Word on the street is that the special session of the Nevada Legislature will start tomorrow – and the Hollywood film studio proposal will be on the agenda.
During the 2025 regular session, the original proposal (AB238) got seven Republican votes in the Assembly: Lisa Cole, Rich DeLong, Bert Gurr, Heidi Kasama, Greg Koenig, P.K. O’Neill, and Toby Yurek.
On the other side of the aisle, there were 13 Democrats who voted against it: Natha Anderson, Shea Backus, Venicia Considine, Cecelia Gonzalez, Heather Goulding, Selena La Rue Hatch, Cinthia Moore, Hanadi Nadeem, David Orentlicher, Erica Roth, Selena Torres-Fossett, and Howard Watts.
The seven Republicans should unite in conditioning another “yes” vote this time on whether or not the Democrats agree to Assemblyman P.K. O’Neill’s very reasonable and minimal proposal to restore Opportunity Scholarships to its previous level – with specific language barring Democrats from undoing it again in a future session.
If so, that would mean the Democrats would have to flip seven of their “no” votes from the regular session bill in order for the new one – whatever’s in it – to pass.
Which, of course, might be doable since Democrats are MUCH better at enforcing party discipline and “bribing” their members with leadership positions and cushy committee assignments than Republicans.
But if that’s the case, so be it.
If Democrats refuse to give even this tiny little inch on Opportunity Scholarships, then let them walk the Hollywood studio plank without a single Republican vote – just like how the ObamaCare disaster was passed in Congress.
Let the Democrats OWN it outright if things go sour.
But if even ONE Republican in the Assembly votes for the studio bill without getting even this minimal concession on Opportunity Scholarships, then Democrats will be able to run for election next year – and way into the future – and claim the studio bill was “bi-partisan.”
Which dilutes its potential power as a campaign issue.
As I’ve written before, I’m trying to keep an open mind about this studio thing. We don’t yet know what changes have been made from the original bill during the regular session.
But I’m sure it’s been changed in order for it to be made more palatable for the Democrats who voted “no” the last time.
Again, fine. That’s politics. But just because they’ve made the bill more palatable for Democrats doesn’t mean Republicans should swallow the Kool-Aid without a little sweetener, as well.
And here’s a final thought on that…
The Democrats WILL offer up some sweeteners to those seven Republicans, but it will be on comparatively insignificant issues OTHER than school choice – just like Jack being offered that bag of magic beans.
Republicans fall for this every time. They get bought off with unrelated legislative trinkets – like what the Indians got for Manhattan – rather than sticking to their guns and getting more than a bowl of gruel.
But the GOP’s conservative base ain’t gonna fall for or accept it this time. The bargaining chip is and should be some kind of school choice concession. Nothing else is as important. We’re talking about our kids’ futures here.
Man up, Republicans. This is your time for choosing. Put away your pale pastels and go bold. For the children, of course.
