Sheila Leslie served previously as a State Assemblywoman for 12 years, representing District 27, and also served two years as the State Senator for Washoe District 1.  She has successfully sponsored dozens of bills during her legislative tenure, especially in the area of health and human services, education, and the environment.

Sheila is employed as the Specialty Courts Manager for the 2^nd Judicial District Court where she supervises the Drug Courts (Adult, Family, and Juvenile), Re-Entry Court, Felony DUI Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court.  These Specialty Courts serve more than 1200 defendants each year through supervised substance abuse and mental health treatment programs utilizing a collaborative team approach.

Sheila has an extensive background in non-profit work, previously serving as the Executive Director of the Children’s Cabinet.  She has a Masters Degree in Spanish Language and Literature and is the author of many articles and studies on human services issues. 

Sheila has received numerous awards for her public service, including:

• 2012 Senator of the Year, NV Conservation League
• 2009 Public Affairs Champion, March of Dimes Nevada Chapter
• 2007 Public Health Legislator of the Year, UNLV School of Public Health
• 2003 Veterans Hero, NV Veterans Service Commission
• 2002 Legislator of the Year, NV State Psychological Association

ISSUES

Education

Nevada needs to continue to strengthen our educational system at all levels, from pre-Kindergarten through post-graduate work.  Our investment in education benefits all of us and is vital to attracting good businesses and improving our quality of life.

As someone who benefited from the investment of others in education, having earned a graduate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, I know the difference a good teacher can make.

My daughter, Emma, is a third-generation graduate of Reno High School and went on to graduate from a prestigious college, fully prepared by her education in the Washoe County School District.  She will start graduate school at Georgetown University this fall. I want all of Nevada’s children to be able to access the same quality of education my family has received.

We need to value teachers by paying them well and holding them accountable for meeting high-quality educational standards.  We must teach our children respect for the educational process and encourage parents to actively engage in their child’s education.

I will continue to do all I can to protect classroom funding during this protracted budget crisis, including funding for class-size reduction, education innovation, and early childhood education.  I plan to continue my record of strong support for adequate funding for textbooks and instructional supplies.

Schools must also be safe in order for children to learn.  One of my first successful bills in the 1999 Legislative session was AB 382, which expanded peer mediation and conflict resolution programs.  These programs help our youth learn how to resolve conflicts peacefully and offer a structure for learning which enhances the school environment for everyone.

In the 2011 Legislative session Senator David Parks and I sponsored several anti-bullying bills to ensure our schools take this growing problem seriously and implement a comprehensive prevention strategy.  SB 276 was passed, providing for collection of data and interventions to ensure safe and respectful learning environments in all our public schools.

Nevada’s Green Economy

I believe Nevada needs to transition to a Green Economy, featuring an expansion of jobs in the renewable energy sector, assistance to homeowners to retrofit their homes for green energy efficiency, and a system of tax incentives to make Nevada more competitive in attracting the renewable industry.

During the 2009 Legislative session, I successfully sponsored AB 186 to allow Nevada residents to contract with a renewable energy business to install renewable energy systems.  Black Rock Solar, a nonprofit installer of renewable energy systems supported the bill along with NV Energy.  Tom Price, executive director of Black Rock Solar, told the Reno Gazette-Journal the new law will spur industry growth:  “What this means is that homeowners and businesses can now use creative financing tools to be able to afford renewable energy without paying everything up front.”

I have also been a leader in the Legislature in creating one of the country’s strongest Renewable Portfolio Standards to stimulate the development of renewable energy resources, especially solar. 

An investment in a new green economy will help to stabilize our state’s economy while reducing demand on fossil fuels.  It’s the right policy for a greener Nevada.

Health Care

I believe access to affordable, quality health care is critical to the citizens of our state.  During the 2007-08 Interim, I served as the chair of the Legislature’s Health Care Committee and organized hearings to investigate the endoscopy scandal in Las Vegas when hundreds of Nevadans were exposed to Hepatitis and other life-threatening diseases.  I then led efforts in the Legislature to make sure health care facilities are inspected more regularly and more thoroughly to protect patients (AB 123, AB 112, and AB 206, 2009).

We need more transparency in our health care system to make sure a tragedy of this kind never happens again in Nevada.  I have worked with a number of community groups to ensure passage of bills that provide data to state regulators to ensure transparency in health care cost and quality (AB 146, 2007) and allow for a more transparent complaint procedure (AB 206, 2009).  In 2011, I sponsored SB 264, a bill that requires data on readmissions of patients to health care facilities due to hospital-acquired infections or other “sentinel events.” 

In 2011, I also successfully sponsored SB 300, a bill that requires hospitals to accept payment from a patients insurance company before a malpractice case is settled, allowing patients to utilize their insurance benefits and avoid paying a hospital’s higher charges (‘billed charges’) through a settlement.

I have also been a leader in the development of policies to protect health care workers, including strengthening whistleblower protection laws (AB 10, 2009) and protecting workers who experience an accidental needle stick (AB 279, 2001).  I also successfully sponsored a bill to protect employment of nurses when they refuse unsafe assignments. (AB 183, 2005).

Insuring children is a high priority for me.  I have supported the implementation and expansion of Nevada Check-Up to help working families access health care for their children.  In the 2009 session, I voted to establish a system for parents to apply electronically for Nevada Check-Up, improving access to the program (SB 4).

Nevada needs to do much better in immunizing our children.  To that end, I have worked hard to improve our system of childhood immunizations, successfully sponsoring a bill to create a centralized immunization registry (AB 410, 2007) to assist parents in properly immunizing their children.

Equal Rights

In 2009, I was instrumental in passing SB 283, perhaps the most historic civil rights legislation in Nevada in half a century, a bill creating domestic partnerships.  Nevada was the 17^th state to recognize domestic partnership relationships, extending most of the rights given to married couples to those in domestic relationships, both gay and straight.  Both the Senate and Assembly overcame a veto by the Governor to enact SB 283 into law.

In 2011, I sponsored SB 331, and co-sponsored and supported two other equal rights bills (SB 368 and AB 211) to provide protection against discrimination in public accommodations, housing, and employment for gay, lesbian, and transgender citizens.

Criminal Justice

I currently work in the criminal justice system as a manager of “specialty courts,” a therapeutic program that addresses alcohol and drug addiction and mental illness when they contribute to criminal behavior.  Addressing the root causes of crime is a cost effective way to reduce crime and redirect lives to more positive outcomes.

While I believe in the value of these programs, I also believe that people must be held accountable for their criminal actions.  To that end, I successfully sponsored a bill to create the crime of vehicular manslaughter (AB 295, 2005), and a bill to enhance penalties for aggravated stalking (AB 363, 1999).

Workplace violence is also a serious crime that must be continually addressed to ensure safety in our daily lives.  In 2001, I sponsored AB 370, to allow employers to obtain temporary and extended orders for protection against harassment in the workplace.

I have worked closely with domestic violence prevention organizations to pursue legislation to increase safety in our families as well.  AB 282 (2007) provides extra protection to domestic animals who are too often harmed in a domestic altercation as a way of exerting power and control in a relationship.

CONTACT

Sheila Leslie Campaign
864 Daniel Dr
Reno, NV 89509
(775) 333-6564

OFFICIAL WEBSITE