Hyper-partisanship is taking its toll on governments at all levels, city, county, state, and federal. Voters, at least in polls, are fed up with Congress, their own elected officials, and with voting in general. Younger voters, those we call Millennials who are the future, are staying away in numbers never seen before. Casting your first vote used to be a right of passage, looked forward to with the same excitement as getting your driver’s license or having your first legal drink. Not any more. Unless we reverse this trend, our future, the future of our children, and our grandchildren may not be good.
We can’t wait. We can’t procrastinate. We must act now. Our elected leaders must act now. The surest way to accomplish change is to get agreement from those who would be assumed opposed to it. Citizen initiatives can be antagonistic and create a “us against them” environment that could result in failure. Having those affected enact the change creates buy-in, an acceptance that change is needed and will benefit all the citizens of the state.
The next session of the Nevada legislature convenes on February 2, 2015. Legislators can submit bills up to February 9, 2015. The sooner the better. The number of bills each legislator can submit it determined by which chamber, Assembly or Senate, they are a member of and whether they are an incumbent or newly elected. That is why I started this project September, 2013.
Phase I, which is concluding now, involved meeting with key legislators and groups to gain a sense of acceptance. Would a change be possible? As a result of these meetings, I can say the answer is a qualified “yes”. Comments received ranged from basic interest; will keep an open mind, to genuine agreement.
Phase II starts now. This involves informing the public, letting legislators know there are enough people and groups who support these changes to make it worth their while to introduce the bill and give it a hearing.
Phase III will start on February 2, 2015. That will involve lobbying for passage.
The immediate challenge is to get a bill filed. This is your chance to act. Spread the word, contact legislators, let those running for office know your vote depends on their support for election modernization and reform in 2015.