I was so frustrated to see the Retail Association of Nevada (RAN) endorse Aaron Ford for Governor and Nicole Cannizzaro for Attorney General.
These two supported the 2019 crime reform bill (AB 236) that allowed people to steal up to $1,200 in merchandise from a retailer and essentially receive a “Get Out of Jail Free” card.
Why would RAN support candidates who allowed Nevada retailers to suffer millions of dollars in losses?
Wonder why prices are so high? Let’s start with retailers trying to recoup their millions of dollars in losses over the past seven years, thanks to Aaron Ford and Nicole Cannizzaro.
Screenshot of endorsement article and recent photo of Bryan Watcher, President of the Retail Association of Nevada (RAN)
Why would RAN support candidates who would rather lock up your toothpaste than criminals?
As a retail business owner and former small-business lobbyist, I’m baffled.
Ironically, the main reasons for their endorsement that RAN President Bryan Wachter laid out was related to legislative issues: Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform, credit card swipe fees, and energy costs.
These are issues that Congress has been debating, often thwarted by Democrats.
The Nevada Legislature has actually entertained one of these issues.
RAN has tried to pass PBM reforms in the Nevada Legislature several times, but Democrats continually stymied the bill.
Democrats like Ford and Cannizzaro.
I’d bet that if a PBM reform bill came to “Governor” Ford’s desk, he would veto it!
If a bill passed that lowered the amount of products someone could steal from a retailer, “Governor” Ford would likely veto that, too.
He has already stated that he does not support lowering the dollar amount of products you can steal without serious consequences.
So, why would a state organization that claims to work to protect retailers from crime and overregulation support the top two Democrats who have worked to make it harder to run a business and easier to steal from retailers?
Well, apparently, the National Retail Federation is mad at President Trump over tariffs, so they are using their state organizations to go against anyone who is aligned with Trump.
But Governor Lombardo is no Mini Trump.
He has fought to reduce regulations to make it easier to run a business in Nevada.
He wants to lock up criminals who steal, regardless of the amount stolen.
He supports PBM reform at the state level, as he knows that will lower drug prices.
He supports lowering energy costs, which is why he created the fuel resiliency committee to find ways to lower gas prices.
As a longtime ally of RAN, I’m truly disappointed with their endorsements.
I hope RAN members will speak out to RAN’s leadership and ask them why they are endorsing candidates who have a track record of making it harder and more expensive to run a business in Nevada.
When you focus on the records of Aaron Ford and Joe Lombardo, there is clearly a difference.
Joe protects business. Ford protects criminals.
Randi Thompson is the former State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s largest organization fighting to protect small business, and is the owner of a prenatal ultrasound studio in Reno. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology may have been used in the research, writing, or production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
