¡Hola Nevadenses! 

Got plans for Valentine’s Day? Or should I say Valentine’s weekend? Cupid was nice enough to give us a three-day love-filled weekend to enjoy—oh, it’s Presidents’ Day? Well, to each their own. 

Last week my colleague Casey Harrison and I went to Carson City for the start of the legislative session. It gave us a glimpse of what the next 109 days will look like. Lawmakers always start out wanting to work together, but tension and party priorities always creep up. 

Education, health care, and economic development (and efforts of lowering how much it costs people to simply live) are always big priorities, so keep an eye out for our coverage on that. 

Joe Trimble, owner of Encinal Market, holds an open carton of eggs in Alameda, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

While the bill seeks to allow officials to temporarily suspend the state’s prohibition on non-cage-free eggs, one expert told The Nevadan it may still be a while before we see a crack in egg prices. If enacted, the bill would authorize the State Quarantine Officer — a position within the Nevada Department of Agriculture — to temporarily suspend the state’s prohibition on non-cage-free eggs, as well as authorize the sale of “Grade B” eggs. 

(Shutterstock Photo/RomanR)

• A program to close insurance gaps for Native Americans has gone largely unused. Last year, a tribal health insurance sponsorship program in Nevada was introduced. The program offers coverage for Native Americans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace and allows tribes to pay the premiums for their members, increasing access to care outside the tribal system. It has helped many in Nevada, with more tribes expected to join. However, there are concerns about the expiration of enhanced tax credits that could increase premiums. (Via KFF Health News)

• Inmates train wild horses for adoption in Nevada. Wild horses from the American West are getting a second chance at life through an innovative rehabilitation program that pairs them with prison inmates. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) are showcasing the results of this unique partnership at an upcoming adoption event where trained wild horses will find new homes. (Read more here)

• New strain of bird flu is detected in a Nevada dairy worker, CDC says. A dairy worker in Nevada was infected with a new type of bird flu that’s different from the version that has been spreading in U.S. herds since last year, federal health officials said Monday. The illness was considered mild. The person wasn’t hospitalized and has recovered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Read more here)

(Jannelle Calderón)

We saw light snow in Carson City during our visit for the start of Nevada’s 2025 legislative session. That gray building is where the Legislature meets— every one of the state’s 63 lawmakers has an office. There are also rooms for committee meetings and bill hearings to take place, and the two chambers for the state Senate and the Assembly.

The building is currently being renovated. The gray front was not there before—it used to be white and flatter. The second floor now has a cafeteria space in that front extension, which will come in handy for the long days we expect to see in the later-half of the 120 days the legislature meets for.