Dear colleagues:

The NSHE budgets closed this week with only modest changes versus the Governor’s budget. The faculty merit pool is not funded, but state employee compensation including merit can still be addressed in the end-of-session compensation bill. The NFA is advocating for higher COLAs for all state employees as well as funding of faculty merit. Please contact decision makers with the contact information and talking points at this link.

Good news on capital improvement projects: UNLV Hotel School Building furnishings and UNR Engineering Building funded. Planning and design for CSN/NSC Health Science building funded. Planning and design for NSC Education building approved but not yet funded.

Our complete NFA bill watch list is linked here. Governor Sandoval has indicated he is more likely to veto bills without bipartisan support in Legislature, so partisan bills are likely to survive only with an end-of-session deal. Bills of particular interest or recent action:

AB16 & AB407 Cooperative Extension unfunded mandate and north/south split. In Assembly Ways & Means; hearings could be scheduled at any time.

AB188 Expands Silver State Opportunity Grant eligibility down to 12 credits (from 15 currently). Needs bipartisan support in Senate.

AB202 Interim study of higher education affordability and faculty compensation. Passed, to Governor.

AB390 Whistleblower act and NSHE SAGE Commission. Died on 5/19 deadline.

AJR5 Removes Regents from Constitution. Amended in Senate LOE Committee to add academic freedom clause. To Senate floor.

SB384 PERS retiree privacy. Held for vote in Assembly for possible amendment. Needs bipartisan support.

Best regards,

Kent Ervin, Legislative Liaison

Nevada Faculty Alliance

Kent.Ervin@NevadaFacultyAlliance.org

5/20/2017