A hearing is set for today in the Republican-backed lawsuit against Nevada's new state legislative maps drawn based on the 2020 census results.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to block the new maps while their lawsuit to overturn them proceeds. That would keep the old district boundaries in place for the primary election in June. They also want the candidate filing period to be delayed, even though it already has begun.

Sadmira Ramic, a voting-rights attorney at the ACLU of Nevada, said the plaintiffs claim the current state legislative maps unfairly split voters in Pahrump.

"The argument that they make is the maps engage in partisan gerrymandering," she said, "and this is diluting the votes of Republican voters."

Attorneys for both sides declined to comment ahead of the hearing. The Nevada Redistricting Commission was charged with drawing districts of equal populations, while keeping communities together - and without diluting the voting power of minority populations.

Rebecca Gill, an associate professor of political science at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, said she thinks the new maps will stand. In 2019, she said, the Supreme Court refused to block gerrymandered maps, saying it is a state issue.

"I think this lawsuit is likely to fail because it deals with partisan gerrymandering," she said, "and the Supreme Court has already said that they aren't going to overturn maps for partisan gerrymandering."

Gill noted that the high court also just let some Alabama redistricting maps stand, despite accusations that the new boundaries show racial bias.

"The court just said in an Alabama case that it is too close to the midterm elections to do anything about the maps," she said, "and that was a case where the maps really were in violation of the law."

The plaintiffs in the Nevada case are not claiming racial gerrymandering. It's unclear when the judge will reach a decision.

In Ohio, the upcoming elections could have a significant effect on public education.

Educators are urging voters to consider how the candidates' policies could shape the future of schools, including everything from how schools are funded to ensuring access to a well-rounded education for all students.

Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, emphasized the importance of participation in this election.

"Virtually every aspect of educators' lives is affected, one way or another, by decisions that either elected politicians or people that they appoint to public office make over our school system," DiMauro pointed out.

The union is stressing the need for elected officials who support public education and show respect for those who make it a career. Critics of the current system point to growing support for school choice initiatives and voucher programs, which divert funds from public schools to allow some parents to pay private-school tuition. The debate continues to shape the discourse around Ohio's education policies.

With 90% of Ohio students in public schools, DiMauro argued elected leaders should be advocates for fair funding for schools and resist efforts to limit curriculum content. He added another key topic is accountability and respect for educators. DiMauro believes supporting teachers is critical for student success.

"We have to make sure that we are attracting and we're retaining good people as educators in the classroom," DiMauro urged. "So that kids really get the kind of individual attention that they need."

He predicted the election will decide not only funding and policies but the future direction of Ohio's education system as a whole.

Nonprofit leaders from around the country gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday, pushing for what they are calling "sweeping democracy reforms," in Georgia and nationwide.

Their focus is on advancing key legislation to secure voting rights and ballot access for all Americans. The measures include the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, which would set national voting standards, including automatic voter registration and two weeks of early voting.

Christine Wood, co-director of a coalition called the Declaration for American Democracy, sees the need as urgent. She said voting barriers have only accelerated since the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court ruling.

"Every year, bills are introduced and passed in state legislatures that we know have a disproportionate impact specifically on communities of color," Wood pointed out. "Especially when you look at things like closing of polling places, putting restrictions on early voting or vote-by-mail."

Georgia has been at the forefront of voting access issues, with laws like 2021's Senate Bill 202, which restricts early voting and ballot drop boxes and criminalizes providing water and food to people waiting in line at polling places.

David Walrod, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, also took to Capitol Hill to advocate for accessible and efficient voting processes. He said safeguarding voting rights should be a bipartisan priority. As an educator, Walrod believes being able to vote without barriers is crucial and reflects the core democratic values taught in schools.

"We recognize that one of the roles of public schools is educating students on the role of the government, and educating students about what it means to live in a democracy," Walrod explained. "Most states have some sort of a civics requirement, some sort of a government participation requirement."

The groups also are advocating for the Native American Voting Rights Act to improve voting access for tribal communities, and the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, seeking full congressional representation for the nearly 700,000 residents of Washington, D.C.


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The highly anticipated debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is tonight, and as Election Day inches closer, more attention is being placed on the role tossup states like Nevada will play.

Harris has launched an "issues" page on her campaign website, outlining a number of her policy decisions and how they differ from Project 2025, the controversial policy playbook issued by a right-wing think tank called the Heritage Foundation. While Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, it has proved to be quite a challenge since many influential Trump loyalists and allies are behind it.

Julie Millican, vice president of Media Matters for America, said the Heritage Foundation has a proven "track record of success."

"They have consistently gotten the majority of their mandates from leadership proposals implemented by incoming Republican administrations, again going back to Reagan," Millican pointed out.

Millican noted in the first year of the Trump administration, the Heritage Foundation touted more than two-thirds of their mandates were enacted under Trump. She emphasized it speaks to why Project 2025 has to be taken seriously, which would revamp or completely eliminate certain federal agencies such as the Department of Education and the National Weather Service.

The debate will be hosted by ABC and will start at 6 p.m. PT.

Millican considers Project 2025 to be what she calls "expansive and extreme," which she said can lead voters to feel overwhelmed. In her perspective, Project 2025 boils down to an agenda of wanting control over many aspects of everyday life.

"There are strict definitions of who it is that can be married," Millican outlined. "There are strict definitions about what women's role is, which is primarily just to have children and raise children, and outside of that they don't have a lot of other worth."

Millican encouraged voters to contrast Project 2025's proposals with their own personal values as it can be an easier and more effective way to determine the impact the playbook could have on the things that matter most to them.


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