Question
from Eric:
John, what’s the difference between
the Assembly, the State Senate and the Governor? Don’t they
do the same thing?
John:
Good question, Eric! Here in Nevada, we’ve modeled our state
government after our national government. The power is distributed
among three separate branches: the legislative branch where we create
the law; the judicial branch where the law is interpreted; and the
executive branch where the job is to carry out the law.
We all work
together to make sure the laws are fair, just and carried out in an
equal and nondiscriminatory manner. Our job in the Legislature - the
State Senate and the Assembly - is to create the law. This branch
of government is where the voice of the people is heard in the most
direct way. That’s why a good legislator will always go back
to his or her district and listen to the concerns of the people living
and working there. That’s the most important thing I learned
during my first term in the Assembly, and it’s kept me in good
stead ever since.
If you want
to learn more about our Legislature, check out my Links Page. There
are some great
sites there that will give you plenty of information. Thanks again
for your question.
Question from Brenda:
My family has just moved to North Las Vegas from Buffalo,
New York. Back there we had
several Democratic clubs, and I belonged to a few of them. My kids
grew up walking
our neighborhood with our local candidates, and even a few presidential
candidates. Since the
weather is so nice here, do the Democratic candidates walk door-to-door?
And is there a good
Democratic club I can join?
John:
Yes to both of your questions, Brenda! I won three successive
races for the Assembly, and one of the main reasons I came out on
top was that I walked the precincts in my Assembly District. It’s
a great way to
meet the voters face-to-face and learn about the issues they feel
are important. I’m planning to
walk the precincts in State Senate District 1, and I hope you’ll
walk with me. One thing’s for sure,
in North Las Vegas you won’t need your snowboots!
We Democrats
love to get together to discuss politics, and I’m sure it’s
the same in Buffalo. We
have great clubs here in Clark County, and if you go to the Nevada
State Party website at
www.nvdems.com,you
can find a listing of them. They all meet regularly, and they’d
love to
have you join up. There’s even one right here in North Las Vegas.
I hope I see you there soon!
Question from Robert:
I’m not quite decided on who to vote for in your race
yet, but I’m leaning toward you because I
like the fact that you care about the environment and that’s
a big issue to me. I’m also an avid
outdoorsman, and I’m wondering if you can give me an update
on the shooting range you’ve been
working on.
John:
Thanks for the question, Robert, and I’m really
glad you asked it. I’ve lived here a long time, and
I’ve watched the valley grow. Along with that growth comes increased
responsibilities for all of
us – and especially for our elected officials. We all have to
be stewards of the land, air and water,
protecting it and ensuring that our children and their children can
enjoy the beauty that is Nevada. I’m proud of my record as an
Assemblyman, and I’ll work hard to keep our great state the
natural wonder that it is.
