Elect Sheila Leslie for State Senate

Issues

Education

Nevada needs to continue to strengthen our educational system at all levels, from pre-Kindergarten through post-graduate work.An investment in education benefits all of us and is vital to attracting good businesses and improving our quality of life.

As a product of public education, with a graduate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, I know the difference a good teacher can make.My daughter, Emma, is a third-generation graduate of Reno High School and went on to graduate from a prestigious college, fully prepared by her education in the Washoe County School District.I want all of Nevada’s children to be able to access the same quality of education my family has received.

We need to value teachers by paying them well and holding them accountable for meeting high-quality educational standards.We must teach our children respect for the educational process encourage parents to actively engage in their child’s education. 

I will continue to do all I can to protect classroom funding during this budget crisis, including funds for class-size reduction, education innovation, and early childhood education.I will continue my record of strong support for adequate funding for textbooks and instructional supplies. 

Schools must also be safe in order for children to learn.One of my first successful bills in the 1999 Legislative session was AB 382, which expanded peer mediation and conflict resolution programs.These programs help our youth learn how to resolve conflicts peacefully and offer a structure for learning which enhances the school environment for everyone.

Nevada’s Green Economy 

I believe Nevada needs to transition to a Green Economy, featuring an expansion of jobs in the renewable energy sector, assistance to homeowners to retrofit their homes for green energy efficiency, and a system of tax incentives to make Nevada more competitive in attracting renewable developments.

During the 2009 Legislative session, I successfully sponsored AB 186 to allow individuals or entities to contract with a renewable energy business to install renewable energy systems.Black Rock Solar, a nonprofit installer of renewable energy systems supported the bill along with NV Energy.  Tom Price, executive director of Black Rock Solar told the Reno Gazette-Journal the new legislation will spur industry growth:“What this means is that homeowners and businesses can now use creative financing tools to be able to afford renewable energy without paying everything up front.”

I have also been a leader in the Legislature in creating one of the country’s strongest Renewable Portfolio Standards to stimulate the development of renewable energy resources, especially solar.I also worked behind the scenes to include an amendment in an energy bill to create the Task Force for Renewable Energy to promote economic diversification and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

An investment in a new green economy will help to stabilize our state’s economy while reducing demand on fossil fuels. It’s the right policy for a greener Nevada.

Nevada’s Natural Resources

We live in a state with an abundance of natural resources and I am committed to protecting them.Our children deserve a heritage of pristine mountain springs, clean air to breathe, and a sustainable community.

In 2007, I worked with environmental groups and the mining industry to write a bill to require our state’s Environmental Commission to assess a specific fee against mine operators to allow Nevada to more effectively monitor and regulate mercury emissions (AB 115).

I am proud to have a Lifetime score of 100% from the Nevada Conservation League, a non-profit organization committed to protecting our natural resources.In their 2009 Nevada Conservation Scorecard I was listed under the category “Distinguished Deeds” as follows:  “Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie continued her record as the greatest environmental legislator this state has ever seen.Ms. Leslie’s bill on gray water started a much-needed conversation on water recycling, and she ensured that key conservation priorities were given the attention they needed as Vice-Chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.”

Health Care 

I believe access to affordable, quality health care is critical to the citizens of our state.   As the Chair of the Health Care Committee, I organized hearings to investigate the endoscopy scandal in Las Vegas when hundreds of Nevadans were exposed to Hepatitis and other life-threatening diseases.  I then led efforts in the Legislature to make sure health care facilities are inspected more regularly and more thoroughly to protect patients (AB 123, AB 112, and AB 206, 2009).

We need more transparency in our health care system to make sure a tragedy of this kind never happens again in Nevada.  I have worked with a number of community groups to ensure passage of bills that provide data to state regulators to ensure transparency in health care cost and quality  (AB 146, 2007), require reporting of “sentinel events” and allow for a more transparent complaint procedure (AB 206, 2009).

I have also been a leader in the development of policies to protect health care workers, including strengthening whistleblower protection laws (AB 10, 2009) and protecting workers who experience an accidental needle stick, (AB 279, 2001).   I also successfully sponsored a bill to protect employment of nurses when they refuse unsafe assignments.  (AB 183, 2005)

Insuring children is a high priority for me.  I have supported the implementation and expansion of Nevada Check-Up to help working families access health care for their children.  In the 2009 session, I voted to establish a system for parents to apply electronically for Nevada Check-up, improving access to the program (SB 4). 

Nevada needs to do much better in immunizing our children.  To that end, I have worked hard to improve our system of childhood immunizations, successfully sponsoring a bill to create a centralized immunization registry (AB 410, 2007) to assist parents in properly immunizing their children.

Human Services

As a human services professional, I know how important it is to provide a safety net to address the critical needs of our most vulnerable citizens:  our children, our elderly, and those living with disabilities.  During my twelve years in the state Assembly, I have worked hard to educate my colleagues about these issues and create consensus to support essential services to protect these populations. 

I have successfully sponsored or been a lead proponent of a number of bills to strengthen the safety net for our most vulnerable citizens.   AB 175  (2005) provided funding for supported housing placements for the mentally ill in response to Nevada’s first declared public health emergency when the severely mentally ill were overcrowding hospital emergency rooms in Las Vegas.  This bill also included funding for Triage Centers in Washoe and Clark Counties and Mental Health Courts.

One of our most vulnerable populations are children in the state’s care due to abuse and neglect.   I worked closely with other legislators and public agencies to integrate Nevada’s child welfare system and provide better care to these children.  I also sponsored a bill to revamp our state’s death review teams to better understand the weaknesses in our society and prevent additional deaths and injuries. (AB 381, 2003). 

I also took the lead in making sure our youth institutions are safe and operated properly when a federal civil rights investigation found serious problems in our state.  We now have regular performance audits of institutional placements of delinquent and dependent youth.  (AB 103, 2009).

Many of our children are exposed to dangerous drugs by addicted caregivers.   In order to develop better protocols between law enforcement and child welfare officials, I worked with the Attorney General to pass AB 337 last session to create a structure to support a statewide Drug Endangered Children program.

Children with disabilities deserve special care and attention.  One of the most successful bills I ever sponsored required screening of newborns in Nevada for hearing impairments (AB 250, 2001).  Nevada now screens nearly 100% of every baby born in Nevada, an accomplishment I am very proud to have played a small part in achieving.

Equally vulnerable are our seniors, especially those who are elderly and living alone.  AB 87, a bill I sponsored in 2007, protects our seniors from financial exploitation, while AB 263 (2009) creates a comprehensive program to allow seniors to choose to remain in their homes and avoid placement in a nursing home.

Criminal Justice

I currently work in the criminal justice system as a coordinator of “specialty courts,” a therapeutic program that addresses alcohol and drug addiction and mental illness when they contribute to non-violent criminal behavior.  Addressing the root causes of crime is a cost effective way to reduce crime and redirect these behaviors to more positive outcomes. 

While I believe in the value of these programs, I also believe that people must be held accountable for their actions.  To that end, I successfully sponsored a bill to create the crime of vehicular manslaughter (AB 295, 2005), and a bill to enhance penalties for aggravated stalking (AB 363, 1999).

Workplace violence is also a serious crime that must be continually addressed to ensure safety in our daily lives.  In 2001,  I sponsored AB 370, to allow employers to obtain temporary and extended orders for protection against harassment in the workplace. 

I have worked closely with domestic violence prevention organizations to pursue legislation to increase safety in our families as well.  AB 282 (2007) provides extra protection to domestic animals who are too often harmed in a domestic altercation as a way of exerting power and control in a relationship.