The Film Tax Credit Battle
Nevada’s special legislative session has turned into a political pressure cooker. The fight started when Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) came under fire for decisions that critics say put politics ahead of transparency and public participation.
At the heart of the controversy is a $1.65 billion film tax credit package – what opponents are calling “the largest corporate handout in Nevada history”. The measure squeaked through the Assembly Sunday morning with a razor-thin 22-20 vote.
But it wasn’t just the vote itself that sparked outrage. It was how Yeager got there.
Remote Voting for Lawmakers, Phone Lines Cut for Citizens
Here’s what stings for conservatives who believe in government transparency: While Speaker Yeager blocked all telephonic testimony during Nevada’s 36th Special Session, he allowed two Republican Assembly members – Brian Hibbetts and Heidi Kasama – to vote remotely on the film tax measure from their vacations.
Rumor has it that both lawmakers had vacation plans – not some kind of “emergency” yet Yeager declared their circumstances “exceptional” enough to warrant remote participation. This double standard didn’t sit well with many lawmakers, including some Democrats.
Yeager later clarified that both Hibbettts and Kasama were in Las Vegas, but also on “vacation.” (The kind of vacation where you just stay home?)
Democratic Assemblywoman Selena Torres-Fossett (not just Republicans) objected to the remote voting.
Assemblywoman Cecelia González (D-Las Vegas) found herself in hot water when she voted remotely from her Carson City office.
Yeager told reporters that:
“‘I don’t want to come to the Assembly floor,’ is not an exceptional circumstance,”
And said he thought González had left for Las Vegas.
González fired back, claiming had to miss her daughter’s first parent-teacher conference as well as a religious obligation because of the special session, saying:
“Our speaker has made it clear that we do not need to be in our chambers to participate in the legislative process, even though members of the outside public were not able to phone in.”
The Public Gets Shut Out
Think about who this hurts. Working-class people who can’t miss a shift. Rural Nevadans who live hours from the capital. Parents with young children. People with disabilities.
The ACLU of Nevada led a coalition of over 25 groups protesting the decision, sending a letter that said:
“If this is truly the peoples’ house, we would encourage you to reverse course and take the peoples’ phone calls.”
Nevada law actually requires public bodies to take public comment. NRS 241.021 specifically requires public bodies to take comments from the general public, and NRS 241.020 requires that when meetings are held using remote technology systems, the notice must include information on how the public can “provide live public comment during the meeting”.
Yet somehow, the Assembly decided those rules don’t apply to them during this special session.
The “Slap in the Face” Comment
The tension boiled over when Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch (D-Reno) tried to use a little-known rule to kill the film tax bill before it could even get a hearing. After her motion failed on a 21-21 tie, Yeager lashed out during a committee hearing Friday.
Yeager said:
“What a lack of transparency and what a slap in the face it would have been to Nevadans to not give these folks — whether you support the bill or not — a chance to weigh in on this bill,
La Rue Hatch didn’t take that lying down. She released a statement saying:
“These comments were deeply inappropriate and offensive.”
She added:
“Let’s be clear: I have fought for transparency every step of this Special Session. It was Speaker Yeager who chose to restrict the public’s ability to participate by shutting off the phone lines, a move that I strongly opposed on the floor and in committee.”
Process Matters to Conservatives
This isn’t just inside baseball at the state capitol. When government officials can participate remotely but citizens can’t, something’s broken. When lawmakers get special privileges that regular folks don’t get, that’s exactly the kind of two-tiered system conservatives have been warning about.
La Rue Hatch made a point many conservatives would agree with: many if not most Nevadans aren’t able to make it to Carson City on a Thursday afternoon to appear in person before a committee.
The phone system was their way to make their voices heard. Now that’s gone.
What This Means Going Forward
The film tax credit bill still needs to pass the Senate, but the damage to public trust may already be done. When elected officials exempt themselves from the rules they impose on others, when they silence public voices while amplifying their own convenience, they undermine the very foundations of representative government.
The special session has exposed divisions not just between parties, but within them. Some Democrats joined Republicans in criticizing the lack of transparency. Some Republicans voted with Democrats to push through the film tax credits. But one thing seems clear: the people of Nevada deserve better than a system where lawmakers can phone it in while citizens get hung up on.
Remember this when these same politicians come asking for your vote. They showed you their priorities – their convenience over your voice. Make sure they hear you loud and clear at the ballot box.
The Bottom Line
Government works best when it’s open, transparent, and accessible to all citizens – not just the politically connected. What happened in Carson City this week was a reminder that the fight for limited, accountable government never ends.
When politicians can vote from vacation while working parents can’t even call in to testify, we don’t have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. We have a ruling class that plays by different rules.
That’s not the Nevada way. And it’s certainly not the conservative way.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
