How You Can Support Gov. Lombardo and Opportunity Scholarships This Week

(Chuck Muth) – Funding for Nevada’s Opportunity Scholarship school choice program was cut by Democrats this session, from around $11.4 million to around $6.6 million.
 
Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo has proposed using some $3.2 million in unspent COVID relief dollars to fill in the gap so no current Opportunity Scholarship recipients will be forced back into a failing government school this semester.
 
The Legislature’s “Interim Finance Committee” (IFC), dominated by Democrats, will vote to either approve or block the governor’s proposal at their meeting on Wednesday.
 
Valeria Gurr of the Federation for Children has been a staunch advocate for the program and a champion of the children who benefit greatly from it. 
 
And if you care to weigh in on this issue (PLEASE!) when the IFC meets in two days, here’s some helpful information Valeria has provided for you…
 
     Dear Parents, Friends, and Allies:

     Governor Lombardo has proposed using unallocated federal COVID relief funds to prevent the students who are using opportunity scholarships from being kicked out of this life-changing program, with only a week away from school starting. 
 
     However, the Interim Finance Committee needs to approve his funding proposal this upcoming Wednesday, August 9. Please come to support Item F on the agenda, which would be $3.2 million in student funding. Here is the full agenda.

     Join us to testify in person in Carson City or Las Vegas:
 
     1) Because of time considerations, testimonies during public comment will be limited to only 2 minutes. Therefore, please come prepared with a two-minute maximum testimony to support the students on scholarship who are at risk of losing them. Below are examples.

• Date and Time of Meeting:
• Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 9:00 a.m
• Las Vegas Families: 
• Grant Sawyer State Office Building, Room 4401
  555 East Washington Avenue
  Las Vegas, Nevada, 89101
   
• Northern Nevada Families: 
• Legislative Building, Room 4100
  401 South Carson Street
  Carson City, Nevada, 89701

     2) Please remember to send your written testimony electronically in PDF format to FC@lcb.state.nv.us.  Written comments may be submitted electronically before, during, or after the meeting by email to IFC@lcb.state.nv.us. You may also mail written documents to the Fiscal Analysis Division, 401 South Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701, or fax them to (775) 684-6475.
 
     3) Example letters to help you prepare your testimony:

• Parent Testimony
• Student Testimony
• Stakeholder or supporter testimony

     Also, address your letter like the below: 

• Dear Members of the Committee; or
• Dear Members of the Interim Finance Committee

     Please include in your written testimony what item of the agenda you are supporting (Item F). 

     Attached here is a fact sheet about the opportunity scholarships that will help you understand how the program works. 
 
     4) While in-person testimony is preferred, you can testify by phone if you can’t attend in person.
 
     To provide public comment or testimony telephonically, dial (669) 900- 6833 on the date of the meeting. When prompted, provide Meeting ID 815 5760 0588 and press #. When prompted for a Participant ID, press #
 
Politics on the Rocks Tix to Go on Sale Wednesday Morning
 
Back in 2000, Robert Putnam published “Bowling Alone.” The book, as explained by Carol Cocks of the Leadership Institute, detailed “how America has witnessed a steady erosion of social connections and community involvement since the 1960s.”
 
“Putnam uses the metaphor of ‘bowling alone’ to illustrate this phenomenon,” Cocks writes, “showing that while the number of people who bowl has increased, the number of people participating in bowling leagues (or socializing around the activity) has decreased.”
 
“Conservative activists should learn from this book and join together,” Cocks continued.  “Great things are only possible when people come together around their shared principles and build a goal-oriented community.”
 
And with that in mind, Citizen Outreach will be hosting this month a one-of-a-kind cocktail reception/dinner in Las Vegas featuring Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo. 
 
     DETAILS
 
     Politics on the Rocks
     Monday, August 21, 2023
     6:00 – 8:00 pm
 
Tickets will go on sale to the general public Wednesday morning…if there are any left.
 
Inner Circle members got first crack at the tickets this morning. About a quarter of them were purchased in the first couple of hours, so they’re going fast!
 
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
 
“How’s this for media bias: in recent days evening news shows spent over 162 minutes on the Trump indictment. The Media Research Center has found that was a full 19 times (!) more than the 8 minutes and 32 seconds the networks devoted to the Hunter Biden scandal.” – Steven Moore, Committee to Unleash Prosperity
 
Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, publisher of Nevada News & Views, and founder of CampaignDoctor.com.  You can sign up for his conservative, Nevada-focused e-newsletter at MuthsTruths.com.  His views are his own.