Flanked by acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, the Democrats of Nevada’s congressional delegation and Culinary leadership, Harris congratulated the union members on their new contracts and mounted a defense of organized labor as the “backbone of the strength of our nation.” 

The war on junk fees has become a centerpiece of the president’s and Democrats’ political agenda. They’re banking on the issue being an electoral hit, believing junk fees to be universally unpopular. And the release of a proposed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule in October would give the effort teeth, creating a legal standard in which full prices must be displayed up front and additional fees must be legitimate.

Despite months of preparation, F1 officials are still running into obstacles associated with holding a grand prix in one of the world’s most iconic tourist destinations — from busing in casino workers, dealing with unexpected (and costly) infrastructure demands and permanent changes to the face of the Strip. 

Below are excerpts from the new chapters in the 2024 Almanac on the state of Nevada and Gov. Joe Lombardo, written by Louis Jacobson.

Lottery fans could have the opportunity to vote on Nevada legalizing the activity if AJR5, which cleared the Legislature this month, wins approval in 2025

For the sixth time since 2007, an effort by Las Vegas Sands to legalize Las Vegas-style casinos in Texas fell short despite millions spent on lobbying efforts.

Bally's Corp. has expanded beyond its humble beginnings in Rhode Island with $1.7 billion casino project in Chicago and potentially a baseball stadium on the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas.

The Culinary and the Oakland A's reached an agreement that could lead to workers at the team's proposed ballpark joining the union.

The cost for Red Rock Resorts' Durango property rose by $30 million while th company is considering other moves with its bank of land around the valley.

During the 2022 election cycle, Nevada lawmakers raised a record $13 million through thousands of big-money contributions (those greater than $200) from a variety of groups and entities including unions, real estate developers, major companies and lawyers.

Proponents of SB441 support removing the last of the pandemic-imposed requirements, including the daily cleaning of hotel rooms. The Culinary Union opposes that part of the legislation.

Nevada's gaming industry and the Culinary Union sparred last week over AJR5, an effort to change the state constitution to allow a lottery. The measure is backed by union and opposed by casinos.

There have been more than two dozen attempts going back to 1887 to legalize a state lottery in Nevada. All have failed. Will this year's effort through AJR5 be any different?

After the 2020 cycle saw cumulative contributions from the gaming industry to Nevada lawmakers nosedive to $769,000 amid plummeting gaming revenues during the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry bounced back in 2022, dishing out more than $1.2 million to 55 legislators. 

New Gaming Control Board Chairman Kirk Hendrick was out of state government for 30 years when Gov. Joe Lombardo appointed him to lead the regulatory agency last month.

In the wake of Gov. Joe Lombardo’s State of the State speech, Democrats — who still control both legislative chambers — were quick to criticize the partisan elements of the address, even as they signaled they may support some funding priorities on bipartisan grounds. 

Even late in his term, Gov. Steve Sisolak’s tenure was defined by his COVID response — a response he argued saved lives, even if it caused collateral economic damage. 

In the weeks before Election Day, Republicans across the country and in Nevada appeared poised for significant victories, buoyed by polls indicating GOP wins up and down the ticket. But the much-hyped red wave never materialized.

Despite wide Republican margins in Nevada’s 15 rural counties, Laxalt — a former attorney general and one-time candidate for governor — was defeated amid numerically larger support for Cortez Masto from the state’s two largest urban counties, Clark and Washoe.

In what has become a fight for political survival for Cortez Masto and a chance to finally re-enter electoral politics for Laxalt, the 2022 midterms have emerged as a grueling slog fought through tens of millions of dollars in advertising spending that have blanketed airwaves with nonstop attacks.