Issue Position: Creating New Jobs

Issue Position

Nevada suffered more than any other state during the Great Recession. We have made tremendous progress, but there is still much more we can do.

In 2013, I sponsored and passed the Nevada New Markets Jobs Act.

This landmark legislation will create hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs and up to $200 million in new capital investment by providing tax credits to businesses and industries that invest capital and create jobs in Southern Nevada.

In Nevada, all employers once paid a payroll tax on wages paid to employees. I have always believed this is a disincentive to hiring. In 2013, I led the fight to pass legislation that cut payroll taxes for all Nevada businesses and eliminated the payroll tax for 75 percent of Nevada businesses. I also supported legislation to allow businesses a tax deduction for hiring Nevadans off the unemployment lines.

Nevada infrastructure projects, such as roads and bridges, are partly funded with the tax dollars of Nevadans. I believe we should hire Nevadans for those jobs. That's why I supported legislation to provide preferences to firms that hire Nevadans and purchase materials in Nevada.

Economic development is key to job creation. That's why I supported a dramatic overhaul of Nevada's economic development structure. This legislation created the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Catalyst Fund, which is used to provide grants and loans to businesses that expand operations in Nevada or relocate to our state.

Our strategies are working. Recently, Nevada was selected as one of six development sites for the $11 billion Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) industry. This is expected to create up to 15,000 new high-paying jobs over the next decade in Nevada.

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