state of nevada health insurance

Democratic National Committee:Nevada

• Nevada GOP Cancels State Convention Citing Lack of Interest
  

  Citing a lack of enthusiasm, the Nevada Republican Party scrapped the state convention and will, instead, elect state delegates via private conference call.

  The state party broke up its original convention in April when supporters of Ron Paul hijacked the proceedings and tried to elect delegates for their candidate to the national GOP convention in September. Party officials tried to reconvene on July 26, but they needed a quorum of 675 and received only 300 RSVPs, according to local reports.
• Democrats Expand Voter Registration Lead in Nevada to 5 Percent
  

  Democratic voter registration ballooned to a five-point lead over Republicans in the state of Nevada.

  The latest statewide voter registration numbers are in, and if you've been following this story in recent months, it's no surprise: Democrats again gained ground.

  According to the secretary of state's office, 55,560 more Democrats than Republicans are on the active voter rolls in Nevada, as of the end of June. The gap widened from 50,020 in May and represents 5 percent of the 1,031,984 active voters.

  These numbers represent a six-point swing in favor of Democrats from this time four years ago.

  Kirsten Searer, deputy executive director of the Nevada Democratic Party, noted that at this point in the last presidential election cycle, June 2004, Republicans had a 1 percent edge in voter registration.

  "That's a 6-point shift in just one presidential cycle," she said. "I think it's fair to say this is a trend at this point. It's very good news for Democrats up and down the ballot, from Assembly and Senate all the way to Congress."

  (Hat tip: kos, DailyKos)

• The New NIMBY: "Not In McCain's Back Yard"
  

  The Democratic National Committee today released a new web ad called "NIMBY: Not In McCain's Back Yard" that highlights John McCain's Yucca Mountain problem. Yesterday--barely a day after McCain dismissed criticism of Yucca Mountain as "a NIBMY problem" that "we've gotta have the guts and the courage" to get over--new video emerged of McCain admitting that he would not be comfortable shipping material though Arizona on its way to Yucca Mountain. Despite calling for the creation of 100 new nuclear power plants, McCain failed to address the question of what to do with the spent nuclear fuel during yesterday's remarks in Las Vegas.

  "If Senator McCain isn't comfortable shipping nuclear waste through his own back yard, why is he so willing to put more waste in the back yards of Nevada's families?" said DNC spokesman Damien LaVera. "After repeatedly voting against incentives that would promote renewable energy and create green jobs in Nevada, John McCain's idea of a new energy plan is shipping more nuclear waste to Nevada and giving new handouts to Big Oil. Instead of more waste and fewer jobs, John McCain should offer a real plan that promotes green jobs, breaks our dependence on oil and invests in America's future."

  DNC Web Ad:
  "NIMBY: Not In McCain's Back Yard."
  http://youtube.com/watch?v=h29B--3vBbg

  CHRYON: John McCain on Yucca: June 2008
  
  MCCAIN: "But it's not a technological breakthrough that needs to be taken. It's a, it's a NIBMY problem. It's a NIMBY problem. We've gotta have the guts and the courage to go ahead and do what other countries are doing and they are reducing the pollution to our environment rather dramatically..."
  
  CHRYON: John McCain on Yucca: May 2007
  
  Interviewer: What about the transportation? Would you be comfortable with nuclear waste coming through Arizona on its way, you know going through Phoenix, on its way to uh Yucca Mountain?
  
  McCain (Shaking Head): No, I would not. No, I would not.

  
  MCCAIN 2008: Dealing With Spent Nuclear Fuel Is A "NIMBY" Problem, US Must Have The "Guts And The Courage." At an energy briefing in Santa Barbara, CA, McCain spoke about spent nuclear fuel and said, "But it's not a technological breakthrough that needs to be taken. It's a, it's a NIBMY problem. It's a NIMBY problem. We've gotta have the guts and the courage to go ahead and do what other countries are doing and they are reducing the pollution to our environment rather dramatically without any huge pain to anybody." [CNN Live Feed, Briefing (Santa Barbara, CA), 6/24/08]

  MCCAIN 2007: Just Don't Ship it Through My Back Yard. "Interviewer: What about the transportation? Would you be comfortable with nuclear waste coming through Arizona on its way, you know going through Phoenix, on its way to uh Yucca Mountain? McCain (Shaking Head): No, I would not. No, I would not." [Nevada Newsmakers, May 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPlaHQCKc34]

• AUDIO OF CONFERENCE CALL
  

  On a conference call today, Nevada State Sen. Steven Horsford, Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid, and Scott Sklar, Chair of the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition, discussed the difference between the candidates' energy plans, and what each would mean for Nevada.
  
  As they made clear, John McCain's plan for Nevada would mean fewer jobs and more waste, while Senator Obama's plan would mean massive investments in alternatives and renewable energy that not only will secure our energy independence but create thousands of jobs for Nevada.
  The audio of the conference call is available at the link below:

  http://www.democrats.org/page/-/audio/062508_nv_conf_call.mp3

  The following are highlights from the conference call:
  
  State Senator Steven Horsford
  
  "As many of you know, John McCain has been going around the country campaigning to put our nation on a course to build 45 new nuclear reactors by 2030. And given his voting history on the nuclear waste dump here in Nevada referred to as Yucca mountain, we know what he wants to do with the dangerous nuclear waste that will be created from these 45 new nuclear reactors and we know where that waste will end up, and we do not want that to be here in Nevada..."
  
  "Based on Senator McCain's voting record, and the fact that his plan means less jobs and more waste, we think that that is a bad idea for Nevada and that Nevadans should reject his plan."
  
  Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid (2:20)
  
  "I think it's been instructive for Americans to see the comparison between the plan that Senator McCain has put forth and Senator Obama's vision on this important issue. And they've both been here in Nevada within the last 24 hours, and it's been good for Nevadans, because while Senator McCain believes that Nevada is a wasteland, Senator Obama has a plan that will develop the tremendous potential we have here for alternative energy sources..."
  
  "We understand that Nevada is a very unique place. We have more sunshine than we know what to do with. We have geothermal, biomass, tremendous wind resources, so it has been said that Nevada...has the potential to be the Saudi Arabia for renewable resources, because of everything I just described. Senator Obama reconizes that and while Senator McCain wants to bury the most toxic substance known to man in our state, Senator Obama wants to spend billions of dollars to invest in new technologies that will create 5 million new jobs across the country."
  
  Scott Sklar, Chair of the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition (5:25)
  
  "I'm a strong advocate for Senator Obama because he supports the development of the portfolio of renewable energy resources and energy efficiency that this country has, that can be used in any state..."
  
  "Senator McCain has supported incentives for nuclear power, has been the advocate for nuclear loan guarantees in the enegy bill, has supported and announced he supports drilling offshore and incentives for the oil industry, and yet he absolutely does not support extensions of the production tax credits for wind and biomass and the investment tax credits for solar, small wind, fuel cells, and the water energy technologies and ground couple heat pumps. We are stunned because the lack of congressional action for extension of these credits would c