How did a state law with broad support and a goal to legitimize a business largely helmed by immigrants and Latinos come to threaten the economic livelihood of those same workers?

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced a bill today to create a federal grant program to fund the expunging or sealing of state-level cannabis offenses — using federal dollars to achieve a goal of legislative Democrats who passed a similar bill in 2023 but were stymied by Gov. Joe Lombardo's (R) veto pen.

The first two cannabis consumption lounges have opened in Las Vegas and proponents believe the concept is a natural fit for the hospitality-driven economy of Nevada.

Far from being a widespread economic windfall for the region, the event’s financial benefits were decidedly concentrated among only those industry giants with significant political and corporate influence over the event itself.

The $3.7 billion Fontainebleau Las Vegas, which sat dormant on the north end of the Strip for more than a decade until its original developer bought it back, opens Wednesday night.

The vendor’s lawyer attributes the situation to confusion about a new, but not fully implemented law regulating the once marginalized street vending industry.

County commissioners said they plan to have officials bring the recommendations back next session, which included a $1 million appropriation from the state general fund to the Department of Public Safety to establish an Advisory Task Force on Automatic Record Sealing.

Perceptions of the Historic Commercial Center that makes up the larger part of the South of Sahara Avenue District are mixed, with some loving the unique vibe of the area and others describing it as run down.

A bill initially designed to expand Medicaid to undocumented people in Nevada is being scaled back further, but advocates are still asking lawmakers to move forward with the bill.

Six days after the Nevada Bar opened an investigation into the conduct of Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones, his fellow commissioners acknowledged they needed to improve their records processes and regain the public’s trust.

To help promote this effort and grant additional visibility to fact briefs produced by The Indy, we’ll be publishing this weekly roundup on Mondays to give readers a chance to review and catch up on all of the fact briefs produced throughout the previous week.

Two years after chair Judith Whitmer and a group of democratic socialists won control of party leadership that led to a messy intra-party schism, Whitmer is being challenged by a state lawmaker, Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno.

In a statement, Monroe-Moreno said that “Nevada Democrats deserve new leadership dedicated to unity, transparency, and most importantly, electing Democrats at every level.” 

Metro Lt. Ailee Burnett told the Clark County Commission that there has been an “uptick in activity” at hookah lounges over the last few years and that the establishments have gained a reputation for pushing boundaries, such as serving patrons bottles of alcohol similar to nightclubs, hosting live entertainment or charging admission fees.

Elsewhere in Southern Nevada, Pamela Goynes-Brown appears likely to become the first Black mayor of North Las Vegas, based on election results released just after midnight on Wednesday.

The commission acts much like a city council — approving taxes, development plans and business permits, for example — in areas outside of a city’s boundaries. Critically, the commission oversees the Las Vegas Strip, the heart of Southern Nevada’s economy. Commissioners work with the city councils and various boards to tackle issues that span throughout the valley, such as water conservation, housing and public safety.

Cannabis advocates have pointed to a disconnect between marijuana now being legal and yet people are locked out of housing and job opportunities because of past cannabis-related convictions.

Others didn’t turn in their signatures on time because of a misunderstanding about the timeline and processes nonpartisan candidates have to do to gain ballot access, said Deputy Secretary of State for Elections Mark Wlaschin.

Here’s a look at how fundraising shook out in the first half of the year, and how financially prepared the winners of major local government races are for the November general election.

Candidates who already hold elected office dominated in many local races, winning re-election outright in certain Las Vegas and North Las Vegas council races and getting promotions in Henderson and Boulder City.