2020 General Election: Assembly District 40

Sena Loyd 

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Director of Research and Workforce Development, emerging high tech company & Information Professional

Age: 36

Contact: senafornevada@gmail.com; www.senafornevada.com; 775-430-5033

Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: @senafornevada

Record of Service: I was appointed as Director of the Carson City Library in 2014, managed a balanced budget and staff which supported an average of 1,300 visits each day. Under my leadership, the Carson City Library was named among the top 14 libraries in America by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in 2018. As a registered lobbyist for the Nevada Library Association and the City of Carson City in 2017, I helped secure $500,000 for Nevada’s public libraries statewide. These funds helped libraries across the state integrate emerging technology and virtual learning into their communities, this evolved into a premier workforce development tool connecting rural learners with good living wage careers. In 2017 I was named Nevada Library Association Librarian of the Year. I also served on the Nevada Commission on Educational Technology appointed by Governor Sandoval in 2015. I currently serve on the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada advisory council, the Western Nevada College Foundation and am the 2019 Emerge Nevada Graduate Student Representative on the Emerge Nevada Board.

Education: San Jose State University - Masters; Library and Information Science

University of Nevada, Reno - BA; Anthropology; Holocaust, Genocide and Peace Studies

Folsom Lake Community College (Folsom, CA) - No Degree

Oak Ridge High School (El Dorado Hills, CA) - High School Diploma

Platform: Carson City and the surrounding region is a beautiful place to live. I am running because I want to help our people, our region and our state to not only recover from COVID-19, but to flourish and thrive. I have the energy and drive to serve on behalf of constituents who may not have the time or desire, but who deserve to have their voices heard and represented. I promise to be present and accessible to you throughout the legislative process.

The upcoming legislative session is going to be rough. The COVID-19 health crisis shutdown of our State’s economy is going to hit home. Spending cuts or tax increases aren’t enough to be the sole solutions of this problem. We need to think about our State budget and our State services, not just outside of the box, but like there is no box. I am the candidate that will work for Carson City. I promise to fight hard to ensure that Carson City does not receive a disproportionately large amount of cuts and that together as a community, we can continue to repair our economy.

What’s the biggest issue facing the state of Nevada for the 2021 session?

We have already seen the spending cuts imposed by the legislature this fiscal year due to COVID-19. This alone has the potential to devastate our community colleges. Community colleges have continued to answer the call for local and regional workforce development repeatedly. They are offering and graduating record-breaking numbers of credentialed and certificate earning students into good living-wage careers. I will work with fellow legislators, state and public agencies, nonprofits, and private sector leaders to continue to drive resources that serve Nevada’s workforce to help people reinvent themselves and find economic relevance in our global marketplace. I will emphasize the need to support our community college certificates and credential programs that are beyond a high school diploma but do not require a 2-year degree. I will fight to expand apprenticeship programs that allow for high-quality work-based learning with post-secondary earn-and-learn models. I will continue to support Nevada library services for upskilling and retraining community members to get people working.

The last regular legislative session ended with Nevada knowing that we had to figure out a way to better fund K-12 education and address the gaps in learning. I’m confident that even amid the COVID-19 global health crisis “... a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.” (Margaret Mead). Economic solutions will evolve from the entrepreneurial spirit of our citizens and communities. This work will be my priority.

What legislation would you draft to better the lives of Carson City residents?

A modest proposal to address the mining tax in Nevada.

What if we decided to tweak the definition of net proceeds in NRS in a way that more fairly addresses the counter cyclical nature of profits from the mining of gold vs. the economy? Basically, the price of gold goes up when the economy is down. The simple way to address this seeming disparity is to enact a provision in NRS that changes the definition of net proceeds of minerals slightly when the economy falters significantly. The main benefit the state receives from the presence of multinational mining companies in our State is some good jobs and my proposal would not endanger those jobs - after all, the gold is in the ground here in Nevada. It must still be extracted here. Let’s use Nevada’s precious natural resources to help Nevadans.

Using the same economic trigger mechanism outlined in existing law and used by the Interim Finance Committee, when the economy crashes and state tax revenue collections become dire, a few of the currently allowed deductions (in the statutory definition of “net proceeds”) would go away. Resulting in a slightly higher tax being imposed on the production of gold at exactly the same time when the price of gold is spiking.

PK O’Neill

Party: Republican

Occupation: Retired Division Chief, Nevada Department of Public Safety, Commissioner on the Nevada Commission on Ethics

Age: 69

Contact: PK@PK4NV.com; www.PKOneill4nv.com

Record of service: I have a 40-year record of active involvement and leadership in Carson City. My career was spent protecting our community in public safety, capped by my service as a Division Chief with the Nevada Department of Public Safety.

After retiring from my career in public safety, I was elected to represent Assembly District 40 for the 2015 session of the Nevada Legislature. During that term, I authored five pieces of legislation, all of which were enacted.

Since then, I was appointed by Governor Sandoval as a Commissioner on the Nevada Commission on Ethics and reappointed by Governor Sisolak. I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Carson Tahoe Health System (Carson Tahoe Hospital) and as chairman of the Advisory Board for the Salvation Army of Carson City and Douglas County. I am an active member of St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Community and enjoy volunteering at the Carson Animal Shelter

Education: Miami-Dade Community College (AA 1976) Sierra Nevada College (BS 1985)

Platform: During my time as a legislator, I fought to protect our vulnerable aging population, helped decrease the cost of school construction, improved new technologies for law enforcement, and helped preserve, promote and restore the local Nevada heritage. I will continue to do all I can to serve my community and Nevada, including advocating for solutions that tackle our opioid crisis and other addictions, domestic violence and suicide that overwhelm our mental healthcare providers.

The need for quality mental health care is as vital to Nevada as quality medical care. The far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic we all are facing may go unnoticed when we return to back to our “normal” lives. However, some will likely continue to suffer symptoms similar to PTSD, with which many of our veterans and first responders contend.

Additionally, our business climate has been set back by the forced layoffs created by the coronavirus. We need to protect small business by removing bureaucratic red-tape and burdensome regulations. I will fight to continue to diversify our economy to ensure that Nevada is once again leading the way in the creating of high paying, quality jobs.

What’s the biggest issue facing the state of Nevada for the 2021 session?

Right now, the biggest challenge is to get our economy back on track so that all Nevadans are able to find suitable work once again and resume their previous lives. We need to find ways to diversity our economy even more so that if there is another emergency such as the one, we are better prepared as a state.

Another major challenge is the need for more emphasis on mental health. Within our region, Carson City has recognized this growing need for treating those with mental health issues by supporting the Mallory Center which has become a regional center for neighboring counties. I believe a focus on mental health will be even more important as we continue to fight our way out of the aftereffects of the pandemic.

What legislation would you draft to better the lives of Carson City residents?

Freshman legislators are limited to a maximum of six bill draft requests, so one must identify and prioritize the needs as to what will best serve of the community. I have several ideas which would not only benefit businesses in Carson City, but the state as a whole. I would like to reduce, or eliminate, various regulations which constrain commerce and limit competition to the detriment of the consumer. Licensing reciprocity in certain occupations of a limited scope would also be included to address several professional shortages the State is facing. I want not just to continue to support WNC’s Manufacturing Training Lab, Applied Industrial Technology and Nursing and Allied Health programs, but to give them the necessary funding to enhance their capabilities. There are still areas I wish to pursue which will ease the burdens on our veterans and active duty military personnel. I will request legislation to expand mental health services; including increased training for our first responders to assist in identifying and dealing with those challenging situations. Additionally, Carson City has a tremendous opportunity with the closed Nevada State Prison as both a tourist draw, educational facility and at times a community events venue. I will introduce legislation, in conjunction with the Nevada State Prison Preservation Society, to remove several policies which prevent them from accomplishing their goals. Finally, I am in conversation with members of the Carson City Board of Supervisors to identify and address any issues with which they might need legislative assistance.