IndyMatters

The podcast is taking a summer sabbatical but we still wanted to talk about some of our stories so Managing Editor Elizabeth Thompson and Reporter Megan Messerly sat down for a half hour to do just that. Topics include Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo's post-Oct. 1 report on improvements the department needs to make, the City of Las Vegas vowing not to pay hacker ransoms and the 2020 elections in...

On this week’s episode of IndyMatters, we hear from the team in the north (Riley, Michelle, Daniel and Joey) and most of the Las Vegas team (Jon, Jackie and Jacob) as they strive to answer your questions. This is a special edition of the IndyMatters Podcast celebrating our 100th episode. It is a bit longer and a bit of a departure from our usual format. We hope you enjoy it. If you did not a quest...

On the 99th episode of IndyMatters, education reporter Jackie Valley sits down with Nevada System of Higher Education board of regents member Trevor Hayes to talk not about higher education but about reporting she has done on primary school students struggling with dyslexia. Hayes’s daughter struggles with dyslexia, and Jackie has been following her journey as she learns to read. Later on in the e...

With the 80th session of the Legislature behind us, The Indy’s Multimedia Editor Joey Lovato sits down with reporters Megan Messerly, Michelle Rindels and Riley Snyder to recap what happened. They talk about the big bills that passed (and died), the last-minute drama between the Democrats and Republicans, bills that will have effects you may have missed and more. There is also a surprise guest at...

This week on IndyMatters, reporter Megan Messerly talks with the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Tom Perez, about how the party sees Nevada as the 2020 election draws ever nearer. Perez talks debates, the Democratic party’s focus and goals both in the state and nationally.

On this week’s episode of IndyMatters, reporter Michelle Rindels sits down with Amanda Morgan, Michelle Booth and Michaela Tonking of Educate Nevada Now, an advocacy group powered by the Rogers Foundation that aims to reform Nevada's school funding formula and also increase funding for education. They talk about the formula, how it relates to education and how the group thinks the state should spr...

On this week's episode of IndyMatters, we play the audio from a forum we had in Reno, hosted by Indy editor Jon Ralston with panelists Jeffrey Berns from Blockchains, Reno Land CEO Chip Bowlby and Center for Regional Studies project manager Brian Bonnenfant. The forum covered development in northern Nevada as well as the impact large private companies will have on the region and what they need in...

This week Michelle Rindels and Megan Messerly sit down to talk about the Economic Forum, a panel of five business professionals and economists that helps predict revenue for the state budget. They also talk about the impact the forum's projections are likely going to have on spending on everything from education to health care to a railroad museum as the Legislature moves into its last month.

Just past the halfway mark and the week of first house passage where hundreds of bills were voted on, Riley sits down with Democratic Assemblyman Howard Watts to talk about the bills he has going through the Legislature. Which ones are moving on and which ones died after first house passage. They also talk about the minimum wage bill, the ICE holding bill that Watts co-sponsored and if he sees a d...

On this week's episode of IndyMatters, reporters Michelle Rindels, Riley Snyder and Megan Messerly sit down for a round table discussion in Carson City. They talk about what bills will be going to the first house passage next week and what bills have died, as well as the reason some legislators introduce bills they know won't make it to a vote.

A panel discussion moderated by Indy Editor Jon Ralston and reporter Jackie Valley on the state of education in Nevada with the people directly involved: teachers, students, parents and administrators.

On this week's episode of IndyMatters, Michelle and Riley talk about the "mass liberation" and no cash bail movements, as well as the death penalty and reform efforts to reduce Nevada's growing prison population. Michelle also talks with members of the no cash bail movement to hear their stories of incarceration along with their goals lobbying lawmakers in Carson City.

This week on IndyMatters the producer, Joey Lovato, steps out from behind the soundboard to chat with reporter Daniel Rothberg about his new weekly newsletter, Indy Environment. Daniel talks about what subscribers can expect, as well as what bills he has been watching in Carson City. Later in the podcast, Joey pulls back the curtain and asks Daniel about his reporting process — and what he likes a...

The issues of affordable housing and homelessness are a growing problem in Nevada, and the Legislature is working on a few bills addressing the issues. This week reporters Michelle Rindels and Riley Snyder sit down to talk about some of the pending proposals, and Riley shares what he saw and heard during a committee hearing on affordable housing. Michelle also interviews J.D. Klippenstein and Cata...

On this week's episode of IndyMatters, we leave Carson City for a quick trip up to the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno to talk with the Dr. Kristen Averyt. Reporter Daniel Rothberg asks about the institution's relationship with NSHE and how they get their funding. They also talk about climate change, how science can influence lawmakers and Daniel's favorite topic: hydrology! Dr. Averyt als...

Reporter Michelle Rindels sits down with Clark County Superintendent Jesus Jara and executive director of the Clark County Education Association John Vellardita to talk about Read by Grade 3, testing, the state's education funding formula and more in this double interview on IndyMatters.

This week reporters Michelle Rindels and Riley Snyder sit down with Republican Senator Ben Kieckhefer to talk about his thoughts on the gun background check bill and a possible red flag law, as well as his positions on a textbook spending bill, collective bargaining, Senate finance and Tim McGraw.

Reporter Roundtable: Legislature's first month - Indy reporters recap the week in the Legislature on this week's episode of IndyMatters. Megan tells us about two bills -- one allowing physician-assisted suicide and one requiring municipal elections take place in even years. Michelle talks about a bill that would put harsher penalties on crimes involving a weapon and an initiative to raise college...

This week reporters Riley Snyder and Megan Messerly sit down with two freshmen in the Assembly, Republican Assemblywoman Alexis Hansen and Democratic Assemblywoman Connie Munk. They cover the transition into Nevada politics, what the first few weeks have looked like, bipartisan efforts at the Legislature, as well as a bill looking at vaccinations and another looking at drives licenses for charter...

Riley Snyder, Michelle Rindels and Megan Messerly gather around the table at the Indy Carson City house to talk about this week's big topic, gun sales background checks. Riley breaks down SB143, what it entails and its history. Megan explains some of the problems that have been brought up by opposition. The team also discusses other stories from the week including affordable housing, campaign fina...

On this week's episode of IndyMatters, reporters Riley Snyder, Michelle Rindels and Megan Messerly sit down to talk about the first few days of the 2019 legislative session. We hear about the exciting (or not) first day of goings-on, as well as expectations, the pros and cons of a citizen Legislature, term limits and everyone's favorite mini segment: Riley talking about energy policy! We also have...

ACLU policy expert and lobbyist Holly Welborn sat down with reporters Michelle Rindels and Riley Snyder a week before the Legislature convenes to discuss a range of topics from criminal defense reform to Marsy's Law to a proposed private prison ban.

Gov. Steve Sisolak sat down for an IndyTalks on Tuesday with Editor Jon Ralston and talked about everything from his opposition to the death penalty, private prisons and cash bail to why his extending tax rates that were supposed to decrease is not a tax increase to how he wants to change how Brian Sandoval funded education. A lot of news here.

Reporter Daniel Rothberg sat down with Brad Crowell, who heads the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, to talk about water, sage grouse conservation and wildfires. They also talked about what policies and aren’t changing under a new gubernatorial administration. “I think you’ll see from this administration more leaning in on addressing climate and energy problems,... focusing on clea...

Mike Willden, chief of staff for departed Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, looks back on an exceptionally long career in Nevada state service and the major changes he's seen along the way, including implementing and then defending a Medicaid expansion against repeal efforts in 2017. With reporters Riley Snyder and Michelle Rindels.