Coalition of Latino advocacy groups rates Nevada legislators

Legislation affecting the Latino community was the basis for a newly released Latino scorecard grading Nevada lawmakers and the governor. For Nevada’s Future and other progressive groups that make up the Latinx Coalition collaborated on the scorecard. They analyzed votes on 15 pieces of mostly Democratic-backed legislation chosen based on their impact on criminal justice, education, the environment, health care, immigration protection and voting rights.

Lawmakers who fully supported the measures earned the top score of 100 percent.

“Each of these areas promotes the individual interests of adults and children of the Latinx community in Nevada, and further supports their civic engagement in Nevada politics,” according to the Latinx Coalition. (Use of the term “Latinx” over Latino or Latina is intended to improve gender inclusivity.)

Democratic lawmakers landed the highest scores, including Sen. Yvanna Cancela, D-las Vegas. She sponsored Senate Bill 325 on health insurance for children and Senate Bill 359 on prescription drug transparency, both of which became law.

Cancela also sponsored Senate Bill 223, failed legislation that would have barred local authorities from participating in federal immigration enforcement. The bill never came up for a vote and was not included in the analysis, but the coalition did highlight it as a piece of legislation affecting the Latino community.

Sen. Patricia Farley, I-las Vegas, also earned a top score. The former Republican often voted with Democrats this session.

Republicans earned some of the lowest scores, with Assemblyman John Ellison, R-elko, and four others in the GOP landing at the bottom with 27 percent. They supported four pieces of legislation used in the analysis, including Assembly Bill 122 to allow the Victims of Crime Fund to distribute compensation regardless of citizenship or residency status.

Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-thompson, D-reno, sponsored the measure, and it was signed into law by Gov. Brian Sandoval. The governor’s support of the bill helped