A10 | Saturday, August 4, 2018 | Nevada Appeal

Heller’s views on health care Complete study

of Nevada’s
heating up Nevada Senate race criminal justice
By Michelle L. Price

system ordered
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Nevada Republican

Sen. Dean Heller’s sliding positions last By Geoff Dornan
year on a long-held GOP promise to gdornan@nevadaappeal.com
repeal Obamacare are providing plenty
of fodder for Democrats and activists The Crime and Justice Institute is conducting a
hoping to stymie his re-election. comprehensive review of Nevada’s criminal justice
Heller, considered the most vulner- system.
able incumbent GOP senator, opposed Gov. Brian Sandoval said the goal is developing
measures to dismantle former Presi- policies to better protect public safety and hold of-
dent Barack Obama’s health care law fenders accountable while controlling the growing
before backing other versions that prison population and costs.
failed. The shifting stances drew at- Sandoval along with Supreme Court Chief Jus-
tacks from the left and the right, and tice Michael Douglas and Assembly Speaker Jason
Democrats are not letting him forget it. Frierson joined to request the institute take on the
His opponent, first-term U.S. Rep. task and develop policy recommendations to be
Jacky Rosen, has unleashed two health considered by the 2019 Legislature.
care-related ads in recent weeks that The study will include an extensive analysis of
include footage of Heller’s uncomfort- data on the prison system, parole and probation.
able appearance at the White House The initiative will also review research on how to
last summer. President Donald Trump AP reduce recidivism and look at criminal justice poli-
— with Heller at his elbow — threat- Heller, considered the most vulnerable GOP senator seeking another term this cies in other states.
ened the senator’s re-election over the year, opposed measures to dismantle President Barack Obama’s signature law Justice Jim Hardesty said the goal is to pro-
issue. before backing other versions that failed. duce data that can lead to evidence-based policy
“Look,” Trump said at the time, “he changes to improve how criminal justice works in
wants to remain a senator, doesn’t he?” Hillary Clinton carried in 2016, hasn’t thing one day and another the next Nevada.
The scene played out only a few made health care a centerpiece of his day.” “I think all of us would like to be in a position
weeks after Heller joined with Nevada’s campaign but has touted the GOP’s It’s a complicated and prominent is- to make data driven decisions as we talk about
moderate Republican governor, Brian repeal of the health law’s fines for those sue for Nevada residents, Damore said, reforms,” he said.
Sandoval, to say he could not sup- who don’t carry insurance. even if they are not one of the 400,000 In large part because of the truth in sentencing
port legislation that would cut Med- “He’s clearly made his bed with the residents who gained coverage through movement, Nevada’s prison population has in-
icaid, the state-federal program for Trump fans, and he’s decided that’s the two key parts of the health law — Med- creased dramatically since the late 1990s because
low-income Americans, or that takes only way he’s going to win his election,” icaid expansion and online insurance of mandatory minimum sentences, and the reduc-
insurance away from tens of millions of said Packard, 42. marketplaces. tion of the use of parole.
Americans. Heller campaign spokesman Keith Polls show health care is a top issue The prison population increased by 11 percent
One of Rosen’s campaign ads uses Schipper said in a statement that for voters in Nevada and around the from 2010 and 2016. That included what Sandoval
video from both moments, along Democrats “are doing everything they country this year. referred to as a staggering 35 percent increase in
with video of an inflatable tube man possibly can to confuse the situation, Heller has instead emphasized his female inmates.
blowing back and forth as a narrator when Dean Heller said he would sup- efforts to improve health care for veter- The increasing population, he said, has forced a
calls Heller “Senator Spineless” and port expanding Medicaid and he would ans in the state — a group that’s rough- 14 percent increase in the annual corrections bud-
someone who “bends with the political protect Nevada. All his votes are in line ly the same size in Nevada as those get to $347 million for the 2019 fiscal year.
winds.” with that.” getting coverage through Obamacare’s “Absent changes, Nevada will face the prospect
Democrats and activists have been Despite siding with Sandoval in op- online marketplaces and Medicaid. of building new facilities or contracting with other
holding press conferences and recog- posing two GOP repeal efforts, Heller His campaign also is working to de- states in order to house the growing population,”
nizing the anniversary of last year’s broke with him and backed another fine Rosen, who is relatively unknown, he said.
efforts by trying to remind voters of measure that didn’t touch Medicaid to voters before she has the chance. Frierson said ensuring the safety of Nevada fam-
Heller’s stances. but was still estimated to leave millions Rosen “has fixed nothing and done ilies is the first priority for elected officials.
Laura Packard, a Las Vegas political without insurance. He then co-spon- nothing on health care,” Schipper said, “Sending more people to prison per capita than
activist, said defending the health care sored another bill that would have led noting that the freshman congress- our surrounding states at a high cost to our tax-
law became personal for her when she to Medicaid cuts and would leave “mil- woman was in office only six months payers, particularly with respect to non-violent
was diagnosed last year with Hodgkin lions” of Americans without coverage, before announcing she was running for offenses, does not protect our neighborhoods but,
lymphoma. according to the nonpartisan Congres- the Senate seat. instead, perpetuates the cycle of poverty,” he said.
She said the law’s protections for sional Budget Office. “Instead of rolling up her sleeves Maura McNamara of the institute said while
people with pre-existing conditions Most Nevada voters don’t know the and getting to work, she toed the party Nevada’s population grew by 200 percent, the
and its ban on lifetime limits of what nuances between the different health line and voted with Nancy Pelosi 90 state’s prison population grew by 900 percent and
insurers would pay for care are vital care bills anyway, said University of percent of the time,” Schipper said, Nevada’s rate of incarceration is 15 percent higher
for her, and she’s been speaking out Nevada, Las Vegas, political science referring to the House minority leader. than the national average. The rate of female in-
against Heller. professor David Damore. “Her words are pretty hollow when she carceration is 43 percent higher than the national
Heller, the only Republican sena- “That’s where the ad can be effective,” hasn’t accomplished anything in her average.
tor running in a state that Democrat Damore said. “Showing him saying one current job.” She and Colby Dawley of the CJI has shown in
general, incarceration and longer prison sentences
don’t reduce recidivism.
Education department didn’t violate open meeting law They told the Advisory Commission on the
Administration of Justice (ACAJ) Nevada needs
By Cy Ryan Deputy Attorney General to Silverado High School. meeting law violation in a to develop evidence-based practices, provide re-
Special to the Nevada Appeal Rosalie Bordelove, said the Bordelove said no evi- session of four members of sources for individuals coming out of prison and
meeting was held on Good dence was that presented the Board of Regents of the incorporate treatment into supervision. Commu-
Despite receiving 98 com- Friday, a religious holiday for any member of the public Nevada System of Higher nity resources, they said, should be focused on the
plaints, the state Attorney some but not a legal holiday was prevented from attend- Education holding a meeting first days and weeks after release.
General’s office says the in Nevada. ing the hearing that lasted May 4 in Las Vegas. They said the state needs to identify high risk
Nevada Department of Edu- The locations were at the four hours. The opinion was requested individuals who need enhanced supervision and
cation didn’t violate the open department’s boardrooms She said the education by Alissa Magness, who said work to change their behavior early in the re-entry
meeting law at hearings on in Carson City and Las Ve- department provided three there was no public notice of process so they don’t commit new crimes.
a gender diversity policy on gas and at Silverado High locations where the pub- the meeting. Justice Douglas said Nevada’s Advisory Commit-
March 30. School in Las Vegas. There lic could attend and make Bordelove said the law tee on the Administration of Justice has been look-
The complaints said the was an overflow crowd in public comments. There applies to a quorum of a ing at the criminal justice system for more than a
department scheduled the the boardroom in Las Vegas was no violation of the open government body. In this decade and is comprised of stakeholders who will
session at a time most par- and public members were meeting law, said Bordelove case there were only four of review the initiative’s study and make recommen-
ticipants couldn’t attend and advised to go to Silverado in her legal opinion. the 13 members present. It dations on how to improve criminal justice in Ne-
there wasn’t enough room High School. Bordelove also released would have required seven vada. The institute has helped a dozen states make
for the public to attend. The meeting was delayed to a second opinion Tuesday members to attend to come policy changes that reduced the prison population
The opinion, written by allow those persons to travel finding there was no open under the law. and cut costs without increases in crime.