Nevada Question 1, Remove Constitutional Status of Board of Regents Amendment (2024)
Nevada Question 1 | |
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Election date November 5, 2024 | |
Topic Education | |
Status On the ballot | |
Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
Nevada Question 1, the Remove Constitutional Status of Board of Regents Amendment, is on the ballot in Nevada as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024.[1]
A "yes" vote supports removing the constitutional status of the Board of Regents—which governs, controls, and manages the state universities in Nevada—thereby allowing the state legislature to review and change the governing organization of state universities. |
A "no" vote opposes removing the constitutional status of the Board of Regents—which governs, controls, and manages the state universities in Nevada—thereby allowing the state legislature to review and change the governing organization of state universities. |
Overview
How would this amendment change higher education policy in Nevada?
- See also: Text of measure
This amendment would remove the Board of Regents from the Nevada Constitution and would authorize the state legislature to review and change the governing organization of state universities.[1]
An amendment to remove the constitutional status of the Board of Regents was also on the 2020 ballot in Nevada. Voters defeated this amendment by 50.15%-49.85%.
What is the Board of Regents?
- See also: Nevada State Board of Regents
The Board of Regents is an elected board that oversees eight public institutions of higher education in Nevada, including the University of Nevada System. It is composed of 13 voting members elected to six-year terms in by-district elections. Designated members are elected every two years at the general election. The members decide on policies and approve budgets for Nevada's public system of higher education. These institutions are composed of four community colleges, one state college, two universities and one research institute. They are: College of Southern Nevada; Desert Research Institute; Great Basin College; Nevada State College; Truckee Meadows Community College; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of Nevada, Reno; and Western Nevada College.[2]
What are the arguments for and against this amendment?
- See also: Support and opposition
In support of the amendment, Dr. Carol Lucey, President Emerita of Western Nevada College, and Dr. John Gwaltney, President Emeritus of Truckee Meadows Community College, said, "SJR7 will help us get NSHE’s focus and energy back to where it needs to be: on serving our students and their communities. The students we are educating today will be taxpayers tomorrow and will help our state and its economy to diversify and grow, even when tough times hit. These students and communities are now being let down by a large, centralized state bureaucracy that is inflexible and tone deaf to their needs and the needs of the institutions educating them. By ensuring that NSHE and the Board of Regents are held accountable, like every other state entity, and not shielded from critical oversight, we will be in a better place to meet the future needs of our state economy."[3]
In opposition to the amendment, the Nevada State Education Association said, "Elected boards are in place to ensure schools and colleges reflect the values of the people, providing direct lines of accountability to the community. This is the main reason elected boards are preferable to appointed or hybrid models. Appointed officials are shielded by an appointing authority who typically has significant other responsibilities in addition to board appointments. It is extremely rare to see an elected official voted out of office over the actions or conduct of another official they have appointed. This is truer still when the appointment is made by another deliberative body."[4]
Text of measure
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article 11, Nevada Constitution
The measure would amend Section 4, Section 7, and Section 8 of Article 11 of the Nevada Constitution. The following underlined text would be added, and struck-through text would be deleted:[5]
Note: Use your mouse to scroll over the below text to see the full text.
Text of Section 4: Establishment of State University; Control by Board of Regents 1.The Legislature shall provide by law for the establishment and governance of a State University which shall embrace departments for Agriculture, Mechanic Arts, and Mining 2. The Legislature shall provide by law for biennial auditing of the State University and any other public institutions of higher education established by the Legislature in this State.
Text of Section 8: Immediate Organization and Maintenance of State University The |
Support
Supporters
Unions
Arguments
Opposition
Opponents
Unions
Arguments
Campaign finance
Ballotpedia has not identified ballot measure committees registered to support or oppose the ballot measure.[7]
Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
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Support | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Background
Nevada State Board of Regents
- See also: Nevada State Board of Regents
The Nevada State Board of Regents is an elected executive agency of the Nevada state government, responsible for managing the state's system of higher education. The board is composed of 13 voting members elected to six-year terms in by-district elections. Designated members are elected every two years at the general election. Elected board members are required to be a resident in the district they are elected to represent. Duties of the Board of Regents, according to Title 1, section 3 of the Board of Regents Handbook, are to be "responsible for the management and control of the University but may delegate specific authority to its officers as hereinafter provided."[8]
The institutions the Board is responsible for overseeing are composed of four community colleges, one state college, two universities and one research institute. They are: College of Southern Nevada; Desert Research Institute; Great Basin College; Nevada State College; Truckee Meadows Community College; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of Nevada, Reno; and Western Nevada College.[9]
Nevada Question 1 (2020)
An amendment to remove the constitutional status of the Board of Regents was also on the ballot for Nevada voters in 2020 as Ballot Question 1. Nevada voters rejected this amendment by 50.15-49.85%.[10]
Nevada Assemblymember Jim Wheeler (R), who supported Ballot Question 1, said, "Ballot Question 1 restores accountability, transparency, and oversight to higher education by reinvigorating the original intent of the framers of the Nevada Constitution. Question 1 simply makes the Board of Regents a statutory body, subject to checks and balances—an important American principle." Laura Perkins, a member of the Nevada Board of Regents who opposed the 2020 amendment on the ballot, said, "There’s no numbers or positive proof that the system that may or may not come out of this is better than the system that we have now."[11]
Historical facts regarding ballot measures in Nevada
In Nevada, a total of 131 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2022. Eighty-two ballot measures were approved, and 49 ballot measures were defeated.
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Total number | Annual average | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | Approved | Defeated | ||
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Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Nevada Constitution
In Nevada, a majority vote is required in two successive sessions of the Nevada State Legislature to place an amendment on the ballot.
2021 legislative session
The amendment was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7). It was approved by the Senate on April 13, 2021, by a vote of 20-0 with one excused. On May 18, 2021, the Assembly passed SJR 7 by a vote of 30-11 with one excused.[1]
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2023 legislative session
This amendment was approved by the Senate by 19-2 on April 10, 2023. It was approved by the House by 34-7 on May 18, 2023.[12]
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How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Nevada
Click "Show" to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Nevada.
How to cast a vote in Nevada | |||||
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Poll timesAll polling places in Nevada are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[13][14] Registration
To register to vote in Nevada, each applicant must be must a citizen of the United States, a resident of Nevada for at least 30 days before the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election. Seventeen-year-olds can preregister to vote. Anyone who has been declared mentally incompetent by a court may not register to vote.[15] A voter registration application can be completed in person at the county clerk’s office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, other social service agencies, or college campuses. In-person registration must be completed 28 days before regular elections; registration forms submitted by mail must be postmarked by the same day. Online applications must be submitted by the Thursday before regular elections.[16][15] Automatic registrationNevada automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles.[17] Online registration
Nevada has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. Same-day registrationNevada allows same-day voter registration at polling places during early voting and on election day.[15] Residency requirementsIn order to register to vote in Nevada, applicants must be a resident of the state for at least 30 days prior to the election.[15] Verification of citizenshipNevada does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.[18] Verifying your registrationThe Nevada Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirementsNevada does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. A voter in Nevada must sign his or her name in the election board register at his or her polling place. The signature is compared with the signature on the voter's original application to vote or another form of identification, such as a driver's license, a state identification card, military identification, or another government-issued ID.[19] |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nevada State Legislature, "SJR 7," accessed May 19, 2021
- ↑ Nevada Board of State Regents, "About," accessed June 16, 2023
- ↑ Nevada State Legislature, "Support for SJR 7," accessed June 20, 2023
- ↑ Nevada State Legislature, "NSEA Opposes SJR7," accessed June 20, 2023
- ↑ Nevada Legislature, "SJR 7 Text," accessed May 19, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance," accessed July 20, 2023
- ↑ Board of Regents Handbook, "Title 1: Bylaws of the Board of Regents," accessed January 29, 2021
- ↑ Nevada Board of State Regents, "About," accessed June 16, 2023
- ↑ Silver State General Election Results, "Results," accessed June 16, 2023
- ↑ The Nevada Independent, "The Indy Explains: Question 1, a measure that would strike the Board of Regents from the Constitution," September 7, 2020
- ↑ Nevada State Legislature, "SJR 7," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 293, Section 273," accessed April 17, 2023
- ↑ ACLU of Nevada, "Know Your Voting Rights - Voting in Nevada," accessed April 17, 2023
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Nevada Secretary of State, “Elections,” accessed April 17, 2023
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, “Registering to Vote,” accessed April 17, 2023
- ↑ Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, “Voter Registration,” accessed April 17, 2023
- ↑ The Nevada Independent, “The Indy Explains: How does Nevada verify a voter's eligibility?” April 23, 2017
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "NRS 293.277 Conditions for entitlement of person to vote; forms of identification to identify registered voter." accessed April 17, 2023
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