It is clear over the past two sessions, that Nevadans wants an equitable education system.  The work of Clark County School District and NV Department of Education supports these efforts, and clearly with the new Every Student Succeeds Act the federal government now provides Nevada with more opportunities to succeed.  However, there is one HUGE problem… African American students continue to be marginalized under a funding formula that doesn’t address their needs and the needs of those students least proficient in the State.
 
While committee members discuss the education needs of students during the 79th legislative session, it’s been clearly established through years of testimony, backed up with data and reports, that overall African American students are struggling the most in Nevada.  Data shows that African American student’s proficiency rates are the lowest in the State by race/ethnicity.  There’s been a long history of this disparity without a plan to address the gap, although education advocates have pushed for systemic change.  The Every Child Succeed Act (ESSA) passed by Congress MANDATES that States use federal dollars in their state plans to address the needs of students with the greatest disparities by sub-group. 
 
Finally, a solution to the funding dilemma.  States and Districts can now provide funding to sub-groups least proficient, and in fact are required to do so.  What does that mean for the African American sub-group?  FUNDING!  So what’s the problem, you ask.  State legislators decide how the money is distributed based on a funding formula.  The proposed funding formula being considered are as follows:  1) ELL or English Language Learners (only second language learners), 2) FRL or Free and Reduced Lunch (low income), 3) IEP or Individual Education Plans (special needs), 4) G.A.T.E. or Gifted And Talented Education.  Clearly, you can see there is absolutely NO consideration given to students least proficient as required by ESSA.  This should be an outrage to everyone concerned about education.  Clark County Black Caucus is joined by the NAACP Las Vegas Chapter and teachers in the classrooms (Clark County Education Association) advocating for education equity.   
 
Currently, the equity allocation model legislators are considering does not address the needs of these students.  We know not all students in poverty are least proficient. But when we look at the data for FRL students by ethnicity, our African American sub-group rates in the lowest 25% statewide followed closely by Native Americans.  This mandate also helps to address the needs of students in our rural communities.  In the current proposed plan, we do acknowledge our most “gifted” students and long term ELL students, while leaving our least proficient sub-groups invisible under FRL.  Do we value some students more than others in Nevada?  Contact your state representative http://mapserve1.leg.state.nv.us/whoRU/  and ask them to support our least proficient students by recognizing them in the new funding formula for education.
 
We believe that SB178 has the potential to provide students with a more equitable education in Nevada.  Having student funding follow the child is critical if they are to receive the resources and tools needed to be successful.  The current categorical funding leaves thousands of students out that may qualify.  Yet, without an additional funding category for our least proficient students they will continue to be marginalized and left out of the new Nevada Plan currently under construction.  If that happens, I shudder to think what their future will hold in the next decade.

During a time when African Americans suffered through one of the worst periods of terror and disenfranchisement, and segregation was commonplace in many communities throughout America, one Black woman transcended the racial divide.  I ran across an interesting book while visiting Stanford University in 2011, and was intrigued by another incredible story still untold in American history.
 
This is more than an American story, Henrietta Lacks contributions launched the multibillion dollar medical research industry worldwide today.   Henrietta, affectionately known as Hennie by her family, did not graduate from college nor have a medical degree.  In fact, she was a poor tobacco farmer born in  Roanoke, Virginia named Loretta Pleasant on August 1, 1920, and raised by her grandfather after the death of her mother, in a log cabin that had been the slave quarters of a white ancestor's plantation.  She married David Lacks in 1941 and relocated to Maryland seeking a better life with her husband and children.  It was a visit to John Hopkins University in 1951 that would change her life and that of the world of science forever.
 
Diagnosed with cervical cancer, doctors removed two cervical samples during radiation treatments without her knowledge.  Researchers discovered that Henrietta's cells did not die within a few days, and instead were much more durable.  Cells were divided and a cell line created named "HeLa" derived from the first two letters of both Henrietta and Lacks.  She died on October 4, 1951 and it wasn't long before HeLa cells were commercialized, packaged, and sold by the trillions to researchers around the world, creating a multibillion dollar industry all originating from the cells of Henrietta's cervix.  Her family has never seen a dime and many do not have medical insurance themselves.  It wasn't until years later before found out about the cells taken from their mother.
 
I'm curious what some racist may say if they knew Black cells are used in the production of the polio vaccine they've likely taken, or chemotherapy, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization treatment.  HeLa cells have helped with other important advancements in medicine and science, that may have saved their lives or those of their loved ones.  I wonder, when faced with death if race really matters very much.
 
 HeLa cells are so widely used that It is estimated that if you could lay all HeLa cells ever grown end-to-end, they'd wrap around the Earth at least three times, spanning more than 350 million feet, and given that a cell is virtually weightless, would weigh more than 50 million metric tons.   However, the origin of the HeLa cells remained a mystery for decades as efforts were made to intentionally throw researchers off the trail by falsely identifying Henrietta Lacks as Helen Lane.  In 1973 efforts were made by the science community to right a wrong and give Henrietta the dignity she deserved for the contributions she made.  Today, patients must agree to donating their tissue to medical research, but where moral debate continues.
 
We can look forward to seeing this incredible story on HBO currently in production.  Oprah Winfrey bought the rights to the bestselling book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  I would highly recommend reading the book to get the full story and conflicts with it's ethics in medicine.  It is truly fascinating and unfortunately my article only touches the tip of the iceberg, of a true story that challenges American History once again about our hidden heroes.
 
Yvette Williams is a community advocate and Chair/Founder of the Clark County Black Caucus, a non-partisan community organization driven 100% by volunteers registered to vote.  Follow her on twitter @YvetteBWilliams and in her monthly column in the Las Vegas Black Image magazine, or contact her ClarkCountyBlackCaucus@gmail.com for more information.

Nevada made history on November 8th in several ways.  The first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate. And paving the way for the first African American Speaker of the House in the Nevada Legislature.  Jason Frierson was elected by his peers in the Nevada Assembly to serve as Speaker of the House, along with Aaron Ford re-elected to the Nevada Senate and elected by his peers as Senate Majority Leader.  This will be the first time African Americans served as leaders of both houses.  Congratulations to them both and we look forward to the 2017 legislative session, and the many issues they will tackle that impact our communities.
 
During the 2015 legislative session, Nevada legislators passed multicultural education legislation.  I’m honored to work on the Nevada Department of Education Multicultural Education Advisory Committee making recommendations to the Nevada Academic Standards Council that incorporates racially/ethnically diverse populations in the social studies standards.  This work reemphasized to me the importance of passing down our African American Heritage, and with the Kwanzaa holiday approaching you have plenty of time to plan your special celebration.  Here are a few ideas from our family celebration along with links and resources for your convenience.
 
Kwanzaa celebrates its 50th anniversary this year from December 26th – January 1st that will traditionally cumulate with a festive pot-luck dinner on the last day.  Founded by Dr. Maulana Krenga in 1966, each day of the week-long event celebrates one of seven principals and is celebrated by lighting of a candle.  Kwanzaa instills strong values and self-esteem in our children through knowledge of their rich cultural contributions and achievements in world history. Go to http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml to learn more about the principals and symbols of Kwanzaa.
 
To celebrate this fun and educational holiday, children activities should include reading, dancing to traditional music, sing-a-longs, puzzles, historical/fictional and culturally rich movies (don’t forget to discuss important points and life lessons), art projects, listening to family stories of ancestors, and creating a showcase for your pot-luck dinner on New Year’s Day with family and friends.  Bring family together by making your own Kwanzaa Celebration Day invitations and plan a traditional pot-luck with family and friends.  Encourage your children’s help and ideas in the planning and ask each guest to bring a dry ear of corn to represent each of their children. During the lighting of the Kinara, ask a blessing for each of the children.  Our family allowed the children to take turns lighting a candle on the Kinara as we recited the principal of each day.  Together, plan a family visit to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN or National African American Museum in Washington D.C. and most of all remember that KWANZAA is a lifestyle that will enrich each of our lives and promises a legacy we can all be proud of.
 
Happy KWANZAA… Happy Holidays and my prayer is that peace be with you in 2017.
 
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/resource_library/african_american_resources.html
http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/     https://nmaahc.si.edu/      http://www.ancestry.com/

You might agree, turning on your television today guarantees more election cycle drama.  To lighten up what should be serious discussions on the issues important to the American voter, here’s a little political trivia for you:
 
Total number of Americans eligible to vote?  218,959,000
Total number of Americans registered to vote?  146,311,000
Total number of Americans who voted in the 2012 Presidential election?  126,144,000
Percent of Americans who voted in the 2012 Presidential election?  57.5%
Americans registered to vote turned out at 86% in the 2012 Presidential election, although we could do better with only 67% of eligible voters registered to vote.  Looking at this year’s election drama it will be interesting to see the 2016 voter turnout data.
 
Percentage of registered Black voters strongly affiliated with Democratic Party? 53%, and 19% not strongly affiliated
Percentage of registered Black voters not registered to vote with either major parties but lean Democratic? 14%
Percentage of registered Black voters not registered to vote with either major parties but lean Republican? 3%
Percentage of registered Black voters strongly affiliated with Republican Party? 1%, and 2% not strongly affiliated
We are seeing a huge growth in voters registering as “non-partisan” and not affiliating with any Party.  Gallup Polls reports that during September 14-18, 2016, voters overall “self-identified” themselves as “independent” at 40%, outpacing both Democrats 32% and Republicans at 27%.  Locally, in Nevada 21% of voters have registered as “non-partisan” up 2 points in only 9 months.  It’s important to note that many uninformed voters register as “Independent American” an officially recognized Party in Nevada, mistaking it to mean “independent” and not affiliated with ANY Party.  These voters should have registered as “Non-Partisan” if in fact they do not want to be affiliated with any political party.  A mistake often seen amongst first time voters.
 
Annual spending power for African Americans?  $1.7 Trillion
Percent of African Americans that are homeowners?  49%
Number of African American owned businesses? 800,000
Revenue generated by African American owned businesses?  $71,200,000,000
Although African Americans generate the highest revenue of any minority in the United States, data shows that these resources remain in African American communities less than 24 hours, unlike all other ethnic communities where dollars are recycled in their communities as long as 30 days.  There are many discussions on social media around opportunities to revitalize Black urban communities through recycling these dollars and building a neighborhood economy.
 
Nationally, Nevada ranks 31st in Black population at 11% (299,942), Mississippi ranks highest at 38%, although the highest Black population of 3,765,770 is found in New York State.  Now, it’s that time to pull out my ballot and go early vote.  Here’s a great tip for you:  To end those pesky campaign phone calls, go and vote early.  Your name will show up as “voted” and your name will be removed from most campaign call lists used to get voters to the polls. 

Source:  US Census Bureau and Statistic Brain Research Institute

Mr. David Johns will be joining us again for the 11th CCBC African American Education Forum & Student Summit co-hosted by the White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for African Americans in partnership with Clark County School District on October 24, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at Cheyenne High School located at 3200 W. Alexander Road in North Las Vegas.  This event is a free community event and parents, educators, community leaders and stakeholders are encouraged to attend with so many changes this year.  More information is available at www.CCBlackCaucus.com.
 
This year’s event will feature CCSD Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky and State Superintendent Steve Canavero, City of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, and special celebrity guest Dee-1.  Topics include progress of Victory and Turnaround schools, new Career and Technical education programs, plans to address disparities in discipline and proficiencies, Achievement School District overview, and progress on implementation of CCSD reorganization.  Mr. Johns will discuss the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and US Department of Education guidelines that ensure equity in education.  Mayor Goodman will share how the City of Las Vegas is working with CCSD through special programs such as Re Invent schools that will improve student achievement of African American students.
 
The evenings special guest David Augustine, AKA Dee-1 honed his lyrical skills while balancing two careers, teaching middle school children by day and performing at rap shows at night, and lives by his “Mission Vision” credo best summed up in his 3’s Up mantra: Be Real, Be Righteous, Be Relevant.  In 2013 he signed with RCA records and last year hosted the BET Honors red carpet.  A positive force in hip hop, Dee-1 shared the following message, “I’m the rapper that wants kids to walk away from my music motivated to finish high school.  Or people to say that a Dee-1 song helped me when I was contemplating suicide. I just want to play a positive role.”
 
CCSD high school seniors interested in attending the African American Student Summit can register online at www.CCBlackCaucus.com directly or with their Black Student Union Adviser or school counselor.  The Summit runs from 12 noon – 8:00 p.m. and includes free dinner and snacks, and free bus transportation from their high school. Although registration is NOT required to attend the Education Forum at 6:00 p.m., registration is required to participate in the Student Summit.  Information regarding the education  initiative is available at www.Operation32371.org. 


Yvette Williams is a community advocate and Chair/Founder of the Clark County Black Caucus, a non-partisan community organization driven 100% by volunteer members registered to vote.  Follow her Blog at www.YvetteBWilliams.com and on twitter @YvetteBWilliams or contact her at ClarkCountyBlackCaucus@gmail.com for more information.

“The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence are affiliated American nonprofit organizations that advocate for gun control and against gun violence. Together, they are commonly referred to as the Brady Campaign. They are named after James "Jim" Brady, who was permanently disabled as a result of the Ronald Reagan assassination attempt of 1981, and Sarah Brady, who was a leader within the organization from 1989 until 2012.”
 
Members in both major political parties who are on the wrong side the gun violence prevention issue are among the Brady Campaign's targets as the organization kicks off a national summer accountability campaign first in Nevada, targeting Congressman Crescent Hardy, NV04.  The delegation representing members of Clark County Black Caucus attempted to meet with Nevada District 4 Representative or his staff unsuccessfully and was refused access by security guards.  You can view a video clip at www.CCBlackCaucus.com and learn more about expanding background checks for gun owners at www.BradyCampaign.org.
 
Dan Gross, President of the Brady Campaign, said, “While these members of Congress are soaking up the sun during a particularly long recess, Americans continue to die from gun violence every day. It’s time to hold politicians accountable. So we're naming names and taking our campaign to their doorstep.” 
 
I have long been inspired by activist and first African American and first female presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm who said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring your folding chair,” so we did just that.  We were excited to hear of the Brady Campaign’s excitement about our new “Seat at the Table” campaign and the opportunity to use it to kick off their Summer Recess Campaign across the Nation. 
 
FYI, as of the writing of this article, we’re still awaiting a call from the Congressman’s staff about that meeting, and YES, we definitely have our folding chairs ready whenever he’s ready to give us a seat at the table.

Yvette Williams is a community advocate and Chair/Founder of the Clark County Black Caucus, a non-partisan community organization driven 100% by volunteer members registered to vote. Contact her at ClarkCountyBlackCaucus@gmail.com for more information.

Registered voters will make their way to polling locations on November 8th to make many important decisions about the future of Nevada.  One of those decisions weigh heavily on African Americans where communities have experienced a disproportionate rate of Black incarceration for non-violent crimes related to marijuana.  The Nevada Ballot Initiative to Regulate and Tax Marijuana (Question 2) proposes to amend the Nevada Revised Statutes, requiring the Department of Taxation to “regulate and administer the operation of facilities that cultivate, produce, and dispense marijuana products in the state.” To read the entire initiative go to www.CCBlackCaucus.com
 
The Preamble in the 2014 initiative best describes the proposed new legislation that will go before the 2017 Nevada Legislature and passed into law should voters support the initiative in November. “In the interest of the public health and public safety, and in order to better focus state and local law enforcement resources on crimes involving violence and personal property, the People of the State of Nevada find and declare that the use of marijuana should be legal for persons 21 years of age or older, and its cultivation and sale should be regulated similar to other legal businesses.
 
The People of the State of Nevada declare that the cultivation and sale of marijuana should be taken from the domain of criminals and be regulated under a controlled system, where businesses will be taxed and the revenue will be dedicated to public education and to the enforcement of the regulations in this act.”
This initiative requires the Department of Taxation to collect a 15% excise tax.  This revenue must be deposited in the State Distributive School Account, after costs incurred by the department, counties, cities, and towns to carry out the provisions of the initiative.
 
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA) Nevada’s website projects nearly $400 million in sales in 2018 and an average of $1.1 billion in total economic activity between 2018 and 2024. The report, prepared by Las Vegas-based RCG Economics in conjunction with the Marijuana Policy Group (MPG), “provides detailed sales, tax, employment, and total economic activity projections for Nevada from a regulated, adult-use marijuana industry. The figures included in the report do not include sales, taxes, employment, and economic activity related to medical marijuana.”
 
This new industry for Nevada has tremendous growth potential considering the number of tourist visiting Nevada each year.  However, many have issues with the restriction to grow your own for personal use.  This initiative restricts residents living within 25 feet of a dispensary from growing small quantities for personal use, and argue if you can brew your own beer and wine for personal use, marijuana should be regulated the same. Given the negative impact the criminalization of marijuana has had on African American and communities of color, and the irony of thousands still living with the challenges of being an ex-offender, while businessmen capitalize off that very same reason family members are doing time.  Many in the community I’ve spoken to about Question 2 find this turn of events offensive and brings me to the following questions.

1. Since 100% of the tax revenue must be used for education, will these community schools most negatively impacted receive resources to address unique needs of these students?
2. Thousands of fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers are currently doing time for the same crime, business men and the State of Nevada will now generate income.  How will the legislature address this inequity?  In addition, will the legislature offer legislation that will reduce felony convictions to misdemeanors of those non-violent ex-offenders that have done their time for similar convictions and giving the opportunity for a fresh start?
3. Although the Clark County Black Caucus lobbied for a percentage of the revenue to go towards drug rehabilitation and prevention, we were unsuccessful.  Now, this initiative cannot be modified for three years. Given the tremendous need for rehabilitation and prevention, what was the reason it was excluded and will the legislature reconsider adding this provision in 2020?
4. What efforts will be made to ensure this new industry is accessible to under-represented communities of color to participate as owners, workforce, and third party vendors?
5. What questions do you have?  Community can go to www.CCBlackCaucus.com and take our poll and provide your comments. Your response will be shared with every Legislator.

 
On June 8th, thirteen elected or former officials in Nevada endorsed Question 2 as identified below.  A surprising 62% are African American or Hispanic, with Assemblywoman Dina Neal noticeably missing as the lone African American state legislator.  African Americans in Nevada have varying opinions on this ballot initiative and expressed a need for factual information.  Therefore, on August 13, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon the Clark County Black Caucus in partnership with the NAACP, Las Vegas Black Image Magazine, Young Black Minds, and other organizations to have an open conversation about Question 2.  Invited panelist include Senator Pat Spearman, Larry Smith (African American licensed medical marijuana cultivator), Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, Riley Snyder (KTNV Reporter), METRO, and others.  The event will be moderated by Kim Bailey Tureaud, KCEP radio host of Enterprising People and Publisher of the Las Vegas Black Image Magazine.  For complete details visit www.CCBlackCaucus.com.
 
The following is the full list of endorsers: 
 
State Senate Minority Leader Aaron Ford
State Senator Kelvin Atkinson
State Senator David Parks
State Senator Tick Segerblom
State Senator Patricia Spearman
State Assemblyman Nelson Araujo
State Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton
State Assemblyman Edgar Flores
State Assemblywoman Heidi Swank
State Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson
Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani
North Las Vegas City Councilman Isaac Barron
and Candidate & Former State Assemblyman Jason Frierson


Yvette Williams is a community advocate and Chair/Founder of the Clark County Black Caucus, a non-partisan community organization driven 100% by volunteer members registered to vote.

With the implementation of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the U.S. Department of Education has prioritized eliminating student proficiency gaps and ensured that all students are English language proficient.  Two years ago the Clark County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustees adopted an English Language Acquisition (ELA) policy to include all students including English Language Learners (ELL) also referred to as second language learners.  For the first time, federal funds are made available to sub-groups of students struggling and with the greatest needs.  In fact, it must be a state’s priority.

It’s important to note that during the Interim Legislative Education Committee meetings in 2014, the Clark County Black Caucus testified and lobbied for a proficiency gap tracking bill by race.  We were thrilled that the Legislative Education Committee authored this bill, presented and passed through the 2015 legislature and signed into law by the Governor.  This bill now requires every school district in Nevada to report student proficiency by race and ethnicity.  A first step in identifying proficiency gaps and warning signs for student needs. 

Unfortunately, Nevada Department of Education data going back to 2008, indicates African American student’s proficiency are consistently lower than all other subgroups by race/ethnicity.  ESSA regulations importantly uphold critical civil rights protections and enhance equity for historically under-served students. This will help ensure that meaningful action is taken in places where whole schools or groups of students are falling behind, and that clear and transparent information on critical measures of school quality and equity are provided to parents and community members.

Furthermore, the regulations help to ensure more transparency for parents, educators, and community members around resource equity measures, such as access to preschool, access to rigorous coursework and school discipline, including requiring that this information be made public on state and local report cards.
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Dr. John King Jr. was quoted as saying “In addition to added flexibility for states, the proposed regulations offer a more holistic approach to measuring a quality education. This means that NCLB’s narrow definition of school success, which was based primarily on test scores in Math, English language arts and graduation rates, will be replaced with a broader view, to include such things as student growth, college and career readiness, school climate, or student’s progress toward English language proficiency.”

The bill helps ensure educational opportunity for all students by:

• Holding all students to high academic standards that prepare them for success in college and careers
• Ensuring accountability by guaranteeing that when students fall behind, states redirect resources into what works to help them and their schools improve, with a particular focus on the very lowest-performing schools, high schools with high dropout rates, and schools with achievement gaps
• Empowering state and local decision-makers to develop their own strong systems for school improvement based upon evidence, rather than imposing cookie-cutter federal solutions like the No Child Left Behind Act did.
• Reducing the often onerous burden of testing on students and teachers, making sure that tests don’t crowd out teaching and learning, without sacrificing clear, annual information parents and educators need to make sure our children are learning.
• Providing more children access to high-quality preschool.
• Establishing new resources for proven strategies that will spur reform and drive opportunity and better outcomes for America’s students.

Yvette Williams is a community advocate and Chair/Founder of the Clark County Black Caucus, a non-partisan community organization driven 100% by volunteer members registered to vote. In full disclosure, Yvette is working with Munford4NV campaign.  Follow her Blog at www.YvetteBWilliams.com and on twitter @YvetteBWilliams or contact her at ClarkCountyBlackCaucus@gmail.com for more information.

Yep, you read the headline right… Approximately 80,000 US citizens living in Nevada are prevented fair access to the ballot box in several races in this upcoming primary election, due to the bipartisan passing of Nevada Senate Bill 499.  Where 100% of the Nevada Senate voted yes and only 15 members of the Assembly opposed efforts to restrict access to the ballot box.  To see the complete list of legislators supporting this bill and those that courageously did not, go to http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Reports/history.cfm?ID=1067
 
This legislation has created a real paradox for many legislators, considering their public position on protecting voting rights for everyone.  What makes this decision troubling is given the party’s efforts to control who runs for office in a primary, it helps cultivate a culture where citizens desiring to serve outside that establishment have very little chance.  Unlike in past years where primary challengers were welcome, now they are being discouraged and sometimes rebuked for wanting to serve. This frustration is expressed time after time by our youth, the demographic with the highest non-partisan registration.  We need to protect this basic tenet of democracy and allow the primary election do what it is intended… Let the people decide.
 
Previous to the new law, every voter could ultimately vote for their choice to represent them in Carson City, either in the primary or the general election, but every voter had a voice.  If there were only two candidates and both were from the same party, candidates would bypass the primary election and go to the general election.  All registered voters from any party or without a party affiliation could cast a ballot in the general election.  On the other hand this new law silences voters by preventing access to the ballot box based on party affiliation or having none at all. 
 
For example, in Nevada Senate District 4, there are only two candidates running.  Stephen Harvey Munford against Kelvin Atkinson, the established candidate and both Democrats.  Given that ONLY Democrats can vote in a Democratic primary, non-partisan and Republicans cannot vote in this race.  As quoted in the Review Journal, Atkinson argues that his support of this bill does not prevent those voters from casting a ballot. They can simply change their party affiliation so they can vote in the primary SD4 race if they choose to.  I on the other hand do not believe you should have to change your party affiliation to vote for your representative.  The ramifications are much more than this one race.  By changing party affiliation, the voter is now unable to vote for the remaining slate of candidates he or she may want to support, such as their Assemblyman, Congressman, or Senator.  This is called voter disenfranchisement, very much unethical, and violates everyone’s right to fair and accessible elections. 
 
If the Nevada Legislature’s goal was to provide more access for candidates running as non-partisan and minor party candidates, that was a much easier fix.  Instead, voters in Nevada are left wondering if the “fix” is in.