The Churchill County Republican Central Committee along with local media will present Candidates Night on May 17 at the Fallon Convention Center for the Churchill County Commission, Assembly District 38 and State Senate District 17
For those who can’t attend, The Lahontan Broadcasting Company and KKTU (99.5 FM) will broadcast the event, which begins at 6 p.m.
The CCRCC is sponsoring the event. The Fallon Post and the Lahontan Valley News will serve as moderators for Candidates Night.
In today’s LVN, Vida Keller and Dr. Greg Koenig and offer their viewpoints on questions presented to them by The Fallon Post and the Lahontan Valley News.
The term for the Assembly seat is two years.
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Vida D. Keller is a two-term commissioner with Lyon County.
Keller is broker/owner of Priceless Realty in Silver Springs. She is the first vice president of the Fernley Republican women, delegate to the Nevada GOP, and president of the Lyon County Library foundation. On the county level, she has worked to solve problems that were caused by changing economics, growth, and Mother Nature.
Vida Keller
1. Water issues will be affecting Nevada. What are the issues you feel need addressing in the next session of the Nevada state legislature?
Water is a very important and complicated issue in the State of Nevada, with all Stakeholders seemingly having a different opinion on what is best. We have several treaties, operating agreements affecting different Basins and communities. We have different sources including groundwater, surface water, reclaimed water, and importing water through pipelines, canals or river systems. Changing the laws governing “water rights” to benefit one stakeholder usually hurts several others causing excessive legal action. What I will work toward is legislation that allows the holders of “water Rights” to have more flexibility on the use of the water and promote conservation without risk of losing their usufructuary right.
2. What are the climatic changes affecting Nevada and what should the Legislature do to combat drought, wildfires, extreme heat, air pollution from smoke, etc.?
Tying in with question one, what are the climatic changes affecting Nevada and what should the legislature do to combat drought, wildfires, extreme heat, air pollution from smoke, etc.
If and any climatic changes in Nevada that come about we will have to adjust as we have done throughout time, however poor management of our resources and blaming “climate change” without consequences should not be tolerated. We need better management of not only our land, but also the states bordering Nevada should also be held accountable for their bad practices though any means available. I will support any legislative effort to give the private sector, local government, and the State of Nevada the “toolbox” to become effective in holding people and governments responsible while promoting better use of our land.
3. How should the next legislature look at voting procedures, mail in ballots?
Eliminate Mail in Ballots, not absentee ballots Require Voter ID.
Eliminate the “Mandatory “registration at the DMV. Make ballot harvesting a felony again.
4. Every session, legislators will handle a number of veterans’ issues. What do you envision the top issues are regarding to veterans and their quality of life?
Veterans need to have closer access in a timely manner to quality medical procedures and treatments, especially in the rural areas to ensure veterans and their families receive the care, benefits, and support earned as promised. This would be one of my top issues.
5. Both the Navy and the U.S. Air Force are continuing their respective plans to expand and modernize their ranges. What role do you envision the Assembly having?
I sit on the Fallon Range Training Complex modernization intergovernmental executive committee as the Lyon County Commissioner and I nominated Churchill County Commissioner Pete Olsen to be the Vice Chair on this very important Board. In doing so I have and will promote that the local jurisdictions input would weigh heavily on any decisions and as a legislator I would try and balance national security without sacrificing any unnecessary burden on the local community or the State of Nevada.
6. Northern Nevada has faced unparalleled growth during the past decade. What is the assembly’s role to ensure the area keeps its quality-of-life issues intact?
Again, with the knowledge I have being an 8-year commissioner I would look to eliminate or modify current laws that do not conform to our rural lifestyles. Developers can build a variety of products that they can profit in a capitalistic way with the free market. However, it is up to the local jurisdictions to promote and allow what the community wants and needs. While master plans are fluid in nature, many jurisdictions feel that it is required to honor the decisions of the past. The state should make sure that the jurisdictions have the tools needed to remedy any such decisions.
7. Every year, education funding and other issues always arise at the legislature. What do you see as your priorities with education?
Government does not raise our children, Parents do! We are all different and our religious beliefs, our heritage, or any other social issues shall not be undermined by any governmental agency. I will work for legislation that carries strict penalties for anyone trying to indoctrinate our children. Parental rights are and shall be protected. I will promote ESAs, CTEs and teaching basic curriculum. Good teachers are hard to find and should be rewarded, there should be a very simple process to remove bad ones.
8. What should the city-county-state relationship look like in governing?
Right now, we have a top-down government with little or no input from counties and cities known as a Dillon role form of government. We need more autonomy at the county and city levels closest to the people putting the needs of the local communities first.
9. What do you see with your Assembly district working with the state and various business development agencies?
I will work toward bringing in and supporting existing businesses and industries that promote the health of the community and not steal from the wealth of the community and their resources. We are not bedroom communities supporting the larger communities. We stand alone, independent of each other creating or manufacturing products that bring jobs and a rural lifestyle we enjoy. Allow counties the tools to negotiate for business development within their communities and encouraging the perfect fit. The State of Nevada has been giving tax abatements to industries that hurt rural communities because counties take on the burden of providing services.
10. Rural Nevada health care issues are a concern to residents in your district. What do you see as the issues governing the quality of healthcare now and in the future?
The lack of access to our health care services Including, mental and behavioral health, maternity and emergency services needs to be addressed. Not only do we have an aging physician workforce. We also have and aging population. The state has historically underinvested in rural communities, and with the recent COVID pandemic proving that we could have isolated rural communities and lessened the burden to the metropolitan areas, this too needs to be addressed.
By investing in the rural areas, it would slow the need for constructing or expanding the metro areas while giving a buffer in the spread of diseases. Our communities already are separated by federally-managed state lands.
This would help the state of Nevada economically by bringing up our health care numbers in rural areas. Economic expansion in rural areas would be more attractive.
This would also apply to addressing our veterans’ community.
11. Nevada and the rest of the county may face a significant downturn with the economy. What is your vision to ensuring the state would weather recession better than during the Great Recession of 2008- 11?
As a siting commissioner during 2011-2015, I saw firsthand what happens during a recession. Property and consolidated tax revenue drops. Non-essential but well needed departments were cut, employees were cut, and departments were consolidated.
The need to be proactive is now, the state needs to allow for not only a rainy day fund for the counties that can’t be swept by the state but enable some restrictive revenue to go to preserving some of the ongoing maintenance of valuable assets.
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Dr. Gregory S. Koenig is a fifth generation Nevadan who spent most of his life in Churchill County. Professionally he is an optometrist with offices in Fallon, Fernley, and Yerington. Having worked with patients throughout all of the communities in the area, he has a good feel for the pulse of this district.
He served on the Churchill County School Board for 12 years, half of that time as board president. During that time he was also president of the State School Board and served on the NIAA board which governs all high school athletics on the state level. He currently serves as a Churchill County commissioner. Koenig is a lifelong Republican and wants to represent you in Carson City to help fight for the conservative rural lifestyle that he loves. He is endorsed by current District 38 Assemblywoman Dr. Robin Titus and current County Commissioner Chairman Pete Olsen.
Gregory Koenig
1. Water issues will be affecting Nevada. What are the issues you feel need addressing in the next session of the Nevada State Legislature?
Water is the lifeblood of Nevada. It is one of our most important resources. The size of District 38 makes things really complicated. Different communities have different water needs that can sometimes conflict with each other. Fernley is directly upstream from Fallon and Yerington is directly upstream from Schurz and Hawthorne. The need for water varies from recharging our aquifers and protecting our wells to providing the means to maintain our agricultural heritage and allow people to make a living. We need to closely monitor the water usage of the bigger communities upriver from us to make sure they aren’t using more than their allotment. As the Reno area continues to grow, they want more and more water. Since there is only so much to go around, we need to fight to make sure we get all the water that is rightfully ours.
2. What are the climatic changes affecting Nevada and what should the Legislature do to combat drought, wildfires, extreme heat, air pollution from smoke, etc.?
I am not sure what the Legislature can do to actually combat drought, California wildfires, and the subsequent poor air quality. There are a few things we can do to make things safer here in Nevada. We need to promote regulated, planned logging to help get rid of the dead wood and density that serves as kindling for forest fires. We also need to allow grazing in our forests to help keep the undergrowth under control so fires will not spread so easily. We need to make sure all firefighters are fully funded with the proper training, necessary equipment, and adequate personnel to get the fires under control as quickly as possible when they inevitably happen. We cannot completely stop wildfires from happening, but we can be prepared for when they do happen. To help conserve water during drought, we can encourage recruiting industry to the area that uses minimal water. We can encourage landscaping that uses minimal water.
3. How should the next Legislature look at voting procedures, mail-in ballots?
I think voting procedures can definitely use an overhaul. To begin with, one of our top priorities should be to require a valid, government issued ID to vote. Proof of citizenship should also be required to vote. I think same day registration is problematic. As we have seen, there have been problems with automatic registration at the DMV. There were numerous voters who requested to be registered as Republicans who instead were registered as non-partisan, so when those people go to vote as Republicans in the primary election, they are unable to do so. I believe mail-in ballots hold a place, but do not agree with mail-in ballots being automatically sent to everyone. Especially since our voter rosters critically need an overhaul. Mail-in ballots are needed and important for those serving out of the area in the military and for those whose medical conditions preclude them from making it to the polling place. Other than that, I think voting should be done in person.
4. Every session, legislators will handle a number of veterans’ issues. What do you envision the top issues are regarding veterans and their way of life?
Veterans have served, fought, and sometimes even died to help protect our country. Taking care of them should be one of our top priorities. We can do better. First off, we need to provide better, more timely health care. The biggest complaint I hear is how long it takes to get in to be seen at the VA hospitals. More funding to increase staffing would be a good start. We especially need to provide more services in the rural areas. Mental health concerns need to be addressed. Veterans are dealing with PTSD, TBI, and depression. Suicide is another big concern with veterans, counseling and the necessary resources need to be readily available. We also need to do better at re-assimilating them back into the work-force and everyday life at the end of their service.
5. Both the Navy and U.S. Air Force are continuing their respective plans to expand and modernize their ranges. What role do you envision the Assembly having?
I love our country and know we all want to do our part to assure our military will be prepared to protect our national interests. That being said, the federal government already controls over 80% of land in our state, and now they want more. There needs to be a fair give and take. If the federal government wants to take over more land, then the counties and the state need to be reimbursed for their losses. Local citizens are losing grazing land, geothermal opportunities, mining claims, hunting areas, and recreational opportunities. They need to be reimbursed for those losses. Land swaps also need to be considered; if the military needs certain areas, then they need to release other BLM land back to the counties.
6. Northern Nevada has faced unparalleled growth during the past decade. What is the Assembly’s role to ensure the area keeps its quality of life issues intact?
I am in favor of smaller government with more local control. Who is going to know what’s best for their constituents, a legislature in Carson, or someone in the counties at the local level? At the state level, we need to create an environment that attracts industry, by providing a positive tax culture with appropriate incentives. Ultimately the decisions should be made on a county level. Also the definition of quality of life will differ between communities. To set a standard for quality of life at a state level is impractical if not foolish. One law out of Carson City to regulate the quality of life in both Las Vegas and Yerington is pretty much impossible.
7. Every year, education funding and other issues always arise at the Legislature. What do you see as your priorities with education?
From serving on the local school board for 12 years and having served at the state level, education is very near and dear to my heart. First, we need to make sure education is adequately funded. Money, by itself, will not solve the problem, but lack of support is very difficult to overcome. I strongly support locally elected school boards. Again, who knows what’s best for the children in their own community than the people who live there? I am against unfunded mandates, the state Legislature is constantly implementing new programs without offering any financial assistance to the already cash-strapped school districts. So if the state mandates smaller class size, they should help fund the extra teachers needed to accomplish it. I would also like to encourage and support promoting career and technical education, to help our students prepare themselves better for the workforce. Not everyone wants to attend university and the workforce desperately needs skilled, trained workers. We should encourage those who choose that path.
8. What should the city-county-state relationship look like in governing?
I want to start by saying again, governing is most efficient when done on a local level, since they are the ones who know their communities best. There is definitely a place for both state and local governments. Both should have defined roles and not overstep the boundaries. Working together and cooperating would be ideal. The state needs to be over entities that span the whole state like universities, prisons, parks, and highways. Local governments have the responsibilities to find and maintain police and fire departments, libraries, museums and local roads. As long as people understand their responsibilities and do not overstep their bounds, I think they can work together.
9. What do you see with your Assembly district working with the state and various business development agencies?
I see the biggest role of business development agencies as recruiting the desired appropriate new businesses to the communities in our district. To sustain our tax base and provide the needed employment for our citizens, planned, sustained growth is desirable. Local communities need to be involved in the process. Business development agencies can be a big benefit if they help meet the needs of both the communities and the businesses. Another service these agencies can provide is to help make current businesses more efficient and help keep them up to date on current practices and trends.
10. Rural Nevada healthcare issues are a concern to residents in your district. What do you see as the issues governing the quality of healthcare now and in the future?
I work in healthcare and there are definitely some challenges in the rural settings. Maintaining an adequate workforce is one of our biggest challenges. I know the rural areas have a difficult time keeping personnel and doctors. It seems to be a revolving door which affects continuity of care and building of trust and relationships. The inability to draw specialists to rural communities is another challenge. I personally have a number of patients who need additional care or a procedure, but are unable to get to Carson City or Reno to see the needed specialists and go untreated. We need to explore policies and programs to entice and retain medical professionals. Even exploring innovative programs such as incentives, bonuses, or help in loan repayment.
11. Nevada and the rest of the county may face a significant downturn with the economy. What is your vision to ensure the state would weather a recession better than during the great recession of 2008-2011?
I think the answer to this is fairly simple: diversify. In the past we have been overly reliant on gaming and the hospitality industry associated with it. In a recession those are some of the first things people cut out of their budgets. Industry, like USA parkway will help us to ride out the next economic downturn. Promoting mining, by not over-regulating, will also help to stabilize the local economies. Making sure the agriculture sector is supported also helps. Anything we can do to help diversify our economy will help us survive the next recession.
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