Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak addressed the Silver State on Wednesday, January 19th, and delivered his State of the State address.
“Every Nevadan has been impacted by the COVID outbreak. Whether you’ve lost a job, had to learn from home, missed a graduation, grappled with keeping your small business open, or been unable to visit family for birthdays and holidays, or in a hospital room, this disease has touched us all. And the truth is, we still have a way to go,” began Sisolak. In his address, Governor Sisolak discussed some of the issues facing Nevadans, as well as his plan for moving forward.
Leading his list of challenges is the ongoing battle against COVID-19, getting students back to school full-time, getting the economy back on track, getting people back to work, and green energy.
Sisolak’s primary focus regarding COVID is a campaign to get people vaccinated. According to the Governor, 100,000 first and secondary doses of the vaccine have been administered statewide. While waiting for more vaccines to be delivered, public health officials are strategizing ways to improve vaccine distribution. “Again, let me assure all of you,” stated Sisolak, "every part of government is focused on vaccinating Nevadans.”
Sisolak also stressed the critical nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Anyone who tells you that COVID-19 is just a public health crisis is wrong – it is also an economic crisis and a fiscal crisis," said the governor. "It has impacted Nevadans' ability to feed themselves and their kids, to keep the lights on, to keep a roof over their heads, to earn a paycheck and keep the benefits that allow them access to health care.”
From an economic standpoint, Nevada has been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Approximately 250,000 Nevadans were laid-off in 2020. In a state where its economy is largely dependent on the hospitality industry, the shutdowns dealt a devastating blow. “When travel stops, hotel rooms go empty; when showrooms close, and our conventional business and tourism shut down, it hits our State harder than any state in the nation,” Sisolak stated. “We need to expand our economy to other world-leading industries that can create new jobs and new opportunities for our people.”
In response to the difficulties facing the Silver State, Governor Sisolak, in partnership with the State Treasurer, Zach Connie, who assisted him in developing the plan, listed five new economic initiatives designed to bring economic recovery and growth to Nevada.
First, Sisolak plans to work with the legislature to pass an energy bill that will increase transmission, storage, and distribution of all forms of clean energy. “Passing this bill will create good-paying construction jobs starting this year,” said Sisolak, “and help in our fight against climate change.”
Secondly, the Governor proposed legislation for the creation of Innovation Zones throughout the State. He believes that companies with new technologies can come to Nevada to develop their industries without incentives like tax abatement and public financing. If the legislation is passed, Blockchains, LLC, will be creating a smart city in northern Nevada, “making Nevada the epicenter of this emerging industry and creating the high paying jobs and revenue that go with it.” In addition to Blockchains, the Governor cited other innovations like UNR’s superconductivity research that the Department of Energy calls this breakthrough the “Holy Grail” of energy efficiency.
Third on the Governor’s list of initiatives is preparing our workforce for the new Nevada economy. He is calling on some of the state’s leading companies to “fund, design, and implement training programs to prepare and qualify employees for these new jobs” in what he is calling the Nevada Job Force. “Nevada has never experienced an economic recovery challenge as great as the one it faces now,” remarked Sisolak. “Many of the jobs lost during the pandemic will not come back as businesses move toward automation.”
The plan includes community colleges playing a bigger role in workforce training. “That’s why I will be asking the Legislature to work with the Nevada System of Higher Education over the next two years to develop a framework transitioning Nevada’s community colleges to a new independent authority that will focus on making Nevadans job-ready," stated Sisolak. He also plans to establish a Remote Work Resource Center to connect Nevada workers as the remote workforce will likely double by 2025.
Building infrastructure was fourth on the Governor’s list. “Infrastructure creates real jobs for real people, and it will allow us to put hundreds of millions of dollars into our economy,” said Sisolak. According to the governor, infrastructural improvements will create high-paying construction jobs and serve as the building blocks for decades of expansion. His new budget includes $75 million for capital improvements that will launch the State Infrastructure Bank to leverage outside capital to fund important infrastructure projects like road improvements, rural broadband, and renewable energy.
Finally, Governor Sisolak plans to make Nevada’s government work better. One area of focus was the State’s Department of Employment Rehabilitation (DETR). The systems in place are outdated and have been unable to meet the demands of unemployment insurance claims, which rose from 20,000 to 370,000 per week over the last year. “Better systems, modernization, private sector help, and more federal dollars. That’s a big part of the path forward,” said the governor.
Sisolak believes, once the five-part plan is implemented, 300,000 short-term jobs will be created, with 165,000 of them becoming permanent and help create a more thriving and sustainable Nevada economy.
The revised state budget was also addressed during Governor Sisolak's speech. Year-end revenue projections were better than expected, allowing for his new $8.68 billion budget to restore cuts made to several state programs, including Medicaid. Also, more money for education is planned. In addition, $415 million is slated for capital projects, the Public Employees’ Benefits Program (PEBP) is to be expanded, and $5 million is set aside for the creation and support of new business in Nevada. “We are in an improved, yet still difficult position,” said Sisolak.
During his speech, the governor expressed concerns over Nevada’s struggling educational system stating he is dedicated to modernizing and improving education in Nevada, which comes with a hefty price tag, stating, “My budget also ensures marijuana tax dollars will continue to fund education, to ensure districts can meet the needs of students during the pandemic and beyond.”
Finally, Sisolak thanked the Nevada National Guardsmen in Washington D.C. and spoke about what he called the division and polarization that is gripping our country. “It has to end,” he said. “This is America. This is Nevada, and we need to pull together. Nevada, we can do this. We are determined, we are resilient, and we are strong."
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