Governor Steve Sisolak's First 90 Days The Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce secured its first interview with Governor Steve Sisolak, in the middle of the 2019 Legislative Session. The Governor graciously spent time with Las Vegas Chamber President and CEO Mary Beth Sewald to share his insights on his first 90 days as the Governor of the Great State of Nevada.
Governor Steve Sisolak sits down with Chamber President and CEO Mary Beth Sewald to discuss his first 90 days in office.
MBS: Governor, you’ve achieved your first 90 days and we are half way through the 2019 legislature your first session as governor. What are your thoughts about this session so far and what’s different than what you might have expected? GOV. SISOLAK: It’s going well. I’m really pleased with how it’s going. I’m in constant communication with the legislators. I had the opportunity to go and visit with all 63 of them, one-on-one for a few minutes and get to know what their priorities are and explain what my priorities are. And that was important. It’s moving a little slower than I would have liked it to. We’re watching a lot of committee meetings and hearings and a lot of bills have been dropped in the last few days. So, it’s going to be an exciting couple of months we’ve got ahead of us. MBS: I remember your remarks from your Inaugural Address and your State of the State Address, and you were very clear about your priorities. Talk about your key drivers and how you see these affecting the state. GOV. SISOLAK: My priorities are the same as they were. Education is a number one priority for me; it’s extremely important. Every student, every child and every family in every school should have the opportunity for good quality education. It shouldn’t matter what your bank balance is or what your zip code is.
Healthcare, especially with the new revelations as it comes to the ACA, is extremely important to me. We’ve got people with pre-existing conditions that are afraid or fear of losing their coverage. I want to make sure that people continue to have healthcare coverage. Thirdly is that we continue to expand on good paying jobs that have benefits and have a future. So those are our three focuses and we’re talking about the bills coming out in the legislature. I want to make sure that all those bills that come over that I’m going to sign are going to have, advance one of those priorities for us down the line. MBS: You mentioned healthcare – that’s something that the Chamber is very keen on because the Las Vegas Metro Chamber was one of the first in the country to stand up our Association Health Plan. Affordable care and robust health plans [are] something that is very important to us. Do you see any legislation coming up in Nevada that might affect that at all? GOV. SISOLAK: Well, there’s going to be a lot of legislation as it relates to healthcare. Regularly with leadership, and we’re trying to consolidate some of this because we got a lot of one-offs. Folks that are doing healthcare bills, and we want to get them all consolidated as best we possibly can. Want to make sure that healthcare stays…
healthcare’s only quality if it’s both affordable and available and that’s what we’re focusing our administration on. We’ve invested in women’s healthcare, in particular. We’ve invested in mental healthcare; we’ve invested more money put into the autism situation; we’ve tried to invest in the areas that we think that have the most needs and we can continue to advance that forward. We’re working with the UNR School of Medicine and the UNLV School of Medicine to advance those and hopefully train some more doctors. MBS: You have said you want to make it “easier for our small businesses to thrive by streamlining complicated processes, eliminating red tape and needless regulations,” and so you created a Small Business Advocate in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. I’ve spoken with the Lieutenant Governor about this and she is excited to be able to provide this service for our small businesses. Tell us how this will work and how the Vegas Chamber can help. GOV. SISOLAK: The Chamber’s a great spokesperson and outfront person that we have for small businesses. You get the big companies, the Tesla’s, and the Panasonic’s, and Google’s [that] get a lot of the headlines when it comes to business in Nevada. But we’ve got almost 80,000 small businesses here and, I mean, by small businesses, it’s 100 employees or less. Some of them
LAS VEGAS METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE APRIL 2019 BUSINESS VOICE
13
are family businesses that are two employees or one employee. Those are really important businesses and those are the backbone. What we need to do is simplify any regulations that we possibly can to cut out some of the bureaucracy and red tape, make it easier for them to expand and flourish and continue to expand in our state. MBS: Governor, you built a small business in Nevada, so you know all too well the challenges that go along with that. Some of our small business members have expressed concern that there are bills being considered in the legislature that would add to the cost of doing business in Nevada. What comfort can you give the Vegas Chamber’s small business members that this is something you’re concerned about too? GOV. SISOLAK: I’m extremely concerned. Any bill that comes over I’m going to analyze how it’s going to affect the citizens, the families of Nevada and small businesses in Nevada. And, you’re right, a lot of
14
our small businesses are small business families. I mean, you get to know them, your fellow employees. You go to the birthday parties and the Christmas parties, and the births. You become very well acquainted and you get to know each other. You feel each other’s pain and you also share each other’s joy. And I want to make sure that we do whatever we can to assist them to make it possible for them, like I say, to continue. At the same time, make sure that it’s not necessarily that they’re fighting against each other, that the citizens of the state of Nevada are protected moving forward and I think there’s a common area that everybody benefits from. MBS: With the departure or resignation of some of those in leadership at the legislature, how do you help lead the legislators to keep everyone focused and on point? GOV. SISOLAK: Well, I’m not really leading them. I’m doing a lot of consulting with them, that’s for sure. I spend a lot of time with both Speaker [Jason] Frierson and Leader [Nicole] Cannizzaro. We meet regularly. In fact, we just had a meeting yesterday and went over their priorities and my priorities and how we’re going to keep those in line to get on a
BUSINESS VOICE APRIL 2019 LAS VEGAS METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
schedule so that we can make sure we get out of here on time. Everybody has their opportunity to have their bills introduced and be heard and that we can move this legislation forward. There’s a lot of bill drafts. There’s going to be a lot of hearings. It’s going to get a lot busier in the second half than it’s been in the first half clearly, but we’re working together to prioritize what bills need to get out of committee and they’ve got deadlines they have to meet. We’re going to make sure we’re doing everything we can to assist them and getting those deadlines met. MBS: Education has long been a passion for you. Before the election, you told me a story of one time when you were in a store and saw a teacher with a cart filled with protein bars that she was buying for her students. Why did that experience have such a major impact on you? GOV. SISOLAK: It impacted me tremendously. The First Lady and I were there doing our shopping and I saw this young woman with a whole cart full of protein bars and I said, “You must be a teacher.” We got in a conversation, “how did you know?” I said, “No one can eat as many protein bars as you’re buying.” And she explained to me that she was buying those with her own money to give to her students because you can’t learn on an empty stomach, and these kids are coming to school, oftentimes, hungry. Vast majority of some of these schools are on free
or reduced lunch so it might be the only meal that they get in a day. And teachers are taking money out of their pocketbook in order to buy a protein bar to give to these kids, so they have something to eat. And it showed me what the commitment that these teachers have. I will guarantee you that the vast, vast majority, if not all of these teachers, could find another job that pays a lot more than they make teaching, but they don’t. They love education, and, more than the education, they love the students. And they’re so committed doing everything they can that they need our support and that’s why our administration is so focused on helping education, helping educators. MBS: What are some of your plans for improving education in Nevada and how can the Vegas Chamber, and the business community get involved with you and help you in those efforts? GOV. SISOLAK: Well, we’re doing more, in terms of helping the schools that we can. We’re trying to start a program where I know a lot of businesses in Southern Nevada and Clark County have adopted a school. And I don’t mean ‘adopt a school’ just to buy toys at Christmastime. They’re adopting a school and they’re having employees going to mentor the students. You know, help them with their math maybe a little bit; help them to coach on the basketball team and show them how to, you know, throw a football.
L-R: Chamber President and CEO Mary Beth Sewald, Gov. Steve Sisolak, Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs Paul Moradkhan And to actually get involved with these students. Some of them don’t have…they come from single parent families, and they don’t have, you know, a mother or father figure in order to help them. And a lot of businesses have really stepped up in doing that. They’re stepping up in providing more school supplies. When I went to school, my mom had to sign up if you’re bringing the cake, or the cupcakes or the vegetable tray for a party. Now, they’re asking you to bring hand sanitizer, Kleenex, a ream of paper because they’re so desperate to get school supplies and our businesses have stepped up and are participating a lot. And we just want to spread that word as much as we possibly can. MBS: When it comes to economic development, what are some of the key industries that Nevada should be going after? GOV. SISOLAK: Well, I think there’s a lot that we need to do. I mean, in certain areas, our high-tech
business has become extremely important. I’m spending a lot of time with some of the folks dealing with blockchain technology, and coders and provides opportunities, good job opportunities and a good future for some folks. We’re using product distribution in some areas in Southern Nevada along I-15 going down towards LA and I-11 that’s coming through is certainly going to help, in terms of product distribution. And we need to get away from just solely [focusing] on the tourism and hospitality. It’s not gaming anymore. It’s a combination of the gaming and the dining and the restaurants and the shows and those sort of things, but we need to do more. We’ve expanded our convention business, which is great. That’s why I supported and advocated for the expansion of the convention center, where we’re bringing more conventions in. A lot more international travelers, which is a good thing. If you’re an international traveler, you stay longer, and you spend more money. So under [Las Vegas Convention
LAS VEGAS METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE APRIL 2019 BUSINESS VOICE
15
and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) CEO] Steve Hill’s leadership, I think we’re going to do a lot more at the LVCVA and Larry Brown is the chair of that now, so I look for great things coming out of there. MBS: You talk a lot about the powerful women in your life. Your chief of staff, your daughters, your mom and your wife, Kathy, First Lady. How are they adjusting to being the “First Family” in your first 90 days? GOV. SISOLAK: They’re adjusting great. My mom came up for the inauguration. She hasn’t been back; she’s 92, doesn’t travel very much certainly. My daughters [were] up for a couple days during the inauguration; they’ve come back one time since then. I think they’re waiting for the weather to get a little warmer so they can spend some time in Tahoe. The First Lady’s been up pretty regular. I try to get back every other weekend to see my mom and my kids, and she comes up on the alternating weekends. She’s gotten active in some causes, which I really appreciate. She’s a tremendous spokesman. She’s better out on the stump than I am, in terms
16
of raising awareness. So, they’re adapting well. They’re keeping me grounded and safe and I think we’re in a good place. MBS: It's so endearing how emotional you get about mom, your wife, and your daughters. Talk to us about what they mean to you and when you say they keep you grounded and safe. GOV. SISOLAK: They’re my whole world. I mean, you know, you’ve got strong women. Nothing’s held them back, which I really appreciate. My daughters are accomplished on their own right, which I’m really proud of. My mom, to get to be 92, and she survived a heart attack, and a stroke, and a back surgery and a leg surgery, which most people would have given up along the way. And she’s a rock for me; she’s a real inspiration. And Kathy, she’s a successful businesswoman on her own; does a tremendous job. She’s got a great sense of discipline and compassion, and you’re never going to meet a more generous, kind, loving person than my wife. MBS: What are some of the First Lady’s priorities?
BUSINESS VOICE APRIL 2019 LAS VEGAS METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
GOV. SISOLAK: She’s been involved in several things. Education is also a big priority for her. Her mom and her aunt are both breast cancer survivors, so I know [that's] important [to her]. She was up here; she did some heart awareness situations for women, Women in Red. Financial literacy is important to her because of her job. So, she’s trying to land on one or two that she can really focus and get her teeth in. She’s being torn in a million different ways. Everybody wants her to speak for their cause, but she’ll land on some things and she does an incredible job anytime she gets the opportunity to speak. MBS: On behalf of the business community and the Chamber of Commerce, we appreciate your service, Governor Sisolak, and we thank you. GOV. SISOLAK: I appreciate everything the Chamber is doing for small businesses. Keep it up.