Ballot Battleground: Nevada - KRNV

Latest Episodes:

Mail time! Answering listener questions on public lands, no tax on tips, GSR arena and 2026 midterms with Chris Murphy May 14, 2025

Show notes

It's mail time at Ballot Battleground: Nevada. This week, we're digging through the listener mailbag for the first time in 2025 with News 4 and Fox 11 morning show anchor Chris Murphy.

Ben and Chris answer questions ranging from public lands bills and no tax on tips to special sessions at the Nevada legislature and yes - the 2026 midterms.

Not to mention the GSR arena, jackpot thresholds and which Aces team is more likely to win the championship this season.

Do you have questions for our next mailbag? Send them to bjmargiott@sbgtv.com and put Ballot Battleground: Nevada in the subject line.

Sen. Jacky Rosen on tariffs, deportations, voter ID and federal lands bills

Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei on tariffs, Signalgate, DOGE, immigration and more

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Is Nevada in a budget shortfall? With top state lawmakers Steve Yeager and Robin Titus Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

It's almost time to get down to brass tax in Carson City as we're a little over two-thirds of the way through the 83rd legislative session.

The massive list of bills has been whittled down somewhat, but perhaps more important than what legislation gets passed is passing a balanced budget.

With revenues lagging behind expectations, it seems Nevada may be in a budget crunch this session. How bad is it? How do both sides want to weather the storm?

This week, host Ben Margiott talks about the budget crunch with top state lawmakers from both parties — Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D) and Senate minority leader Robin Titus (R).

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Sen. Jacky Rosen on tariffs, deportations, voter ID and federal lands bills Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

Jacky Rosen is back in the U.S. Senate for a second term representing the Silver State - after she barely hung on to her seat amid the red wave.

Democrats are in the minority in both the Senate and House, but Senator Rosen says they’re finding their footing when it comes to pushing back on tariffs, deportations, DOGE and more.

This episode, host Ben Margiott sits down with Senator Rosen for an extended one-on-one conversation on all of that - not to mention her opinion of a new voter ID proposal, the criticism of her Washoe County lands bill and how her first job as a cocktail waitress on the Vegas Strip informs her work in Congress.

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Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei on tariffs, Signalgate, DOGE, immigration and more Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

Longtime northern Nevada Representative Mark Amodei, fresh off his 2024 re-election, is now part of the GOP's slim House majority in President Donald Trump's second term.

It's been a busy start, from the back-and-forth over enacting tariffs, DOGE cuts, deportations, Medicaid, the Signal group chat controversy and much more.

Where does Amodei stand on these issues? This week, host Ben Margiott sits down with him for a one-on-one interview you will only hear on Ballot Battleground: Nevada.

In a wide-ranging interview, Ben asks for Amodei's positions on a number of major issues affecting Nevadans - and gets some news about 2026 at the very end.

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Are Nevada leaders doing enough to solve the affordable housing crisis? With the Guinn Center Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

A fast-growing state, lagging incomes and a limited supply of developable land created an affordable housing crisis in Nevada before the pandemic hit. Supply chain constraints and construction costs experienced during COVID-19 only exacerbated the issue.

In the pandemic's wake, have our elected leaders done enough to solve the affordable housing crisis? What's it going to take to put Nevada on a sustainable path to boost housing supply into the foreseeable future? And are our leaders pushing the right buttons or advancing limited solutions?

The nonpartisan Guinn Center recently released the report on housing affordability in Nevada. This episode, the center's executive director Jill Tolles and one of the authors Dr. Nic Irwin join host Ben Margiott to take a deep dive on housing affordability in the Silver State.

Full report: Housing Affordability in Nevada: An Economic Analysis and Policy Considerations

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Uprise Fiber internet scandal - where is the $9 million? With News 4 evening anchor Joe Hart Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

Residents of a small Nevada town were promised high-speed fiber internet from Reno-based Uprise Fiber. Nearly 3 years later, there is no progress whatsoever and $9 million allocated to the project by the state is missing. Now, investigations have been launched and the story has shifted to the Nevada legislature. The story may not have been uncovered and certainly would not have received the amount of attention it has if not for the dogged efforts of KRNV News 4 evening anchor and investigative reporter Joe Hart. This episode, host Ben Margiott and Joe walk listeners through the Uprise Fiber scandal from the start. How did this happen? Who is to blame? Are the people responsible being held accountable? And how can the state put in safeguards to prevent this from happening again?

Uprise owner resigns from family business amid News 4 investigation into missing funds

Probe launched as $9.1M Lovelock internet plan unravels, raising accountability worries

Nevada senator raises alarm over missing $9 million in fiber optic project

'We're done,' staffer abruptly ends interview with News 4 over failed fiber optic project

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Eggs, Daylight Saving Time and Medicaid: What’s happened so far in the 2025 Nevada legislative session? Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

What's happened so far in the 2025 Nevada legislature? From a fast-tracked egg prices bill and ending Daylight Saving Time to possible Medicaid cuts, there's been a flurry of activity recently after a few slow weeks to start. One month in, we thought it would be a great time to check in on the biggest debates of the 83rd session with two of the best legislative reporters.

The Nevada Independent's Tabitha Mueller and Nevada Public Radio's Paul Boger join host Ben Margiott for another remote podcast inside the legislative building in Carson City to get you up to speed on the first month of #nvleg.

Don't know how the Nevada legislature works? Listen to our last episode: Nevada Legislature 101 with veteran lobbyist Will Adler

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Nevada Legislature 101 with veteran lobbyist Will Adler Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

The clock is ticking at the 83rd session of the Nevada legislature, which kicked off last week in Carson City. Before we dive into the nitty gritty of the session, we wanted to start with an approachable, easy-to-understand primer for people who are brand new to #nvleg. How does our unusual citizen legislature work? How does a bill become a law? And how does the building really operate?

Veteran lobbyist Will Adler, principal of Silver State Government Relations, joins host Ben Margiott for a laid-back Silver State civics class. Ben and Will explain the ins and outs of the Nevada legislature in simple terms for people who are interested in following the process for the first time.

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Gov. Joe Lombardo's former chief of staff Ben Kieckhefer on his second State of the State speech Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to season 2 of Ballot Battleground: Nevada! We'll kick off season 2 with a deep dive on the first major political event of the odd years in Nevada politics - the Governor's State of the State address.

That speech sets the stage for what's to come in the upcoming legislative session. This week, we have the perfect guest to give us some insight - former Lombardo chief of staff Ben Kieckhefer.

Kieckhefer has worn many hats over his years in Nevada politics — Associated Press reporter, Reno-area Senator and Nevada Gaming Commission member, just to name a few.

This week, Ben joins host Ben Margiott to chat about what the governor hoped to accomplish in his State of the State address, his 2025 legislative priorities, the structural budget errors and Lombardo's governing strategy.

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Ballot Battleground: Nevada Season 2 Trailer Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

We're back! Season 2 of Ballot Battleground: Nevada returns on January 29 with a renewed focus on getting regular people more informed and involved in their government. With the 2024 election behind us, host Ben Margiott will now focus on how the newly elected officials are using their power. Will they fulfill the lofty promises made on the campaign trail? Or will they find those goals not feasible in reality? Will the policies they enact truly make Nevada a better place? Or could they backfire with unintended consequences?

Ben will interview the biggest lawmakers, advocates and power players of Nevada politics - as well as the voters that are affected by policies. Together, they'll examine and explain the Nevada legislature, federal policies, the practical effect of passed ballot measures and yes — eventually the 2026 midterms.

New episodes will drop every other Wednesday - starting January 29.

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Full report: Housing Affordability in Nevada: An Economic Analysis and Policy Considerations

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