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Follow the Money: Alcohol, tobacco outfits see contributions as no vice

Megan Messerly
Megan Messerly
Riley Snyder
Riley Snyder
Legislature
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The Nevada Legislature building as seen in Carson City on Feb. 6, 2017.

For outsiders, Nevada’s rules around alcohol and smoking can seem incredibly lenient, given the lack of last call at bars and pubs, smoking in casinos and newly legalized recreational marijuana.

But behind the scenes and in the halls of the Legislature, lobbyists and industries in the tobacco and alcoholic beverage industry are waging a variety of wars over limits on craft brewing, small distilleries, wholesale sales of tobacco, recreational marijuana distribution and a host of other issues that affect so-called “vice” industries.

Alcohol-related businesses contributed $138,695 to lawmakers campaign accounts over the 2015-16 campaign cycle. Tobacco companies — under the banner of Reynolds American Incorporated — chipped in another $25,500. The biggest contributor was the Nevada Beer Wholesalers Association, contributing $58,500, followed by Breakthru Beverage, which donated $29,250.

By contrast, marijuana dispensaries, owners and growers gave $75,000 to legislators over the same time period.

The majority of donations went to Democrats, who received $103,945 compared to $57,250 for Republicans. Below we’ve listed all the contributions given to lawmakers from either the alcohol or tobacco industries.

As always, we’ve triple checked our numbers and math, but if anything seems off feel free to contact us at [email protected] or [email protected].

Top 5 alcohol and tobacco donation recipients:

  • Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson: $13,600
  • Assemblywoman Irene Bustamante Adams (D): $11,500
  • Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford (D): $10,500
  • Assembly Minority Leader Paul Anderson (R): $8,000
  • Assemblyman James Oscarson (R) & Senator Tick Segerblom (D): $7,000


ALCOHOL: $138,695

Nevada Beer Wholesaler Association: $58,500

  • $3,500 to Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford (D)
  • $3,000 to Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson (D)
  • $2,000 to Senator Becky Harris (R)
  • $2,000 to Assemblywoman Irene Bustamante Adams (D)
  • $2,000 to Senator Kelvin Atkinson (D)
  • $2,000 to Senator Mark Manendo (D)
  • $2,000 to Senator Nicole Cannizzaro (D)
  • $2,000 to Senator Pat Spearman (D)
  • $2,000 to Assembly Minority Leader Paul Anderson (R)
  • $2,000 to Senator Pete Goicoechea (R)
  • $2,000 to Senator Tick Segerblom (D)
  • $1,500 to Assemblywoman Dina Neal (D)
  • $1,500 to Senator Julia Ratti (D)
  • $1,500 to Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton (D)
  • $1,500 to Assemblywoman Olivia Diaz (D)
  • $1,500 to Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R)
  • $1,000 to Assemblyman Chris Brooks (D)
  • $1,000 to Assemblyman Chris Edwards (R)
  • $1,000 to Senator David Parks (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Heidi Gansert (R)
  • $1,000 to Assemblyman Ira Hansen (R)
  • $1,000 to Assemblyman James Oscarson (R)
  • $1,000 to Senator James Settelmeyer (R)
  • $1,000 to Assemblyman Justin Watkins (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Mo Denis (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Patricia Farley (I)
  • $1,000 to Senator Scott Hammond (R)
  • $1,000 to Assemblyman Steve Yeager (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Yvanna Cancela (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Al Kramer (R)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Amber Joiner (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Ellen Spiegel (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Elliot Anderson (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Heidi Swank (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman James Ohrenschall (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Jill Tolles (R)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Jim Wheeler (R)
  • $500 to Assemblyman John Ellison (R)
  • $500 to Assemblyman John Hambrick (R)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Keith Pickard (R)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Lesley Cohen (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Melissa Woodbury (R)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Mike Sprinkle (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Nelson Araujo (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Ozzie Fumo (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Richard Carrillo (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Skip Daly (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman William McCurdy (D)

Breakthru Beverage: $29,250

  • $2,000 to Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson (D)
  • $2,000 to Assembly Minority Leader Paul Anderson (R)
  • $1,500 to Assemblyman John Hambrick (R)
  • $1,000 to Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Heidi Gansert (R)
  • $1,000 to Assemblywoman Irene Bustamante Adams (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Joyce Woodhouse (R)
  • $1,000 to Senator Kelvin Atkinson (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Pat Spearman (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Pete Goicoechea (R)
  • $1,000 to Senator Scott Hammond (R)
  • $1,000 to Senator Tick Segerblom (D)
  • $750 to Assemblyman Elliot Anderson (D)
  • $750 to Assemblyman Richard Carrillo (D)
  • $750 to Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D)
  • $750 to Assemblyman Chris Edwards (R)
  • $500 to Senator Becky Harris (R)
  • $500 to Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R)
  • $500 to Senator David Parks (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Dina Neal (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Ellen Spiegel (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Heidi Swank (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Ira Hansen (R)
  • $500 to Assemblyman James Ohrenschall (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman James Oscarson (R)
  • $500 to Assemblyman James Settelmeyer (R)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Jim Marchant (R)
  • $500 to Senator Julia Ratti (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton (D)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Melissa Woodbury (R)
  • $500 to Assemblywoman Olivia Diaz (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Ozzie Fumo (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Richard McArthur (R)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson (D)
  • $250 to Assemblywoman Amber Joiner (D)
  • $250 to Assemblyman Chris Brooks (D)
  • $250 to Assemblyman Edgar Flores (D)
  • $250 to Assemblywoman Jill Tolles (R)
  • $250 to Assemblyman John Ellison (R)
  • $250 to Assemblyman Justin Watkins (D)
  • $250 to Assemblyman Mike Sprinkle (D)
  • $250 to Assemblyman Nelson Araujo (D)
  • $250 to Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D)
  • $250 to Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod (D)
  • $250 to Assemblyman Steve Yeager (D)

Anheuser Busch: $22,445

  • $2,000 to Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford (D)
  • $2,000 to Assembly Minority Leader Paul Anderson (R)
  • $2,000 to Assemblywoman Irene Bustamante Adams (D)
  • $1,500 to Senator James Settelmeyer (R)
  • $1,345 to Assemblyman Elliot Anderson (D)
  • $1,000 to Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson (R)
  • $1,000 to Assemblywoman Amber Joiner (D)
  • $1,000 to Assemblywoman Dina Neal (D)
  • $1,000 to Assemblyman Ira Hansen (R)
  • $1,000 to Assemblyman James Oscarson (R)
  • $1,000 to Senator Joyce Woodhouse (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Kelvin Atkinson (D)
  • $1,000 to Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton (D)
  • $1,000 to Assemblywoman Olivia Diaz (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Pat Spearman (D)
  • $1,000 to Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D)
  • $600 to Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson (D)
  • $500 to Senator Becky Harris (R)
  • $500 to Senator Joe Hardy (R)
  • $500 to Senator Mark Manendo (D)
  • $500 to Senator Patricia Farley (NP)

Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits: $17,500

  • $5,000 to Assemblywoman Irene Bustamante Adams (D)
  • $5,000 to Assembly Minority Leader Paul Anderson (R)
  • $5,000 to Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson (D)
  • $2,500 to Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford (D)

Pahrump Valley Winery: $7,500 (including donations directly from the winery and from its owners, Bill and Gretchen Loken)

  • $4,500 to Assemblyman James Oscarson (R)
  • $3,000 to Senator Pete Goicoechea (R)

Capital Beverages: $2,500

  • $2,500 to Senator Tick Segerblom (D)

MillerCoors: $1,000

  • $1,000 to Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford (D)

TOBACCO: $25,500

RAI Services: $25,500

  • $3,000 to Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford (D)
  • $3,000 to Senator Becky Harris (R)
  • $3,000 to Senator Ben Kieckhefer (R)
  • $3,000 to Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson (D)
  • $2,000 to Assemblywoman Olivia Diaz (D)
  • $2,000 to Assembly Minority Leader Paul Anderson (R)
  • $1,500 to Assemblywoman Irene Bustamante Adams (D)
  • $1,500 to Senator Tick Segerblom (D)
  • $1,000 to Senator Heidi Gansert (R)
  • $1,000 to Senator James Settelmeyer (R)
  • $1,000 to Senator Kelvin Atkinson (D)
  • $1,000 to Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton (D)
  • $1,000 to Assemblyman Mike Sprinkle (D)
  • $1,000 to Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D)
  • $500 to Assemblyman Ira Hansen (R)

This story was updated on 4-16-17 at 9:45 p.m. to correct an error stating that Reynolds American is Phillip Morris's parent company. In fact, Phillip Morris's parent company is Altria.

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