because it’s not as bad as it could have been.

Government bureaucracies do the same thing.

They ask for, say, a million dollar increase in their budget.  And then when the amount is amended to “only” an $800,000 boost they claim a $200,000 budget “cut” – while Republicans clap themselves on the back for “saving” money.

To be fair, negotiating to make a bad bill “less bad” is an arguable position to take.  But it perpetuates the decades-long system of Democrats getting the gold mine while Republicans get the shaft.

Over and over again in these amendment “negotiations,” Democrats end up with the feast while Republicans get table scraps in return for being docile, go-along-to-get-along wind sockets.

There are two inconvenient truths here about AB109…

1.)  Charter schools are not the problem.  Our failing traditional pubic schools are the problem.  There are waiting lists to get into many charter schools.  Parents freely CHOOSE to send their kids to a charter school knowing full well the charter school does things very differently from traditional public schools.

Leave them alone and focus on the REAL problem.

2.)  There should be zero restrictions on the number of teachers in charter schools – especially in the midst of the ongoing teacher shortage – who have expertise and experience in various professional fields simply because they don’t have a “teaching degree.”

Not 70 percent.  Not 80 percent.  Not 100 percent.  ZERO.

This bill hurts charter schools no matter how you slice it or how it was amended.  It’s part of an organized campaign by the teachers’ unions to castrate school choice – even school choice made within the existing public school monopoly.

But now, when GOP candidates run for the Legislature next year and try to make the claim that Democrats oppose parental school choice based on this bill, the Democrats will have what they so desperately want…

The ability to claim the bill was “bi-partisan.”

And Republican voters wonder why we don’t win more seats?

I know this is how the “game” has been played for years.  Republicans give an inch.  Then another inch.  Then another inch.  And pretty soon Democrats have gotten the whole enchilada.

“Compromise” isn’t a four-letter word.  Then again, neither is “Opposition.”

Republicans need to stop negotiating hostages from a position of weakness.  They need to stop sympathizing with their captors.  It’s time to stop saying, “Thank you, sir, may I have another?”

It’s time to become a principled, outspoken opposition party, not a meek, submissive minority party.  I only wish more Republicans here in Carson City – including the paid staff of the Assembly GOP caucus – understood that.

What do you think?

Annie

P.S.  All five conservative members of the Assembly Freedom Caucus voted against this bill, including Assemblyman Richard McArthur, a member of the Education Committee.

P.P.S.  Both the conservative Nevada Policy Research Institute and Americans for Prosperity oppose AB109.  Republican legislators should check in with them more often.

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“Any politician, of any race or party, who fights against charter schools that give many black youngsters their one shot at a decent life does not deserve the vote of anybody who really believes that black lives matter.” – Thomas Sowell

“We need to give our children the best education possible. I want to give parents a choice. No child’s future should be determined by their zip code. I want the best quality education in district schools, magnet schools, parochials, charter schools.” – Black NYC Democrat mayoral candidate Ray McGuire

“I want the best education for kids in any form — by whatever means necessary.”

FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR

Want to weigh in on a bill or issue with your legislator…or ANY legislator?

Click here for full contact list of the Members of the 2021 Nevada Legislature.

Annie Black is the Nevada State Assemblywoman representing District 19.  You can get more information and subscribe to her AnnieGram newsletter by visiting www.AnnieBlack.net

(Annie Black) – As noted in Thursday’s AnnieGram, the Sergeant at Arms came to my office on Wednesday and removed a temporary paper sign that jokingly read: “Come On In. We’re Open. Don’t Mask. Don’t Tell.”

We were told at the time the order came down from the Speaker’s office.  But apparently after getting an earful from soldiers in Annie’s Army, Speaker Frierson sent emails saying he gave no such order.

Shortly thereafter, I received an email from Susan Furlong, Chief Clerk of the Assembly, which read…

“I wanted to clarify why our Sergeant at Arms removed the signage referencing the wearing of masks that was posted to the outside of the exterior door to your office on Thursday morning.  … The Sergeant at Arms is responsible for enforcing the rules, and it was me – not the Speaker – who instructed her to remove the signage from the outside of your outer door, because it violated Assembly Standing Rule 150 (attached).  I understand you were given the wrong information by the Sergeant at Arms and apologize for the miscommunication and any confusion it may have caused.”

OK, fine.  A failure in communications.  It happens.

But that still doesn’t address the problem since posting of the sign was decidedly NOT a violation of Assembly Standing Rule 150.  Here’s the relevant part of that Rule…

“…a member shall cover his or her mouth and nose with a multi-layer cloth face covering…in…(b) The presence of another person, including, without limitation, legislative staff, interns, lobbyists, or press representatives, within a private office or caucus room.”

Sorry, but a temporary paper sign with a tongue-in-cheek message taped to my door does NOT violate Rule 150.  A sign can neither catch nor transmit COVID.  That’s “science.”  You could look it up. Or even ask Dr. Fauci.

The sign was nothing more than pure satirical speech and posed no danger to anyone in the building.

On the other hand…

While Ms. Furlong’s “rules” require every member of the Legislature to wear a face mask, even when speaking on the floor, guess who almost never wears one when speaking and working in the Assembly Chamber?

Yep…

This is in violation of the Legislative Counsel Bureau’s (LCB) own established COVID rules which state…

“Any time an employee is not alone in his or her own closed office, a face mask must be worn.”

I remain unfazed, but yes, am rather irritated by Ms. Furlong’s hypocritical double-standard.

The more they try to shut me up, the more committed I am to speaking up!

That’s what you sent me here for.

Annie

SIGN NEW PETITION SUPORTING VOTER ID LAWS!

The Democrats are trying to ruin our democracy by removing ALL Voter ID Laws!  We CANNOT let them do this!

Sign your name on this new online petition to show that you SUPPORT Voter ID Laws!

Click here

NOW ON ANNIE-TV

* My floor statement in opposition to AB109, the anti-charter school bill.  Click here

QUICK HITS

* In case you thought I was kidding when I wrote that the “rules” for you to get into the Legislature’s building now that it’s “open” are absurd, click here

* Tomorrow will mark Day 77 of this session. The Assembly has met as a body on 43 of those days; less than four days a week.  Tell me again why we need to meet more than 120 days every two years?  If we’re not putting in a full week’s work, we sure don’t need annual sessions.

* Zane Floyd, the monster who shot to death four innocent people in a grocery store rampage in 1999, has requested that his execution be via firing squad rather than lethal injection.  To demonstrate our humanity, I think we should grant his wish.

FROM ANNIE-GRAM MAILBAG

“Hi, Annie. I see that the list of RINOS is growing by the day, and I have you to thank for informing us. I’m keeping a list so I’ll know for whom to NOT vote for in the future.” – Francine Huffman

“Annie, I commend you on your professionalism in dealing with these so-called representatives of the people. I don’t know how you stay composed and respectful with these politicians. The anger us regular folks feel is growing with every ridiculous bill, or infringement on our rights.” – Tim Ottmann

“Just wanted to send a little note saying how much I appreciate you and what you are doing! I agree with 99% of your positions. You are truly a breath of fresh air for our state and honestly the most honest straight-forward politician I’ve ever encountered. My only question is, when are you going to run for president?” – Corie Keyes

“Hello Annie. I’m reading your Annie-Grams and shaking my head. Why we continue to ‘run’ these folks and support this kind of thinking is unimaginable to me. There is no doubt that you are headed for ‘big things.’ You are a giant among pygmies. We totally need more like you.” – Joe Hooven

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“Due to COVID-19, we are asking rioters to work from home and destroy their own stuff.” – Madison Gesiotto Gilbert

Annie Black is the Nevada State Assemblywoman representing District 19.  You can get more information and subscribe to her AnnieGram newsletter by visiting www.AnnieBlack.net