As of print time for this edition of Vegas Beat, the LVPPA staff has completed our briefing tour of all substations to bring everyone up to speed on current and ongoing issues that we are dealing with. In these briefings, you likely heard me talk about the 2017 legislative session in Carson City. I will start off by letting you know that the Las Vegas Police Protective Association maintains a high level of interest in the legislation because frequently there are bills that directly affect our members and law enforcement officers throughout the state of Nevada. We maintain a full-time presence in Carson City, in addition to maintaining relationships with legislators year-round in the interim. Over the last few years, we have built and maintained a significant presence in the state as the largest law enforcement entity. Our continued presence and involvement is of the utmost importance, as each year the scrutiny on law enforcement, labor organizations and specifically public safety employees continues to become increasingly negative.
One of the most common questions I get in the briefings (and in general) is related to the political endorsements, in particular who and why we endorse those we do. The basic answer for this is that we put our efforts and money into the candidates who we know (based on voting history), or think (based on interviews), will support our organization’s best interests.
Going into the 2017 session, there were four main objectives. The first was to protect and preserve our NVPERS. Second was to protect and preserve our right to collectively bargain (NRS 288). Third was to protect and preserve the Rights of Peace Officers (NRS 289), and lastly, to protect and preserve your Heart and Lung (BRS 616 and 617).
As always, NVPERS was a hot topic as Republicans continued their aggressive attack on your benefit, with Senator Roberson leading the pack. For the most part, we were successful in getting the right people in place, which became exceptionally evident when we were able to kill any and all bills that would have potentially jeopardized any of our four main objectives listed above that directly affect you. Our endorsement list consisted of both Democrats and Republicans. We were not concerned necessarily with political party, but rather more concerned with their voting records.
I have included a few visuals to help better explain the votes from the most recent session. One picture shows all green. This represents everyone we endorsed, both Republican and Democrat, and that the vote was unanimous in our favor. In the other photo, note the red votes. These represent the Republicans whom we did not endorse, and it’s a good thing we didn’t because ultimately they voted against our objectives. We work hard to choose candidates who can best serve our needs, regardless of party, and work hard to get the word out to our members to vote for the candidates who we have extensively researched and interviewed in order to make educated decisions. Of course, all citizens of the United States are free to vote for any candidate they choose, but when our endorsement list comes out, I just want all of you to know there truly is a method to the madness!
As always, be safe out there, and if you have any questions, feel free to call me at (702) 373-1006 or email me at mramirez@lvppa.com.
