Dr. Thom Reilly is currently a professor in the School of Public Affairs and Co-Director, Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University (ASU).
He is the former Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) where he served as chief executive officer and oversaw, under the authority of an elected board of regents, a complex system that included R-1 research universities, four-year undergraduate institutions, a research institute, and community colleges. During his tenure, he accumulated an impressive record on multiple measurable dimensions of success centered on increased accessibility, student success and expanded workforce training and education.
Prior to his appointment, he served as director of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University where he also was a professor in the School of Public Affairs.
He previously served as County Manager for Clark County (the Las Vegas Valley), where he provided both regional and municipal-type services. As CEO, he was responsible for the fiscal management of the County's $5.8 billion budget and administrative oversight of close to 12,000 employees. During his tenure he was known for innovative governance practices including instituting increased transparency in the budgeting process, creating a host of citizen involvement/engagement activities; establishing a pay-for performance compensation system for employees; and championing regional governance efforts.
Reilly has extensive experience in the private sector, serving as managing principal of The Reilly Group, a management consulting firm and as Executive Director for the Caesars Foundation. He has also held senior administrative positions with the State of Nevada overseeing the statewide child welfare system.
Reilly has authored numerous published works on public pay and benefits, governance, the independent voter, and child welfare. He and his work have appeared on NPR's "Here and Now," PBS NewsHour, CNN Money, ABC World News, “This Week with George Stephanopoulos”, Fox Business News, and in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, The Hill, The Guardian, Law 360, Governing, Businessweek, The Fulcrum, The Associated Press, The Conversation, and The Washington Post.
In 2012, his first book, Rethinking Public Sector Compensation: What Ever Happened To The Public Interest? was published by M.E. Sharpe Publishing, Inc. In 2016, Lexington Books published his second book, The Failure of Governance in Bell, California: Big Time Corruption in a Small Town. The Independent Voter (2023) with co-authors JacquEline Salit & Omar ALI is being published by Routledge Press (Francis & Taylor Group).
Reilly currently is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, professor emeritus at San Diego State University; is on the Editorial Board for the academic journal Public Personnel Management; serves on the Board of Directors for Global Outreach Doctors, an international NGO; and with his partner Jim Moore, has served as host parents for the international high school exchange program, AFS since 2005.
He received his master's and doctorate of public administration from the University of Southern California. He earned his master of social work at ASU and a bachelor in social work from the University of Memphis.
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Drawing on historical and contemporary data (including survey data, participant observation, interviews, and current writings and scholarship), and providing timely new analysis, the authors argue that independent voters are an engine for a transformation of US democracy, perhaps even its saviors. For a wide variety of audiences, this book gives students, scholars, campaign professionals, activists, and media analysts insight into current voting dynamics and future possibilities.
Thom Reilly is a professor in the School of Public Affairs and co-director for the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University.
Jacqueline S. Salit is President of Independent Voting and co-director for the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University.
Omar H. Ali is Dean of Lloyd International Honors College and a professor of African American political history at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
"The Independent Voter does a fantastic job chronicling the
rise, and power, of the fastest-growing segment of the
electorate in the United States. It is clear that more and more
Americans are tired of partisan gridlock and want their leaders
to be public servants, not party servants. Republicans and
Democratic leaders should take note and anyone interested in the
future of American Democracy should read this book."
--Arnold Schwarzenegger
“This book's exploration of [independent voters] is important
and honest. The major media organizations try to marginalize
this group as being secretly partisan, or not holding any
consistent beliefs. These organizations are trying to
marginalize Independent voters because they know that we're
actually the majority, and if we band together, we can take this
country back from the extreme partisans they represent.”
--Andrew Yang, from the Foreword
“This work seeks to prove that independent voters do indeed
exist and are a powerful force. Anyone interested in the
possibility of reimagining our two-party system should read this
book.”
--Cathy J. Cohen, Distinguished Professor of
Political Science, University of Chicago
“If you are interested in America's independent voters, you must
read this book. It analyzes who independent voters are and makes
a strong argument about how those not registered with a
political party face ballot access challenges in states across
the country. This book provocatively grapples with who
independent voters are and why they matter.”
--Christian Grose, Professor of Political
Science, University of Southern California
“Reilly, Salit, and Ali paint a picture of an emergence, a
political sensibility that goes back to the founding of the
country and looks forward. It's a book about possibility: how
ordinary Americans are refusing to play by the partisan rules.
Read this book if you want to be inspired!”
--John Opdycke, President, Open Primaries
To many citizens, their local government is the most tangible form of government, and it is also the layer of government with which they have most contact in their everyday life. The power of local administration is that it represents ordinary citizens. People eat, drink, work, play and socialize with others in towns and cities. To be fully effective, local government management and service delivery capacity need to be strong, and resources need to be adequate. Civil society and businesses are essential actors in ensuring local governments have this capacity to meet the needs of its citizens.
There are a host of challenges that confront local government in the 21st century: delivering quality services; lack of finance and local fiscal autonomy; engaging citizens and communities in meaningful and authentic ways; forming effective partnerships which incentivize local actors to find solutions to the many complex and intractable issues facing communities; generating inclusive and sustainable development; implementing strategies for disaster risk reduction; managing transparent communications; and, rapidly evolving technologies and socio-economic demographics.
The Governance of Local Communities: Global Perspectives and Challenges is about the role that ideas, institutions, and actors play in structuring how people govern local communities and, more specifically, the types of adaptations necessary in local government roles and responsibilities, structures, and processes to effectively respond to a changing local government environment.
Global changes require that we rethink local governance. A wide net of international experts on local governance was assembled for this volume to stimulate frank conversations around the many contemporary challenges facing local government.
In the late 2000s, the small Southern California town of Bell erupted in a scandal that revealed a truly astonishing level of municipal corruption— described by Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley as “corruption on steroids.” This book details how Bell was rendered vulnerable to such massive malfeasance by a disengaged public, lack of established ethical norms, absence of effective checks and balances, and minimal coverage by an overextended area news media. It is a grim and nearly unbelievable story. By considering factors arising from both theory and practice, Reilly makes clear why the sad saga of Bell, California, represents both a case study and a warning.
"How could this have happened?" The question still lingers among officials and residents of the small southern California town of Bell. Corruption is hardly an isolated challenge to the governance of America’s cities. But following decades of benign obscurity, Bell witnessed the emergence of a truly astonishing level of public wrongdoing – a level succinctly described by Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley as “corruption on steroids.”
Even discounting the enormous sums involved – the top administrator paid himself nearly $800,000 a year in a town with a $35,000 average income – this was no ordinary failure of governance. The picture that emerges from years of federal, state and local investigations, trials, depositions and media accounts is of an elaborate culture of corruption and deceit created and sustained by top city administrators, councilmembers, police officers, numerous municipal employees and consultants.
The Failure of Governance in Bell California: Big-Time Corruption in a Small Town details how Bell was rendered vulnerable to such massive malfeasance by a poorly educated and disengaged public, lack of established ethical norms, absence of effective checks and balances, and minimal coverage by an overextended area news media. It is a grim and nearly unbelievable story.
Yet even these factors fail to fully explain how such large-scale corruption could have arisen. More specifically, how did it occur within a structure – the council-manager form of government – that had been deliberately designed to promote good governance? Why were so many officials and employees prepared to participate in or overlook the ongoing corruption? To what degree can theories of governance, such as contagion theory or the “rover bandit” theme, explain the success of such blatant wrongdoing?
The Failure of Governance, by Arizona State University Professor Thom Reilly – himself former manager of Clark County, Nevada – pursues answers to these and related questions through an analysis of municipal operations that will afford the reader deeper insight into the inner workings of city governments – corrupt and otherwise. By considering factors arising from both theory and practice, Reilly makes clear, in other words, why the sad saga of Bell, California represents both a case study and a warning.
"Using this book, practitioners will be challenged and prompted to consider several critical questions, including: How can public trust be regained? and How can public engagement be spurred and sustained?" -Ramona Denby-Brinson, Arizona State University
"This book replete with scandalous details, as well as insightful interpretations and suggestions for reform..." -U.S Rep. Dina Titus, 1st District of Nevada; emeritus professor of political science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
"Thom Reilly provides an in-depth analysis of the sordid details and broad schemes of this massive corruption." -Chester A. Newland, Senior Professor of Public Administration, University of the Paci c McGeorge School of Law
"Virtually every page prompts substantive discussion topics for the reader. This is a must-read not only for students of government, administration and public policy, but for every concerned citizen." -Kathryn Landreth, former United States Attorney for the District of Nevada
"Public administration practitioners, teachers, and researchers
are truly the beneficiaries of this work. This book provides a
roadmap with mile markers that are a public sector ethical lens
through which to view the requisite conditions that enable
massive public corruption. Using this book, practitioners will
be challenged and prompted to consider several critical
questions, including: How can public trust be regained? and How
can public engagement be spurred and sustained?"
Read full review
-Ramona Denby-Brinson, Arizona State University
Corruption is widespread in American local government, producing
more than 1,000 indictments annually. Reilly (Arizona State
Univ.) chronicles such a case in Bell, CA (population 35,000), a
low-income community in which seven public officials were
eventually sentenced to prison. In 2010, two reporters with the
Los Angeles Times uncovered excessively high salaries and a
cluster of crimes in city hall. Trials soon followed, and by
2012, new officials were seated and order restored to Bell. The
most prominent offender was Robert Rizzo, city administrator for
17 years, who built alliances with other council members and
administrators to cover their misdeeds. Several factors
contributed to this misconduct: unethical leadership by
officials, lack of media coverage of city affairs, a breakdown
in the checks and balances normally built into local governance,
a culture of corruption that residents tolerated or were unaware
of, and lack of attention by county and state authorities. This
is a well-documented analysis of conditions that could exist in
many governments and provides a warning to all citizens.
Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division
undergraduates through professionals.
-Choice Reviews
“Reilly’s excellent account of corruption in local government is written with the expertise of a scholar who is uent in theory and the acumen of a practitioner who has witnessed such behavior up close and personal. This book replete with scandalous details, as well as insightful interpretations and suggestions for reform, will have broad appeal with the general public, for local administrators and in the classroom.” -U.S Rep. Dina Titus, 1st District of Nevada; emeritus professor of political science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
“Far beyond wildly unimaginable ction, this reality-based book is an importantly great read on public affairs. It tells the story of a decade of Big Time Corruption in Bell, California – years of self-serving exercise of power shared among of cials in deliberately agrant violation of legal standards and other fundamentals of public service. Beyond that, Bell is also a sad case of sustained failure of professional, civic, legal, academic, and other institutions upon which society depends for responsible public affairs. As a former professional manager of Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada, and now a leading public-policy academician, Thom Reilly provides an in-depth analysis of the sordid details and broad schemes of this massive corruption. His deeply informed analysis of The Failure of Governance in Bell, California, warrants study by civic leaders, political of cials, professional local-government managers, and students who hope to enter these public-service roles. It provides swift and hopefully lasting learning about abhorrent practices of all-too-easy corruption, thereby elevating understanding of necessities of elevated aspirations and practices of responsible government and other public affairs.” -Chester A. Newland, Senior Professor of Public Administration, University of the Paci c McGeorge School of Law; Duggan Distinguished Professor of Public Administration Emeritus, University of Southern California
“Thom Reilly depicts the almost unbelievable levels of greed and corruption that brought an entire municipal government to its knees. His incisive narrative not only carefully details the many enabling conditions that allowed this brazen looting of a small, vulnerable community to occur, but also skillfully incorporates an analysis of cultural norms and governmental structures that historically have been designed to deter corruption. Virtually every page prompts substantive discussion topics for the reader. This is a must-read not only for students of government, administration and public policy, but for every concerned citizen. The account of the systematic and unchallenged dismantling of checks and balances and external safeguards against graft serves as a cautionary tale to anyone who thinks it couldn’t happen in their community.” -Kathryn Landreth, former United States Attorney for the District of Nevada
The ongoing global financial crisis, coupled with the continued dramatic increases in life expectancy, have escalated the concerns countries have regarding the sustainability of their pension systems and how these retirement schemes will be financed. From 1998 to 2008, close to 30 countries embarked on privatizing reforms to their pension programs. Some of these countries introduced new pension reforms directed at private individual accounts while reducing the size of the state social security system. The focus of other reforms during this period varied but was primarily aimed at strengthening basic protection for economically at-risk older individuals, increasing benefit coverage and/or improving the overall fiscal sustainability of these systems. However, the move towards greater coverage and sustainability was interrupted by the worldwide financial meltdown. This has led to a reassessment of pension systems and reform approaches. This volume was assembled to review the status of pension reforms globally and to gain a glimpse of the trends emerging as countries adjust to the new age of macroeconomic worldwide uncertainty. The chapters in this volume provide concise, clear and dispassionate discussions on these trends and reforms as well as frank appraisals of the consequences of alternative policies. Experts from Europe, the United States and the emerging economies of Brazil, China and India approach pension reform and reassessment from different perspectives; however, each provide forthright analyses and assessment of the consequences of the “new normal”.
Designed as a comprehensive overview of public sector compensation, the book addresses strategies for change, with the author warning that failure of the profession to address this issue will ultimately lead to citizens taking matters in their own hands. The author's issues-oriented approach addresses his core message-that the escalation of public sector compensation is impacting the ability of government to meet its core responsibility and the failure of government to address this has serious consequences. Not just a critique, the book presents context, analysis, and suggestions for reform.
In his book, Reilly states that the current system is unsustainable and reform must include more transparency, education and engagement of the public as well as:
In addition to suggested reform, Reilly offers two unique and valuable features in his the book including a detailed model of public-versus-private sector compensation, constructed to gauge the cost of lifetime compensation, and his model of the "Iron Triangle" to illustrate how elected politicians, management and labor representatives engage in nontransparent discussions involving public pay and benefits.
""This provocative analysis documents mutation away from ideals of governmental service devoted to public interests into a political culture of public employment in principal pursuit of self interests. It shows in detail how personal entitlements of many public officials and employees have been greatly expanded in high disregard of future sustainability." -Chester A. Newland, Senior Professor of Public Administration, University of the Paci c McGeorge School of Law
"Key policy makers and individuals would be remiss not to include a detailed review of the public sector in the Nation’s debate about compensation and the financial crisis. Thom Reilly’s thoughtful analysis of the shift in culture and compensation in the public sector reveals nuances that only a long-standing, executive-level civil servant could provide. This informed perspective, coupled with insightful and balanced analysis, provides a uniquely comprehensive look at one of the most critical issues of our day. Rethinking Public –Sector Compensation: What Ever Happened to the Public Interest’ should be required reading for policy-makers, students and individuals who desire clear information from which to guide opinions, legislative and regulatory changes." -Heather H. Murren, CFA, Former Commissioner Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
"In 2007, the stock market started a slow decline and reached a floor early in 2009 before it began to reverse itself. This negative cycle had catastrophic effects on housing markets, employment, and every other economic engine that churned capitalism around the world. As a result, public sector compensation in the United States became an increasingly important topic as state and local governments sorted through budget austerity. In short, this book examines how public sector employees (primarily state and local) are compensated, rewarded, and managed." Read Full Review. -Charles E. Menifield, University of Missouri–Columbia
"This provocative analysis documents mutation away from ideals of governmental service devoted to public interests into a political culture of public employment in principal pursuit of self interests. It shows in detail how personal entitlements of many public officials and employees have been greatly expanded in high disregard of future sustainability." -Chester A. Newland, Senior Professor of Public Administration, University of the Paci c McGeorge School of Law
"Key policy makers and individuals would be remiss not to include a detailed review of the public sector in the Nation’s debate about compensation and the financial crisis. Thom Reilly’s thoughtful analysis of the shift in culture and compensation in the public sector reveals nuances that only a long-standing, executive-level civil servant could provide. This informed perspective, coupled with insightful and balanced analysis, provides a uniquely comprehensive look at one of the most critical issues of our day. Rethinking Public –Sector Compensation: What Ever Happened to the Public Interest’ should be required reading for policy-makers, students and individuals who desire clear information from which to guide opinions, legislative and regulatory changes." -Heather H. Murren, CFA, Former Commissioner Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
"Public employee compensation is a hot topic. Taxpayers know intuitively that something’s not quite right. Yet it’s so complex, it can’t be spelled out in simple terms. Thom Reilly has managed to explain it, drawing on his varied career experience. He’s used his knowledge of the public and private sectors, and his nonprofit background, to turn out an objective discussion of the public employees, their unions, and the relationships elected officials have with both. Taxpayers, who pick up the tab for all of it, will appreciate this concise look at the politics and archaic policies that govern public employee compensation. The book is a must-read for elected officials, students of government, and anyone who pays taxes." -Carole Vilardo, President Nevada Taxpayers Association
"Reilly offers a thoughtful breakdown of the intensely debated and complex issue of public sector compensation. He offers insightful analysis on policies that could help relieve the stranglehold that these types of financial obligations have placed on the ability of governments across the country to effectively serve the public interest. Reilly is uniquely qualified to offer a thorough perspective on public employee pension funds and compensation practices, the effect that funding these obligations are having on government, and policy changes that could work towards alleviating this burden. He offers practical and common sense solutions that are rightly centered on the public interest. This book is highly recommended to those concerned about the ability of government to deliver core public services." -Sig Rogich President, The Rogich Communications Group Former US Ambassador to Iceland and Assistant to the President for President George H.W Bush
Pezer, M., Stanić, B., & Reilly, T. (2024). The Adoption of Council-Manager Model of Governance in Croatia: An Exploratory Study. State and Local Government Review, 1-12.
Reilly, T.., Coordes, L., Reinisch, E. & Schlinkert, D. (2023). Uncovering Municipal Fiscal Distress in the United States. Public Finance & Management, 21 (2), pp.1-28. Politics & Policy. 00:1-22
Reilly, T., & Hunting, D. (2023). The Fluid Voter: Exploring Independent Voting Patterns Over Time. Politics & Policy. 00:1-22
Reilly, T. (2020) Sick Leave Policies in the Public Sector (2020), Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance.
Reilly, T. (2017) Are social enterprises viable models for funding nonprofits? Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance. (2017)
Reilly, T. (2013). Comparing Public-Versus-Private Sector Pay and Benefits: Examining Lifetime Compensation. Public Personnel Management., 42(4), 521-544.
Reilly, T. (2012). Public Pensions and Retiree Health Care in Nevada: An Analysis. The Nevada Review Journal, (4) 2, 3-28.
Reilly, T., Woodruff, S., Smith, L., Clapp, J., and Cade, J. (2010). Unsafe Sex Among HIV- Positive Individuals: Cross-Sectional and Prospective Predictors. Journal of Community Health , 35 (2): 115-122.
Reilly, T. & Singla. A. (2017). Union Business Leave Practices in Large U.S. Municipalities: An Exploratory Study. Public Personnel Management.
Reilly, T. (2003). Transition from care: The status and outcomes of youth who have aged out of the foster care system. Child Welfare , 82 (6), 727-746.
Clapp, J., Imig, D. & Reilly, T. (2001). Creating opportunities for authentic citizen involvement: Neighborhood Services in the Las Vegas Valley. Journal of Applied Social Sciences , 25 (2), 19-29. (Order of authorship is alphabetical).
Reilly, T. (1998). Communities in conflict: Resolving differences through collaborative efforts in environmental planning and human service delivery. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare , 25(3), 117-144.
Hardcastle, G., Ley, L., & Reilly, T. (1996). Permanency planning in Nevada: Judicial, administrative and citizen involvement. The Court Manager , 2(2), 8-14. (Order of authorship is alphabetical).
Reilly, T. & Schlinkert, D. (2022). Transition from Foster Care: A cross sectional comparison of youth outcomes twenty years apart. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal.
Reilly, T. (2017). Corruption in public administration: an ethnographic approach. International Review of Public Administration
Reilly, T. (2013). Rethinking The Role of the Profession on Public Sector Compensation. Public Administration Review,(73) 1, 8-9.
Reilly, T., and Reed, M. (2011). Budget Shortfalls, Employee Compensation and Collective Bargaining in Local Governments. State and Local Government Review. 43 (3), 215- 223.
Reilly, T., Schoener, S. & Bolin, A. (2007). Public Sector Compensation in Local Governments: An Analysis. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 27 (1), 39 -58.
Reilly, T., Smith, L., Woodruff, S.I., Clapp, J.D., and Cade, J. (2010) Predictors of Death and Survival Duration among a Sample of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS. Social Work in Health Care, 49 (9), 783- 798.
Smith, L. & Reilly, T. (2005). Reasons for unsafe sex among a community sample of people with HIV/AIDS. Health and Social Work , 41 (2), 71-83.
Reilly, T. & Platz, L. (2003). Characteristics and challenges of families who adopt children with special needs: An empirical study. Children and Youth Services Review , 25 (20), 781-803.
Reilly, T. & Woo, G. (2003). Access to services and maintenance of safer sex practices in HIV+ persons. Social Work in Health Care , 36 (2), 81-95.
Reilly, T. (2001). Collaboration in action: An uncertain process. Administration in Social Work , 25 (1), 53-74.
Reilly, T. & Petersen, N. (1997). Nevada’s university-state partnership: A comprehensive alliance for improved services to children and families. Public Welfare , 55(2), 21-28.
Reilly, T. (1996). Gay and lesbian adoptions: A theoretical examination of policy-making and organizational decision making. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare , 23(4), 99-115.
Reilly, T. & Hedberg, E. (2022) Social Networks of Independents and Partisans: Are Independents a Moderating Force? Politics & Policy.
Reilly, T. & Platz, L. (2004). Post adoption service needs of families with special needs children: Use, helpfulness, and unmet needs. Journal of Social Service Research , 30 (4), 51-67.
Laura N. Coordes & Thom Reilly Predictors of Municipal Bankruptcies and State Intervention Programs: An Exploratory Study. (2017) Kentucky Law Journal, 105(3), 493-562
Reilly, T. & Thom, M. (2015). Local government sick-leave practices: An exploratory study. Review of Public Personnel Administration.
Thom, Michael & Reilly, Thom (2015). Compensation Benchmarking Practices in U.S. Local Governments: Results of a National Survey. Public Personnel Management, 44(3), 340-355.
Reilly, T. (2013). Reforming Public Pay and Benefits. State and Local Government Review, 45 (1), 57-64.
Reilly, T. (2006). Theory to Practice Commentary. Managing Public-Service Contracts: Aligning Values, Institutions, and Markets. Public Administration Review , 66 (3), 322 (77-81).
Reilly, T. & Woo, G. (2004). Social support and the maintenance of safer sex practices among people living with HIV/AIDS. Health and Social Work , 29 (2), 97 –105.
Reilly, T. & Woo, G. (2001). Predictors of high-risk sexual behavior among people living with HIV/AIDS. AIDS and Behavior , 5 (3), 205 -217
Reilly, T. (2007). Management in Local Governments: An Evolving Landscape. Administration in Social Work , 31 (2), 49-66.
Albers, E., Reilly, T. & Rittner, B., (1993). Children in foster care: Possible factors affecting permanency planning. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal , 10(4), 329-341. (Order of authorship is alphabetical).
Bitonti, C., Albers, E. & Reilly, T. (1996). Multicultural competence in Nevada human services: A statewide survey. Journal of Multicultural Social Work , 4(4), 67-83.
Young Arizonans want to vote in November. But they hate their choices
A new ASU survey says Gen Z cares deeply about many issues but is turned off by both the Democratic and Republican parties...
Read more from PhoenixNewTimes.com
Arizona Young Voters Survey
Arizona State University researchers just finished compiling
results of a new, rare comprehensive survey of the political
beliefs of Arizona adults age 30 and younger...
Read more from azpbs.org
Frustrated with politics, Gen Z still plans on
voting
Large numbers of Gen Z voters say both major political parties
are out of touch with their concerns. Find out why many of
them say they still plan to vote in November...
Read more from kjzz.org
"Frustrated but engaged": Gen Z Arizonans plan to vote, but
they're not happy about it
A majority of Arizona's Gen Z voters plan to cast a ballot
this November — but they're not happy with their options,
according to a new ASU survey...
Read more from axios.com
Arizona could see open primaries on the ballot this
November, allowing independents to weigh in on presidential
nominees
A campaign aiming to open Arizona's primary elections filed
its petition to qualify for the November ballot on Wednesday
after collecting over 560,000 signatures...
Read more from Cronkite News
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema won't seek reelection
After months of speculation, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced on
Super Tuesday that she will not seek a second term...
Read more from azfamily.com
Arizona independents in play as Biden pushes big Intel
investments
President Joe Biden's move on Wednesday to pump $19.5 billion
into Intel's expanding chip-making business could pay
dividends with a critical part of the American electorate his
Democrats need to win over: independents in the swing state of
Arizona.
Read article on Reuters.com
Independent voters increasing in Arizona
The number of people registering as independent voters in
Arizona has kept increasing to the point where more Arizonans
registered as independents in the last six months than signed
up as Democrats or Republicans combined...
Read more from AZPBS.org
Independent voters now make up the largest voting bloc in
Arizona
NPR speaks with independents, who account for about a third of
voters in the swing state of Arizona, about the issues
motivating them ahead of the 2024 elections...
Read more from NPR.org
ASU study finds most voters want nonpartisan primaries
Arizona State University Professor Thom Reilly explains his
recent study that found 80% of Arizonans favor moving to a
nonpartisan primary system.
Watch interview on azfamily.com
U.S. elections official takes part in secretive GOP
conference, sparking backlash
A commissioner of a federal elections agency recently spoke at
a secretive conference of conservative voting activists and
Republican secretaries of state and congressional staff...
Read more from minnesotareformer.com
What Election Reforms do Arizonans Support?
New ASU poll sheds light...
Read more from azcentral.com
Laid off? Tips from experts on how to move forward
Here is experts' advice on navigating career choices and
mental health after a layoff...
Read more from azcentral.com
Arizona survey respondents want an open primary
system
A new Arizona State University (ASU) study found that more
than four in five respondents want the state to adopt an open
primary system...
Read more from AZPBS.org
Arizonans want to take politics out of voting, survey
show
ASU survey of 1,000 voters finds broad support for open
primaries, non-partisan election managers...
Watch video on YouTube
Former Chancellor Thom Reilly talks about how high school
students should prepare for college.
View on YouTube
4 in 5 Arizona voters in ASU survey favor nonpartisan
primary system
Study finds broad support for election security measures
combined with the need for reforms...
Read more from ASU.edu
U.S. elections official takes part in secretive GOP
conference, sparking backlash
A commissioner of a federal elections agency recently spoke
at a secretive conference of conservative voting activists
and Republican secretaries of state and congressional staff
— a step that election experts call highly improper for an
official charged with helping states administer fair and
unbiased elections...
Read more from newsfromthestates.com
Young Voters Are Abandoning American Political Parties in
Droves
The exodus is confounding because, at least in recent
elections, younger voters have also been voting at higher
rates than ever before...
Read more from NYSun.com
Sinema’s switch: Betraying voters, or mirroring
them?
In explaining her political trajectory, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten
Sinema once described her younger progressive self as “the
patron saint of lost causes,” saying she’d learned the hard
way about the need to build diverse coalitions to get things
done...
Read more from Christian Science Monitor
Authors of The Independent Voter, Jackie Salit and Thom
Reilly
Jackie Salit and Thom Reilly join The Great Battlefield
podcast to talk about their book "The Independent Voter" and
the work they're doing at ASU's Center for an Independent
and Sustainable Democracy.
Listen to Podcast on Sound Cloud
CNN host dreams of a "whole network" for "independent
thinkers"
When he joined CNN in 2014, Michael Smerconish blasted a
poisonous news landscape. “The country is paying a price for
this brand of polarized media. … Too many politicians are
taking their cues from people with microphones.”
Read more on The Washington Post
Statistics say young people don't vote. But these young
voters tell the Gaggle they plan to show up to the
polls.
The midterm elections are about a month away and both
political parties are furiously trying to make their cases
to the electorate...
Read more on azcentral.com
Independent not moderate: Why Arizona's unaffiliated
voters are so hard to predict
Independent voters — those not registered with either the
Republican or Democratic parties — make up the second
biggest group of voters in Arizona.
Read more on AZPBS.org
Independent not moderate: Why Arizona's unaffiliated
voters are so hard to predict
Independent voters — those not registered with either the
Republican or Democratic parties — make up the second
biggest group of voters in Arizona.
Listen to story on kjzz.org
Arizona Horizon
Listen to Thom Reilly's interview on Arizon Horizon PBS.
Social networks of independents and partisans: Are
independents a moderating force?
While scholars have long recognized that social networks
impact political engagement for partisans, comparatively
little work has examined the role of networks for
independent voters...
Read more from Wiley Online Library
This Week With George Stephanopoulos - ABC News
Indy Explains: Question 1, a measure that would strike
the Board of Regents from the Constitution
Question 1: The Nevada Higher Education Reform,
Accountability and Oversight Amendment...
Read more from The Nevada Independent
NSHE Policing Services, Students Discuss De-escalation
Techniques
Conversations about police brutality and systemic racism are
continuing after the killing of George Floyd...
Listen on KUNR.org
Nevada System of Higher Ed. hosts discussion on police
and discrimination
On Thursday, the Nevada System of Higher Education(NSHE)
hosted a discussion surrounding policing and discrimination
on universities in Nevada...
Read more from MyNews4.com
Nevada Higher-Ed Praises Supreme Court Ruling On
DACA
The Nevada System of Higher Education is praising the U.S.
Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday morning in favor of
preserving the federal Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals program...
Read more from KNPR
In-Person Learning Will Return To Nevada's Colleges,
Universities But With Changes
Nevada's colleges and universities will be open this summer
and fall. In the fall, they’re expecting to have in-person
classes. That’s the latest from Thom Reilly, chancellor of
the state’s university system...
Listen to interview on KNPR
Excluded from CARES Act and awaiting court ruling, it’s a
stressful time for DACA students
Colleges and universities across the country are preparing
to distribute nearly $7 billion in emergency grant funding
to students affected by the coronavirus pandemic...
Read more from Nevada Current
Public Colleges Lose State Funding, Effective
Immediately
Some public colleges and universities are starting to see
their budgets cut with surprising speed, as states reckon
with the economic fallout of the pandemic...
Read more from The WSJ
Nevada university staff, college students to be impacted
in NSHE budget reduction proposal
In response to the economic decline caused by the COVID-19
pandemic, the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board
of Regents approved a budget reduction proposal, as
requested by Governor Steve Sisolak...
Read more on 8NewsNow.com
Student Tuition At Nevada Universities Change Due To
Covid-19
About the only people out there working right now are
health-care workers, grocery store employees, truckers, gas
station attendants and fast-food workers...
Read more on KNPR
NV Energy to pay higher education system $500,000 yearly
to remain a customer under proposed contract
NV Energy will pay $1.5 million over the next three years
under a contract that would require the higher education
system to promise not to leave the utility as an electric
customer...
Read more from The Nevada Independent
WEB EXTRA: Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor
Thom Reilly
Politics Now host Steve Sebelius interviews the Chancellor
of the Nevada System of Higher Education, Thom Reilly...
Watch interview on 8 News Now
Roundtable calls for more support staff, better data to
support DREAMers in higher education
Fernando Benitez wanted to be a mechanical engineer when he
started college in 2017, but after taking courses part-time
for one year, found out that his undocumented status would
prevent him from obtaining a license to work in that
field...
Read more from The Nevada Independent
Vegas Lost: Aging out
Thom Reilly is in charge of higher education in Nevada. He’s
been chancellor of the state’s system of higher education
since August of 2017...
Read Full Article on news3lv.com
Influencers Ep 17 | Thom Reilly
The show that brings you the people that impact our city,
state, and community...
Watch Full Interview on YouTube
Chancellor Thom Reilly will not seek contract renewal
with Nevada System of Higher Education
Thom Reilly, chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher
Education, will not seek to renew his contract when it
expires in August 2020...
Read more from the Nevada Independent
NSHE touts diverse student enrollment but degree
completion remains a sticking point
The Nevada System of Higher Education prides itself on
having a diverse student body...
Read more from the Nevada Independent
Nevada colleges want to raise their graduation rate; now
they're giving themselves deadlines
The Nevada System of Higher Education is renewing its
focus on what might seem like a few simple goals — making
sure that students who enter its doors one semester come
back the next and that they cross the graduation stage in
their caps and gowns within a reasonable period of time...
Read more from the Nevada Independent
NSHE chancellor brushes off north-south split as “a tired
discussion”
Thom Reilly knows there are many lenses a person can
use to view the higher-education system here in Nevada...
Read more from the Nevada Current
Chancellor Thom Reilly lays out goals for future as
regents evaluate his first year at the helm
It’s been just over a year since Chancellor Thom Reilly took
over at the Nevada System of Higher Education — on the heels
of the fraught departure of former Chancellor Dan Klaich...
Read more on thenevadaindependent.com
Who's To Blame For UNLV Chaos?
The last three or so weeks have been some of the most
controversial in recent times for UNLV and the higher
education system in Nevada...
Listen on KNPR.org
Nevada education officials dismiss Trump policy, citing
importance of diversity
A new Trump administration policy that would allow colleges
to take a race-neutral approach in the admissions process
runs counter to the route taken by Nevada’s higher education
institutions, local education officials say...
Read more from the LVRJ
Leader wants to see more gains for Nevada college
students
At a time when the state’s colleges are inwardly focused on
their own strategic growth, they’re also being asked to look
beyond Nevada’s borders for ways to make gains in student
success...
Read more from the LVRJ
The Murky World of ‘Official Time’ in Government
"Official time," or union business leave (UBL), is widely
practiced at all levels of government...
Read more from Governing.com
Gamechangers: USC, ASU, Independent Voting Partner to
Challenge Two-Party Academia
Arguably, academia is as guilty as the media, the
politicians, and the two major parties themselves, of
promoting partisanship...
Read more from IVN.US
EDITORIAL: The public-sector gravy train
News that about one-fifth of all Clark County workers pulled
in more than $100,000 last year only further highlights the
generous employment terms available to many public
employees...
Read more from the LVRJ
Pension Reform Must Come Before Tax Hike
Before lobbying the legislature to raise Nevadans’ taxes yet
again—its property taxes this time—incoming Clark County
chief executive officer Yolanda King should heed the advice
of one of her predecessors: Dr. Thom Reilly...
Read more from forbes.com
ASU Researchers Explore Media Consumption Among Political
Parties, Impact Of Independents
The recently-completed election and the lengthy campaign
leading up to it indicated that the partisanship we’ve seen
growing in the United States seems to have cemented even
more...
Read more from KJZZ.org
Thom Reilly interviewed on Arizona Horizon
Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public
Policy is releasing a new poll on the presidential race.
We’ll get the results.
Watch on Arizona PBS
The Bell Tolls: Big-Time Corruption In A Small
Town
Bell, Calif., is one of the smallest and poorest cities in
Los Angeles County, but until the beginning of the decade,
its top city administrator had a pay and benefits package
worth $1.5 million a year.
Listen on KNPR
The Impact Of Ballot Measures In Arizona
Interview on Wall Street Journal Radio
The Federal Government’s Pension Cost Overload
Watch on FOX Business
Government Agencies Face Staffing Shortages As More
Workers Retire
Listen at KJZZ.org
ARIZONA WELFARE CZAR TIM JEFFRIES PUTS SPIRITUAL SPIN ON
MASS FIRINGS, BENEFITS CUTS TO THOUSANDS OF POOR
FAMILIES
In more than 1,600 Arizona households with children,
families are wondering how they'll cope with losing welfare
benefits...
Read more from Phoenix New Times
Vacation Carryovers Cost County
Despite a 2003 effort to limit the number of unused vacation
days employees can carry over, Champaign County workers have
accumulated more than 62,000 hours of unused vacation...
Read more from The News-Gazette
Thom Reilly - Day Of Reckoning Coming For Public
Pensions
Thom Reilly was Manager of Clark County Nevada. Now he’s
teaching and trying to reform the public pension system
before it crashes and burns...
Read more from FSN
For Cary Tennis Park Manager, Checks Come With A
Bonus
Since 2005, Sean Ferreira has managed Cary’s 29-court tennis
center for a salary that has now reached nearly $60,000,
about the same as a veteran firefighter...
Read more from The Cary News
North Las Vegas Has High Hopes For Shared Services
Agreement
The city of Las Vegas is coming to the aid of its economic
ailing neighbor to the north with staff time and energy as
well as money to hire a financial analysis firm...
Read more from the LVRJ
California Pension Legislation
Watch on YouTube
Unique Perks Help Keep Public Sector’s Top Jobs
Competitive, Expert Says
After showering city manager Betsy Fretwell with praise
during its most recent meeting, the Las Vegas City Council
voiced unanimous support for giving Fretwell a raise, her
first since 2009...
Read more from the Las Vegas Sun
Police Seek Sales Tax Boost To Hire More Cops
Clark County consumers could pay more for everything from
accordions to zippers if police can persuade the state
Legislature to approve their plan to tap a new sales tax
aimed at putting more police on the street...
Read more from LVRJ
San Jose Pension Battle Raises Potential For Broader
Cuts
San Jose, Calif., employee unions are urging a state court
at trial this week to block a citywide public pension reform
measure approved by voters last year, but experts say a
decision upholding the initiative could trigger a wave of
similar measures in California and other states to reduce
local governments’ pension obligations...
Read more from Law360
Board's Insurance Perks 'Excessive'
Three of five board members for the Desert Healthcare
District took taxpayer-funded health insurance benefits for
themselves, their spouses and in some cases their adult
children worth more than $30,000 for each director last
year, records obtained by The Desert Sun through the
California Public Records Act show...
Read more from mydesert.com
Sick Leave Causes Headaches For Governments
Sick leave would seem to be a trivial issue for city, county
and state governments...
Read more from governing.com
Regional Transportation Commission Pay Raises: Proposed
Contract A Bad Deal For Taxpayers
The administrators of the Regional Transportation Commission
and their opposite numbers at the Service Employees
International Union had their pre-nuptial agreement all
worked out earlier this month...
Read more from the LVRJ
San Diego Pension Battle Could Drive Broader
Reforms
The California Supreme Court may be looking to weigh in on a
case involving challenges to San Diego’s pension reform
initiative that voters passed last month, and if it does, a
decision is likely to spur broader efforts to reduce public
workers' pension plans, a legal expert told Law360 on
Monday...
Read more from LAW 360
Las Vegas Officials Push Gainsharing To Keep Lid On
Firefighters Wages
Las Vegas city officials seeking to keep a lid on
firefighter wages and benefits are pushing for a novel pay
system that lets employees share the proceeds of cost
savings, as opposed to basing salary increases on guaranteed
raises...
Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal
Serious Suggestions For Public Pay Reform
A central point of former Clark County Manager Thom Reilly's
new book is incontestable: The purpose of government is to
provide essential services to the public...
More from the Las Vegas Review Journal
Rethinking Public Employee Pay
(LAS VEGAS CBS KXNT) It took a major recession to get people
interested, but taxpayers have finally begun to ask how much
their public employees are costing, says former Clark County
Manager Thom Reilly....
Read more from CBS Local Las Vegas
Three Speakers Scheduled To Appear At Leadership
Forum
LAUGHLIN - The next Laughlin Leadership Forum will feature
three speakers, with former Clark County Manager Thom Reilly
joining the program with former Clark County Commissioner
Bruce Woodbury and his daughter Melissa, who will represent
Laughlin and Searchlight in the upcoming Nevada Legislature
in February...
Read more from The Laughlin Nevada Times
Gen Z Defies Political Norms In New ASU Study
A new study released by the ASU Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy found that while Generation Z voters have become frustrated with the current state of American politics, there is still major motivation to participate in the 2024 election...
Read more from AZFreeNews.com
66% of Arizonans age 20-30 say they will definitely vote
despite political system dissatisfaction
A new survey of Gen Z voters in Arizona found that, despite
disillusionment with the two-party system, most said they plan
to vote in the November election...
Read more from kjzz.org
66% of Arizonans age 20-30 say they will definitely vote
despite political system dissatisfaction
A new survey of Gen Z voters in Arizona found that, despite
disillusionment with the two-party system, most said they plan
to vote in the November election...
Read more from kjzz.org
NEW ASU CISD REPORT
In the November 2024 election, almost 41 million members of
Generation Z (under age 30) will be eligible to vote
nationally...
Read more from indys4az.org
Make Elections Fair Arizona works to make voting as an
Independent equal
It's the Independents in Arizona who will determine who gets
elected. For the first time since 2016, registered
Independents outnumber both Democrats and Republicans...
Read more from fox10phoenix.com
Biden and Trump go on the hunt for the independents
They identify as neither Republicans nor Democrats and
represent almost half of the electorate, a percentage that is
growing steadily; in the November elections, they will be more
crucial than ever...
Read more from elpais.com
FAQ: How Arizona Supreme Court Justices are selected and
how retention elections work
Two of the four Arizona Supreme Court justices who voted in
favor of the 1864 abortion ban are up for retention in
November...
Read more from azfamily.com
Episode 7: Professional wrestling and the rise of the
independent voter: Lessons from the American
Southwest
If Republican and Democrats were listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, I would sell right now. The two legacy parties are
tied at 27% in January polling. And dropping...
Listen to Episode 7 on lostmiddle.com
or
from Apple Podcast
As Kari Lake Enters Senate Race One Question Tops All
Others
Read more from azcentral.com
ASU event examines demographics, mindset of unaffiliated
voters
Extreme partisan politics and hostility is turning off many
American voters, who are increasingly disaffiliating
themselves from the two major political parties, according to
participants in a forum on Wednesday night...
Read more from ASU.edu
As Kari Lake enters Arizona's Senate race, one question
tops all others: Can she win?
Kari Lake's U.S. Senate candidacy brings fire and attention to
Republican efforts to retake the chamber. But will it help?...
Read more from azcentral.com
Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors
2020
Governors receiving an A are those who have cut taxes and
spending the most, whereas governors receiving an F have
raised taxes and spending the most...
Read more from cato.org
In battleground Arizona, independent voters decry
Trump
Mark Clarcq is an independent voter in the presidential
battleground state of Arizona. In 2016 he cast his ballot for
Donald Trump, but as the former Republican president appeared
at a Georgia jail on Thursday...
Read more from reuters.com
Open primaries proposal won't require ranked choice voting,
but opens the door
Ranked choice voting (RCV) could still come to Arizona, but a
ballot measure to overhaul primary elections won't explicitly
mandate it...
Read more from Axios.com
A Deep Dive Into Arizonan's Views of Elections ft. Thom
Reilly
In the new Center for Politics Crystal Ball ratings for the
2024 presidential election, Arizona is just one of four
initial toss-up states...
Listen to podcast on Apple Podcasts
ASU study finds some common ground on election
reforms
Arizona is ground zero for questions on election integrity and
reform...
Read more from ABC15.com
Include the Independent Voter: Jackie Salit & Thom
Reilly
“The power of Independents is the growing numbers that they
have.”...
Listen to podcast on Future Hindsight
Who Are the Independent Voters?
The number of independent voters continues to grow, and their
impact was felt in a massive way in Arizona--as what was
expected to be an extremely successful 2022 for the GOP didn't
turn out that way in statewide races...
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Who runs elections in your state? Use our map to find
out
Every state needs a chief elections officer - or CEO - who
runs elections. The responsibilities of this official (or
sometimes a group of officials) vary depending on the state,
but they are often charged with maintaining a voter
registration database, approving voting equipment and
certifying election results...
Read more on PBS News Hour
Why nonpartisan election administration might not be the
norm
“Election Administration In America - Partisan by Design,”
is a recently released report from the Center for an
Independent and Sustainable Democracy at ASU and Open
Primaries...
Watch interview on AZPBS.org
Authors of The Independent Voter, Jackie Salit and Thom
Reilly
Jackie Salit and Thom Reilly join The Great Battlefield
podcast to talk about their book "The Independent Voter" and
the work they're doing at ASU's Center for an Independent
and Sustainable Democracy...
Listen to interview on resistancedashboard.com
ASU professors discuss how independent voters can
influence AZ politics
With the general election coming up, candidates must appeal
to as many voters as possible. Arizona State University
professors Thom Reilly and Jackie Salitt recently wrote a
new book about independent voters and their influence on
politics in the state...
Listen to interview on KJZZ.org
The impact of independent voters
Independent voters make up a third of Arizona's electorate
and have increasingly become a major influence on election
outcomes...
Watch interview on Arizona PBS
Outgoing Higher Ed Chancellor Reflects On 3 Years At
NSHE
A new year began at Nevada’s four- and two-year campuses
this week, with most classes being offered online only
because of continuing concerns about the coronavirus
pandemic...
Listen on KNPR
ICE walks back rule that would have barred international
students from country if colleges went online-only
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials backed away
from a controversial rule that would have blocked
international students from staying in the U.S. if their
colleges went online-only amid the pandemic, telling a
federal judge Tuesday that it would “return to the status
quo.”...
Read more on The Nevada Independent
Fluent Knowledge launches Purple Principle Podcast for
independent-minded Americans
Fluent Knowledge LLC has launched its newest podcast, The
Purple Principle, a non-partisan podcast created for
independent-minded Americans about the perils of
partisanship in U.S. politics, society and daily life...
Read more from seacoastonline.com
NSHE chancellor opposes consideration of CSN
contract
A long-awaited contract for College of Southern Nevada
faculty that includes pay raises has hit a snag after Nevada
System of Higher Education Chancellor Thom Reilly said
Friday he could not support placing it on the June Board of
Regents agenda for a final vote...
Read more from the LVRJ
Citing technical, budget issues, NSHE chancellor
recommends against approving new contract for CSN
faculty
A new contract for faculty at the College of Southern Nevada
appears to be on hold after system Chancellor Thom Reilly
wrote in a memo Thursday to CSN President Federico Zaragoza
that he could not “in good faith, and at this time”
recommend that regents approve the submitted collective
bargaining agreement...
Read more from the Nevada Independent
Open Primaries Virtual Discussion w/ Jacqueline Salit &
Thom Reilly
Jacqueline Salit, President of Independent Voting and Thom
Reilly, Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
They are co-authors of a chapter in the recently published
Democracy Unchained: How to Rebuild Government for the
People.
Watch on YouTube
Nevada System of Higher Education budget reduction
proposal gets approval
In response to the economic decline caused by the COVID-19
pandemic, the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of
Regents approved a budget reduction proposal as requested by
Governor Steve Sisolak.
Read more from KTNV.com
What a lesson: Coronavirus forces Nevada's higher
education system to adjust
Meet UNLV sophomore Janae Richie-Dean. Instead of being at
UNLV, she's back at home in Hawaii. We chatted over
FaceTime...
Read more from news3lv.com
Nevada System of Higher Education monitoring "DACA"
Supreme Court case
The Nevada System of Higher Education said it is closely
monitoring the Supreme Court as it hears arguments in the
case of the Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of
the University of California that could determine the future
for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA) program...
Read more from mynews4.com
How will doubts around DACA impact college
‘Dreamers’?
Some 98,000 immigrant students—who were brought to the U.S.
as young children without legal permission—graduate from
high school each year, according to research released
earlier this year by the Migration Policy Institute...
Read more from universitybusiness.com
DACA students share challenges with NSHE
chancellor
Undocumented students and advocates met with Nevada System
of Higher Education administrators Tuesday to discuss the
roadblocks they face in trying to go to college, emphasizing
the lack of K-12 and college-level counselors who understand
immigration issues...
Read more from the LVRJ
Good, Bad Or Ugly: Nevada's Higher Education System And
The Legislature
Nevada's higher education system, sought out more these days
as high school grads realize good casino jobs are not
readily available, got a mixed bag from state lawmakers this
year...
Listen on KNPR.org
Nevada governments on the hook for over $600M in paid
time off
Taxpayers potentially owe almost $610 million to local
government employees in Nevada’s two most populous counties
for their unused paid time off, financial reports show...
Read more from the LVRJ
UNLV named one of most diverse campuses in US
For the second year in a row, UNLV has been named one
of the most diverse undergraduate campuses in the nation...
Read more from the LVRJ
Chancellor Thom Reilly on UNLV president departure,
medical school dean's future and future goals
In spite of the ongoing tumult, Nevada System of Higher
Education Chancellor Thom Reilly said he was still surprised
when UNLV President Len Jessup announced his departure from
the state’s largest university earlier this week...
Read more from the Nevada Independent
MGM partnership will pay for employees to go to
college
Nevada’s higher education system will unveil a program
Friday that makes college more accessible and affordable for
more of the state’s residents...
Read more from the LVRJ
Goal-oriented Nevada higher education system gets new
focus
Five months after Thom Reilly took the helm of the Nevada
System of Higher Education as chancellor, he crossed one
major to-do item off his list...
Read more from the LVRJ
EDITORIAL: Regents name Thom Reilly as new university
system chancellor
The state regents voted unanimously Tuesday (6/27/2017) to
name Thom Reilly as chancellor of the Nevada System of
Higher Education. It’s an excellent choice...
Read more from the LVRJ
Six-Figure Payouts for Sick Leave Spur Outrage, Calls for
Overhaul
When the president of a Massachusetts community retired in
March, in addition to his pension, he received a one-time
$266,060 payment for 1,250 unused sick days earned over his
46-year career...
Read full WSJ article
Most U.S. money intended for Arizona's poorest families
goes to child-safety efforts
While Arizona has one of the nation’s highest child-poverty
rates, federal money intended to help the poorest families
is instead being spent here on foster care, adoptions and
services to children who have been removed from their
families...
Read more from tucson.com
What's behind the rise in child neglect in
Arizona?
Child Neglect, Superintendent Douglas
A new report is out by Arizona State University’s Morrison
Institute and the Arizona Department of Child Safety about
child neglect in our state...
Watch video at azpbs.com
Social Media Election Information Report
Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public
Policy will be releasing a new report on social networks and
social media about where voters get their election
information and how that may differ among Republicans,
Democrats and independents...
Read more from AZPBS.org
Cracking Down on Immigration Doesn’t Boost Wages
Whatever happens on Nov. 8, the immigration debate will
continue to rage, and Arizona will still be the case study
for mass deportations...
Read more from Bloomberg
'Greater Urgency' For Young People To Vote This
Election
Listen on KJZZ
Committee meets to discuss shared services
proposal
Watch on News 3 Las Vegas
Arizona First To Limit Needy Family Aid To One
Year
Read more from Here & Now
Huge government pension gap sparks backlash
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - Pensions and other retirement benefits
have become a multi-trillion-dollar black hole for state and
local government budgets, sparking fierce battles between
elected officials and voters on one side and public sector
unions on the other...
Read more from CNN MONEY
'America's toughest sheriff' facing trouble at the ballot
box and the courthouse
Katherine Dittmer has voted for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe
Arpaio four times since she retired to Arizona, and she
guesses nothing can stop her from bubbling-in her ballot for
the sheriff yet again.
Read more from latimes
NO MORE GAMBLING FOR YOUR PENSION
Listen on SoundCloud
Thom Reilly and Betsy Fretwell on
Face to Face with Jon Ralston
Watch on News 3 Las Vegas
Arizona First To Establish Lifetime Limit On Cash
Assistance Program
Arizona will become the first and only state to impose a
one-year lifetime limit for impoverished households
receiving federal benefits from the Temporary Assistance to
Needy Families program...
Read more from azcentral.com
Henderson Budget Study That Omits Employee Pay Raises
Questions
A special budget committee formed last year was told not to
look to Henderson employee pay and benefits for cuts as ways
to bridge budget shortfalls...
Read more from the LVRJ
Clark County, Its Biggest Union Debate Need For Longevity
Pay
Clark County and its largest union have a disagreement that
is rooted in how future employees should be compensated
after they have put in eight years...
Read more from LVRJ
For Some North Carolina Public Workers, Pay Comes With A
Bonus
Some 40 state and local employees in North Carolina’s
pension system received bonuses of $20,000 or more in
2011...
Read more from Charlotte Observer
EDITORIAL: A Good First Step Toward Needed
Consolidation
The Las Vegas Valley has long cried out for local government
consolidation...
Read more from the LVRJ
Pension Deal Reflects Democratic, Union Ties
SACRAMENTO -- Union leaders grumbled this week when Gov.
Jerry Brown released a compromise deal with Democrats to
scale back pension benefits for the state's public
employees, but it was far less than a resounding victory for
the Democratic governor...
Read more from the San Jose Mercury News
Around The Corner: The End Of Session
With sessions’ end on June 3, there are still many issues
waiting to be resolved. Chief among these issues, and of
concern to our members, are the budget and tax bills and
what they will look like...
Read more from Tax Topics
The Importance Of Pension Reform
When Clark County District Attorney David Roger announced he
would retire in early 2012, the top prosecutor was 50 years
old. Yet he started collecting his annual pension of about
$150,000 immediately upon leaving office...
Read more from LVRJ
Thom Reilly – Public Sector Unions Are In For A Rude
Awakening
Thom Reilly was Manager of Clark County Nevada, before it
fell off the fiscal cliff. So no one’s in a better position
than he is to understand why municipal finances are crashing
all over America...
Read more from Financial Survival Network
Pensions Loom As Budget Busters
Gradual erosion of the employment base. A growing spasm of
foreclosures in the recession. And the flight of taxpaying
residents followed by an inexorable decline in property tax
revenues...
Read more from the Daily Breeze
How San Diego Avoided Bankruptcy
Three California cities file for bankruptcy in less than two
weeks. Had that recent headline appeared six or seven years
ago not many people would have been surprised to see the
city of San Diego in that ignominious group...
Read more from U-T San Diego
Firefighters, County Face PR Battle To Win Renewal Of Tax
Up For Vote In 2014
A federal lawsuit by battalion chiefs of the Clark County
Fire Department against the county disappeared Tuesday with
little fanfare...
Read more from the Las Vegas Sun
Huge Government Pension Gap Sparks Backlash
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - Pensions and other retirement benefits
have become a multi-trillion-dollar black hole for state and
local government budgets, sparking fierce battles between
elected officials and voters on one side and public sector
unions on the other...
Read more from CNN MONEY
Former County Manager-Turned-Author Takes On Public
Employee Pensions In New Book
Whenever we write about the compensation of county
firefighters (the current average is about $175,000),
someone chimes in that it’s unfair to add pension
contributions to the total. Adding money that firefighters
won’t see until they retire is misleading, they contend,
making it look like they take home much more than they
actually do...
Read more from The Las Vegas Sun
The Public Interest: Important New Book Looks At
Government Pay
Former Clark County Manager Thom Reilly - now director of
the School of Social Work at San Diego State University -
has a timely book coming out this week, titled "Rethinking
Public Sector Compensation: What Ever Happened to the Public
Interest?"...
Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal
Pension Will Be Next ‘Bubble’ To Burst
Thom Reilly thinks public employee pension programs could be
the next “bubble” to burst, requiring a massive taxpayer
bailout...
Read more from The Ely Times
Laughlin Has Chance To Reshape Local Government,
Ex-County Manager Says
The man who was the Clark County manager until six years ago
told a full house at the Laughlin Leadership Forum on May 24
that local voters have a unique opportunity to reshape the
local government...
Read more from The Laughlin Nevada Times
Thom Reilly On
Face To Face With Jon Ralston
Watch on News 3 Las Vegas
Nonpartisans feel disenfranchised, written off, excluded
from primaries in swing state Nevada
There are more nonpartisan voters registered in Nevada than
registered Democrats and Republicans, and that’s been the case
since July of last year...
Read more from kunr.org
Arizona group wants to give the power to independents with
open primaries
This November, Arizona voters will be given the chance to move
their state away from semi-closed primaries and open them to
all registered voters...
Read more from Washington Examiner
2 out of 3 Gen Z voters in Arizona say they will vote in
November, ASU survey finds
Two out of three Gen Z registered voters in Arizona say they
plan to vote in this year’s general election, while four in
five say the two major political parties don’t represent them,
according to results of a new Arizona State University
survey...
Read more from ASU.edu
"IT DOESN'T TAKE A BIG SWING": EXPERT SAYS "ONE GROUP"
DITCHING TRUMP OVER CONVICTION — INDEPENDENTS
Donald Trump's allies have insisted that his criminal
conviction in New York would actually help him in the
campaign, arguing that the public would buy the former
president's claim that the prosecution amounted to political
persecution...
Read more from indys4az.org
"FRUSTRATED BUT ENGAGED: GEN Z ATTITUDES ON VOTING, PARTIES
AND ISSUES IN 2024
Arizona State University’s Center for an Independent and
Sustainable Democracy released a new report, “Frustrated but
Engaged: Gen Z Attitudes on Voting, Parties and Issues in
2024.”...
Read more from independentvoting.org
2024 Election: Kyrsten Sinema to leave Senate
The Senator, who left the Democratic Party in 2022 to become
an independent, issued a statement and an accompanying video
message...
Read more from fox10phoenix.com
With... Sinema quitting, do independents anywhere have a
chance in politics?
Read full article
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. holds campaign event in Phoenix as he
gathers signatures to appear on the Arizona ballot
According to Arizona Secretary of State data, more Arizonans
are registered as independents than Republicans or Democrats.
That's the block Kennedy wants...
Read more from 12news.com
Independent voters increasing in Arizona
The number of people registering as independent voters in
Arizona has kept increasing to the point where more Arizonans
registered as independents in the last six months than signed
up as Democrats or Republicans combined...
Read more from azpbs.org
ASU center to host 3-part election education series
The Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at
Arizona State University will host a three-part election
education series that explores issues of elections, the
fundamental right to vote and election patterns...
Read more from ASU.edu
To Unions, Organizing Time Is Fine When It's on the
Taxpayers' Dime
Randi Weingarten, the powerful president of the American
Federation of Teachers, hasn’t been a working teacher in more
than a quarter of a century...
Read more from realclearinvestigations.com
Arizonans want changes to the way we choose election
officials, ASU survey says
Arizonans appear interested in changes to the way the state
chooses election officials, according to a new survey...
Read more from Fronteras
“Nonpartisan Election Administration Is the Norm in Other
Democracies. Why Not Here?”
Thom Reilly in Governing, on the ASU survey of Arizona voters'
attitudes about elections: “What we found was that Arizona
voters strongly supported...
Read more from Election Law Blog
What do most Arizona voters want? A different way to vote,
according to new ASU survey
Voters across the spectrum support open primaries, a new
survey finds. They also agree on removing politics from
election oversight...
Read more from 12news.com
ASU Report on Voter Attitudes about Elections
From the hotbed — no pun intended (sorry Arizonans, I know
it's been sweltering) — of election denialism comes this
report by Arizona State's Center for Independent and
Sustainable Democracy...
Read more from Election Law Blog
How your secretary of state affects elections and why you
should care
A once under-the-radar governmental role with significant
control over elections is getting a lot more attention this
year...
Read more on PBS News Hour
How young voters are playing a critical role in the
Arizona governor race
New polling shows the race for Arizona governor is in a dead
heat between Kari Lake and Katie Hobbs...
Read more on azfamily.com
Former Chancellor Thom Reilly talks about how high school
students should prepare for college.
View on YouTube
How Independents Can Save American Democracy
University of Nevada Las Vegas Hires First Black
President
Dr. Keith Whitfield will become the first Black president of
the University of Nevada Las Vegas, starting on Aug. 24. He
currently serves as the provost and senior vice president of
academic affairs and a professor of psychology at Wayne
State University...
Read more on diveseeducation.com
The Forty Million Missing: America’s Independent Voters
and Voices
The Purple Principle, Season 1, Episode 3. The Forty Million
Missing: America’s Independent Voters and Voices...
Listen to podcast
Nevada Higher-Ed Praises Supreme Court Ruling On
DACA
The Nevada System of Higher Education is praising the U.S.
Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday morning in favor of
preserving the federal Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals program...
Read more from KNPR.org
Special session convenes to cover a nearly $1.2 billion
fiscal 2021 budget deficit
The 31st special session of the Nevada Legislature convened
just before 10 a.m. Wednesday, charged by Gov. Steve Sisolak
with cutting almost $1.2 billion from the fiscal 2021
budget..
Read more from NevadaAppeal.com
Nevada colleges planning for return to classroom by
fall
Nevada’s colleges and universities plan to resume in-person
classes as early as July, the Nevada System of Higher
Education announced Monday.
Read more from the LVRJ
Nevada colleges brace for Supreme Court’s imminent
decision on future of DACA
At a virtual town hall meeting last week hosted by the
Nevada System of Higher Education, lawyer Michael Shamoon
stopped briefly with a message for viewers he figured were
panicking.
Read more from the Nevada Independent
Social Media Election Information Report
Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public
Policy will be releasing a new report on social networks and
social media about where voters get their election
information and how that may differ among Republicans,
Democrats and independents...
Watch Full Interview on azpbs.org
Nevada colleges may add financial coaches for staff,
students
Lessons for students and staff on improving credit,
increasing savings and reducing debt could soon be coming to
Southern Nevada colleges and high schools as the Nevada
System of Higher Education seeks to add financial literacy
coaches to campuses...
Read Full Article on the LVRJ
CSSD Interview with Ronald O. Loveridge
Watch Thom Reilly discuss his book "The Failure Of
Governance in Bell, California. Big-time Corruption in a
Small Town"...
Watch Full Interview on YouTube
Former foster children enrolled in college share their
challenges with NSHE officials
Living in a U-Haul her junior year of high school, Jewal
Beats never even considered college...
Read more from the Nevada Independent
Higher education system to transition from traditional
remediation to corequisite model by 2021
As chancellor for the Nevada System of Higher Education,
Thom Reilly makes no bones about his position on traditional
remediation at Nevada colleges and universities...
Read more from the Nevada Independent
UNLV at forefront of bid to replace traditional remedial
classes
After UNLV sophomore Vince Briones failed his remedial math
class for the third time, he faced a choice: Try once again
in the fall or spend the summer in an intensive math course
known as Math Bridge...
Listen on the LVRJ
Chancellor Reilly leaves mark on Nevada's higher
education
If Chancellor Thom Reilly has a mission, it would be
making sure the 107,000 students at Nevada's eight higher
education institutions finish...
Read more from the News 3 LV
NSHE Chancellor Thom Reilly interview on Vegas
PBS
Watch on VegasPBS.org
UNLV’s black student population under Nevada
demographics
A few weeks after U.S. News and World Report ranked
UNLV as one of the most diverse college campuses in the
country, another report gave the university average marks
for black student access and...
Read more from the LVRJ
MGM’s higher education program receives Board of Regents
approval
MGM Resorts International has revealed that its new
collaboration with the Nevada System of Higher Education
(NSHE) has received Nevada Board of Regents approval, as it
aims to bring expanded educational benefits to its almost
72,000 employees throughout the US...
Read more from CasinoBeats.com
IndyMatters Episode 48: Chancellor Thom Reilly
Editor Jon Ralston and Managing Editor Elizabeth Thompson
talk with the head of the higher education system about UNLV
President Len Jessup’s departure, the future of medical
school Dean Barbara Atkinson (it appears short there) and
the future of the system. Lots of newsy, provocative
stuff...
Listen to full interview
Nevada Politics Today: Thom Reilly interview
Victor Joecks talks to Thom Reilly about Len Jessup leaving
UNLV and other topics about the school...
Watch full interview on LVRJ
Like Nobody's Business: NSHE Chancellor Thom
Reilly
Chancellor Thom Reilly has high hopes for Nevada
colleges
Thom Reilly believes there is no more time to waste. The
Nevada System of Higher Education chancellor has been on the
job for only two months, but he has a bevy of goals ready
for the state Board of Regents meetings this week...
Read more from the LVRJ
Child Welfare: Thom Reilly discusses system to protect
children and families
Thom Reilly, director of ASU Morrison Institute for Public
Policy, discusses his leadership and strategies in rallying
community engagement for foster-care children in Nevada...
Watch full interview on Vimeo
Former Clark County Manager Thom Reilly tapped as
chancellor of higher education system
Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education voted
unanimously on Monday to approve Thomas “Thom” Reilly,
formerly the top administrator of Clark County, as their
next chancellor...
Read more from the Nevada Independent
How politically polarized media is driving our
alternative realities
These days, where Americans get their news is as different
as how they vote. Researchers have found that the
proliferation of news sources on cable TV and the internet
has upended the relationship between news outlets and their
audiences...
Watch report on PBS NewsHour
How CEO of public nonprofit walked away with nearly $2.2
million in last two years
In his six years leading ElectriCities, Graham Edwards won
changes to his employment contracts that dramatically
increased his compensation as he neared retirement from one
of the best-paying jobs connected to state or local
government...
Read more from newsobserver.com
How Jim Harbaugh could become a $10 million coach
An already exceptional year in Michigan football coach Jim
Harbaugh’s contract and an exceptional year by Michigan’s
football team would produce this extraordinary outcome...
Read more from USA Today
The Republican Party’s Strategy to Ignore Poverty
Arizona, where I was born, in July became the first state to
cut poor families’ access to welfare assistance to a maximum
of 12 months over a lifetime. That’s a fifth of the time
allowed under federal law, and means that 5,000 more people
will lose their benefits by next June.
Read more from NY Times
Public Safety, Pension Reformists Battle Over Complex
Phoenix Proposition
As the sun set on a recent weekday evening, a group of
firefighters were navigating through a North Phoenix
neighborhood. They were going door to door, always
delivering a similar pitch...
Read more from KJZZ.org
Newspaper Column: Nevada Public Sector Worker Gets Nearly
Double The Pay And Benefits Of A Private Sector
Worker
We already knew Nevada’s state and local government
employees have generous pension benefits, but now a
researcher at the American Enterprise Institute has done the
calculations and found Nevada’s public pensions are the
richest in the nation...
Read more from 4th ST8
Power plays muddy selection of water czar
When it comes to choosing a leader for Nevada’s biggest
water agency the process is as clear as Lake Mead mud...
Read more from the LVRJ
North Las Vegas Pushed To The Wall
Back in 2006, when times were rosier and any inkling of a
catastrophic economic downturn was just peeking through on
the horizon, I did an article about the economic growth
plans of the city of North Las Vegas...
Read more from Las Vegas CITYLIFE
To Reduce Costs, NLV And Las Vegas Agree To Share
Services More Widely
North Las Vegas and Las Vegas already share a border and a
jail. Now the two cities will look at other areas...
Read more from the Las Vegas Sun
Portland Vacation Perk Doles Out $2 Million Worth Of Paid
Time Off
Anna Kanwit, Portland's human resources director, says she
works hard: 60 hours in any given week and sometimes on
Sundays...
Read more from Oregon Live
Indian River County Government Employees Can Get Big
Bucks For Unused Sick, Vacation Time
Local government employees cashed in almost $11.3 million in
unused sick and vacation time since 2007 while officials
were forced to cut staff and services amid a prolonged
economic slump...
Read more from TCPALM
Police Seek Sales Tax Boost To Hire More Cops
Clark County consumers could pay more for everything from
accordions to zippers if police can persuade the state
Legislature to approve their plan to tap a new sales tax
aimed at putting more police on the street...
Read more from LVRJ
Indian River County Government Employees Can Get Big
Bucks For Unused Sick, Vacation Time
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Local government employees cashed in
almost $11.3 million in unused sick and vacation time since
2007 while officials were forced to cut staff and services
amid a prolonged economic slump...
Read more from TCPALM MOBILE
Commissioners Rain On RTC-Union Dance; They Had
To
It was a bizarro episode of a government meeting Thursday,
when the hot topic was the proposed contract between the
Regional Transportation Commission and the Service Employees
International Union...
Read more from the LVRJ
Bankrupt Stockton Confronts Cost Of Public
Employees
Last Thursday, the city of Stockton, California became the
largest in U.S. history to declare bankruptcy. Experts say
that it’s only the beginning of a very widespread problem...
Read more from KNPR
Moose Miller From Minnesota Local CBS Interviews
Thom
Listen to the show at Minnesota Local CBS
California Pension Cuts May Have Ripple Effect
Decisive victories for ballot proposals cutting retirement
benefits for government workers in two of the largest cities
in the U.S. emboldened advocates seeking to curb pensions in
state capitols and city halls across the nation...
Read more from Businessweek
Time To Rethink Public Sector Pay, Finally
Thom Reilly was manager of Clark County Nevada from 2001 to
2006; he got out just before the crash. When it comes to
understanding our insane economic world or municipal labor
contracts and benefits, he has an insider's understanding...
Listen to the interview on the Financial Survival
Network
Live And Local With Kevin Wall 05/21/12: Public Sector
Jobs
Thom Reilly is the Former CEO of Clark County and breaks
down the difference in pay between public and private
employees...
Listen to the show (Hour 1)
Thom Reilly Calls For Changes In The Public Pension
System
Former Clark County Manager, Thom Reilly explains the need
for changes in the way the public sector is run...
Watch the Video on Fox 5 Local Las Vegas
Ensuring The Security Of Future San Diego Workers
The latest battle in what's been called San Diego’s Pensions
Wars will takes place at the ballot box on June 5th...
Read more from KPBS.org
The Ex-County Manager On The Public-Employee Compensation
Crisis, How To Fix It And The One Job He’ll Never
Have
During Thom Reilly’s tenure as Clark County’s CEO from
2001-06, local unemployment was low, spirits were high and
government coffers were overflowing with cash...
Read more from Weeklyseven.com
Frustrated with political system, Gen Z voters not giving up
In the November 2024 election, almost 41 million members of Generation Z (under age 30) will be eligible to vote nationally...
Read article on AZCapitolTimes.com
Nevada is a battleground state – and may be a bellwether of
more extreme partisanship
Over the course of Nevada history, no one party has dominated
the state’s politics, and its electorate has remained
surprisingly balanced in its political leanings...
Read article on TheConversation.com
Nonpartisan Election Administration Is the Norm in Other
Democracies. Why Not Here?
As a new Arizona survey shows, voters want to take the
partisanship out of how top state and local election officials
are chosen. The system we use now erodes public trust...
Read article on Governing.com
Focus on Poverty
Comparing Outcomes 20 Years Apart: Transitioning Out of Foster
Care for Emerging Adults
Read full report
Independent voters can be decisive in elections - but
they're pretty unpredictable, not 'shadow partisans'
In the end there was no red wave. And there was no blue wave.
There was an independent wave...
Read more from TheConversation.com
Good faith and the honor of partisan election officials
used to be enough to ensure trust in voting results - but
not anymore
As the U.S. moves closer to the 2022 midterm elections, a
sizable number of Americans express a lack of confidence in
the accuracy of the vote count...
Read more from The Conversation
Four ways the Biden administration should reach out to
independents
So-called independent voters, or those who do not identify as
Republicans or Democrats, made up more than two-fifths of the
electorate as the new year began...
Read more from thefulcrum.com
The Murky World of ‘Official Time’ in Government
"Official time," or union business leave (UBL), is widely
practiced at all levels of government...
Read more from Governing.com
COMMENTARY: Collaboration key to attacking Southern
Nevada’s homeless issue
Problems of homelessness in the Las Vegas Valley and across
the nation remain huge and complex...
Read more from the LVRJ
Education partnership aims to improve college and career
readiness
It’s no secret that education in the state of Nevada is a hot
topic. Everyone – from teachers and administrators to parents
and students – agrees that education is foundational to our
state’s future success...
Read more from the Nevada Independent
Our Turn: Arizona's independents can bridge political
divide
Voters today are not so much shaped by news as the news is
shaped for them. In cafeteria-style format, we consume news
from a personalized menu that, in addition to informing us,
satisfies our appetite for reinforcing our individual beliefs.
Read more from azcentral.com
Court rulings show fate of state pensions likely in voters’
hands
Voters may be tasked with ultimately deciding the fate of
state pensions after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled for a
second time that provisions of a 2011 reform law passed by the
Legislature are unconstitutional.
Read more from azcapitoltimes.com
A Better Way to Set Public Pay
Too few local governments are taking advantage of a valuable
tool: benchmarking compensation among their public- and
private-sector peers...
Read more from governing.com
First step to fix pension woes: Proper accounting
Officials from Nevada’s Public Employees Retirement System
recently announced that the system saw a 12.4 percent increase
in value in the fiscal year that ended June 30, beating its 8
percent goal...
Read more from Las Vegas Sun
Nevada Taxpayers Association
My years in both state and local government have made me a
passionate non-partisan. I stand before you today believing
very strongly that the policies and financial issues
surrounding public pay and benefits are bipartisan issues and
the failure to make needed reforms will have a profound impact
on the ability of state and local government to function
effectively...
Read entire keynote
Students schooled in global citizenship
We live in an increasingly global economy characterized not
only by the free movement of goods and services but also the
free movement of ideas and capital...
Read more from The San Diego Union-Tribune
Thom Reilly on the importance of addressing Nevada’s health
care crisis now, before it’s too late
Despite a sustained period of economic prosperity and
substantial job creation in Nevada for the past decade, our
state faces serious challenges related to our health care
system, including an unacceptably large number of uninsured
and underinsured citizens and a serious workforce shortage of
health care professionals...
Read more from The Las Vegas Sun
Why is it so hard to know how many independent voters there are?
Modern U.S. politics has largely been viewed through the lens of a two-party power structure: Democrats and Republicans. However, this may be changing...
Read article on TheConversation.com
Legislative inaction and dissatisfaction with one-party
control lead to more issues going directly to voters in
ballot initiatives, with 60% of them in six states
Recent polls show Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with
their system of representative democracy, in which they choose
candidates to represent their interests once in office...
Read article on theconversation.com
Consensus and Concern in Arizona's Hot Political Climate:
Voter Attitudes About Elections
Do voters have confidence in our election system? What is
their level of support for election integrity and election
reform measures?
Read Full Article
A Better Way to Help Young Adults Transition from Foster
Care
They face many a myriad of negative outcomes, ranging from
homelessness to involvement with the criminal justice system
and unplanned pregnancies. But one county’s approach shows
promise in helping these youth build better lives...
Read more from Governing.com
Voters largely reject election deniers as secretaries of
state – but the partisan battle for election administration
will continue
Midterm voters in six states – Arizona, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont – appear to have
rejected extremist secretary of state candidates who denied
the validity of the 2020 presidential election...
Read more from The Conversation
The important role played by secretaries of state in
administering fair elections is changing – and not in a good
way
The state officials who administer fair, accessible and secure
elections have historically operated quietly without garnering
much public attention...
Read more from The Conversation
Can Independents Be a Bridge Over Our Partisan
Divide?
When partisans include independents in their networks, they're
less likely to live in alternative media realities and more
likely to moderate their views, a new study suggests...
Read more from governing.com
“I can’t breathe” – NSHE’s statement on George Floyd’s
Death
I, like many of you, have been profoundly disturbed by the
recent deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery that have led
to days of civil unrest...
Read more from Nevada.edu
NSHE Statement on SCOTUS LGBTQ Ruling
Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision clearly underlines
that federal law now protects our LGBTQ students, staff, and
faculty’s right to fairness...
Read more from Nevada.edu
COMMENTARY: Revisiting remedial education in Nevada
While not everyone needs a four-year degree, some type
of postsecondary education — certificate or two-year degree —
is needed in our growing and demanding skill-based Nevada job
market...
Read more from The LVRJ
COMMENTARY: Time is now to protect Nevada’s
Dreamers
We are a nation of immigrants. Nowhere is this more evident
than in Nevada. Our state is home to people who have moved
here to make a better life for themselves and their
families...
Read more from LVRJ
My Turn: Lessons from a deeply corrupt city
"Corruption on steroids" is how Los Angeles District Attorney
Steve Cooley described the city of Bell, Calif., a tiny
enclave of 37,000 people in Los Angeles County...
Read more from azcentral.com
Government’s Continuing Budget-Buster: Paid Sick
Leave
While paid sick leave is critical to economic security and
health for employees and their families, its impact is even
more far-reaching -- even contagious...
Read more from governing.com
Why We Need to Re-Think Public Employees’
Compensation
Traditional public pensions widen the public-private pay gap,
and they aren't a good fit for a younger government
workforce...
Read more from governing.com
Nevada's public employee compensation needs reform
now
Nevada's pension system is one of the most generous public
employee retirement plans in the nation...
Read more from LVRJ
The Carter Presidential Library and Museum
presentation
June 21, 2012 - A broken system...
Read entire presentation
Why consolidation is not a panacea
Due to the economic crisis and severe budget shortfalls facing
Clark County and local cities, there has been renewed
conversation at the state and local levels for the
consolidation of governments in Southern Nevada...
Read more from The Las Vegas Sun
What’s at stake this Election Day – 7 essential reads
As Election Day closes in, uncertainty and concern about
potential chaos – from violence at polling sites to candidates
refusing to accept defeat – continue to rise...
Read more from The Conversation
We must radically change election administration to
preserve American democracy
The bipartisan agreement in the Senate to reform the Electoral
Count Act is a hopeful sign that the next election for
president will be less susceptible to corrupt influence...
Read more from thehill.com
NSHE Lauds Supreme Court DACA Decision
NSHE and its students were greeted with uplifting news
Thursday morning as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of
keeping open the federal Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA) program.
Read more from Nevada.edu
NSHE improves odds for former Nevada foster children:
Reilly
The odds have never been good for the thousands of Nevada
children who enter the foster care system due to abuse,
neglect or abandonment by families...
Read more from Reno Gazette Journal
Gamechangers? Independent Voter May Rewrite The Political
Playbook.
Like the thick glass shakers of salt and pepper that dominate
kitchen, diner and banquet tables where modern U.S. politics
often are discussed and debated, elections and governance
largely have been viewed through the lens of a seemingly
impenetrable two party power structure: Republicans and
Democrats.
Read Full OP-ED
Voters, Media & Social Networks
Sociologists have long established that our media consumption
and circle of friends can in uence our individual political
opinions and perspectives. To better understand that
relationship, Morrison Institute for Public Policy conducted a
pre-election survey and separate post-election focus groups in
Arizona regarding how the interaction of news and social
networks a ect voters in their gathering and discussion of
political-related information...
Read full OP-ED
Viewpoints: The plan to prevent Arizona child
neglect
Child neglect is less visible than child abuse. But it’s a
similarly dangerous type of child maltreatment in that the
resulting negative outcomes too often last a lifetime...
Read more from azcentral.com
Viewpoints: How to solve Arizona's pension crisis
Pension reform is complicated, particularly with Arizona's
constraints. Here's how we can get around them...
Read more from azcentral.com
TANF cuts: Is Arizona shortsighted in its dwindling support
for poor families?
Arizona’s recently adopted budget for fiscal year 2015-16
includes dramatic reductions in assistance to low-income
families with children.
Read more from The Morrison Institute
Giving shelter: Promising news on homeless front
Let’s talk about homelessness. But wait — this time,
remarkably enough, the news is promising...
Read more from San Diego Tribune
More transparency needed for city’s pension reform
It is of little surprise that the Comprehensive Pension Reform
(CPR) initiative (which replaces guaranteed pensions for most
city workers with a 401(k)-style plan, freezes base pay for
city workers and removes special pay from counting toward
pension calculations) is appearing on the June ballot in San
Diego and garnering a good deal of citizen support...
Read more from U-T San Diego
Thom Reilly: Intermountain states must unite, seek federal
help
A recent report by the Brookings Institution, a Washington
think tank, suggests the southern Intermountain West states —
Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah — should team
up, flex their collective political muscle and together insist
the federal government work more helpfully with them to create
more sustainable, deliberate policies to empower their growing
urban areas...
Read more from The Las Vegas Sun
Should county recorder’s office be eliminated?
One thing that frustrates all of us is that many interactions
with government require standing in a line. Sometimes we go
through one line at a governmental agency, only to find out
that we need to go to yet another line...
Read more from The Las Vegas Sun
Where I Stand — Guest Columnist Thom Reilly: Building
citizen trust
TOO OFTEN I hear, "What is government going to do to fix this
problem in our community?" The problems vary depending on the
community issue and whom they affect...
Read more from The Las Vegas Sun