Henderson Chamber of Commerce gears up for 2011 Legislature

Top priorities include job creation, opposing unnecessary taxes, education support

HENDERSON, Nev. — With the November elections in the rearview mirror, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce is getting ready for the 2011 Legislature to best represent its members’ interests as well as the overall well-being of the community.

The Henderson Chamber of Commerce is known locally, state-wide and nationally for its strong legislative presence. A bi-partisan nonprofit organization, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce has held strong relationships with Nevada’s political leaders on both sides of the aisle for many years and endorses candidates who reflect a history and political agenda in support of small- to medium-sized businesses, which comprise most of the chamber’s membership.

Heading up the local and statewide efforts are the chamber’s Government Committees; IMPAC, State & Local issues, and Legislative which have been working tirelessly for much of this year to plan for both the elections and the 2011 Legislature – including sorting through about 550 bill draft requests (BDRs).

The chamber’s focuses are many this year, as Nevada’s fiscal condition is fragile and the 2011 Legislature will likely be faced with a deficit at least twice the size of the one addressed in the 2010 Special Session of the Nevada Legislature. The forecast is a shortfall of roughly 50 percent of the 2012-2013 budget due to lower tax collections, expiration of the temporary tax increases passed in 2009, and the end of Federal stimulus money on Dec. 31.

On the top of the list is to encourage job creation for Henderson and Nevada while opposing new taxes on employers that are not equally distributed and determined to be absolutely necessary and supporting the education system, which should produce a qualified workforce in a cost-efficient manner.

“It’s important the chamber be progressive, especially in 2011 as many representatives are new and new to the issues. It’s the chamber’s job to represent owners of small businesses, because small- and medium-sized businesses make up more than 80 percent of all jobs in Nevada,” said Dianna Fyke, government affairs director for the chamber. “Although the chamber is one of the most powerful legislative groups, it’s paramount we remain focused, especially with the fiscal budget under the microscope.”

Members of the Chamber Legislative committee participate in 12 subcommittees: education, finance, health & human services, entrepreneurial business, judiciary, energy/utilities, taxes, commerce/manufacturing, construction/transportation, gaming, development/redevelopment, and natural resources/agricultural/mining. It also flags non-legislative issues as well such as local concerns like public employees’ salaries and union issues. 

The Henderson Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit, voluntary organization committed to promoting and supporting member businesses.

For more information, call the Henderson Chamber of Commerce at 702-565-8951 or visit www.hendersonchamber.com.

Assemblyman continues mission to stop human trafficking

Hambrick has drafted four Bill Draft Requests (BDRs) to bring to the 2011 Legislature, is ready to begin lobbying for support.

LAS VEGAS – Assemblyman John Hambrick is on a mission to end human trafficking in Nevada.  Specifically, he has dedicated his unyielding nature and several years’ worth of time to ending the trafficking of underage victims.

Las Vegas was identified in 2009 by the FBI as one of 14 cities around the country with high rates of child prostitution. Additionally, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department handled 150 cases of child prostitution in 2008 alone.

“Human trafficking is one of those things our parents would not have discussed in ‘polite’ society,” Hambrick said. “But the time has come to open the windows. We – all of us – must wake up and realize that Las Vegas is the national capital for human trafficking. Men come to our community and ‘buy’ the bodies of girls, some as young as 11 years old. This battle has to be fought and won.”

During the 2009 Nevada Legislature, Hambrick – then a freshman assemblyman – successfully drafted a bill, AB380, which made Nevada’s child prostitution laws the strictest in the country.

AB 380, which provides for the freezing and forfeiture of the assets of a person who commits certain offenses involving the pandering or prostitution of a child; imposes a civil penalty against a person convicted of certain offenses involving the pandering or prostitution of a child; and provides other matters properly relating thereto. AB 380 allows for a $500,000 fine if offenders are convicted of trafficking prostitutes younger than age 14 and a $100,000 fine for trafficking prostitutes age 14-17. Through the bill, a fund was established to provide assistance for underage victims of human trafficking. The bill has been lauded by many throughout Nevada.

While most would settle for riding on the coattails of a success as impactful as that, Hambrick was just getting warmed up.

For the 2011 Nevada Legislative Session, Hambrick has prepared four more BDRs relating to human trafficking.

In layman’s terms, Bill No. 1 (BDR361) is meant to clarify current crimes related to human trafficking of underage victims.

Bill No. 2 (BDR363) targets buyers and pimps, increasing the criminal and civil penalties. It would allow for jail time for someone convicted of either crime to increase to seven years minimum and 20 years maximum. It would also increase fines to as high as $50,000.

Bill No. 3 (BDR514) allows for staggered penalties for buyers. The younger the victim, the more time a buyer can be sentenced to. This amendment would allow for the possibility of a life sentence with parole eligibility after 10 years in prison.

Bill No. 4 (BDR366) would allow a victim to regain some of his or her life. Under this BDR (bill draft request), a victim may petition the court to vacate convictions if certain conditions are met.

The BDRs have been submitted to the Legislative Counsel Bureau. Hambrick has begun lobbying for support.  Once the legislative session begins Hambrick can begin to seek co-sponsors for the BDRs, which will be voted on during the 2011 Legislature.   

For more information on Hambrick, visit http://hambrick4assembly.com.