January 2021 Nevada’s Legislative Opportunities By Mary Lau HE 81ST SESSION state that is facing budgetary OF THE NEVADA challenges as a result of the LEGISLATURE WILL COVID-19 pandemic, but BEGIN IN JUST Nevada also cannot afford Ta few weeks, and yet again to be left behind when the our legislators are facing a economic recovery begins. substantial budget deficit, Even now, in the middle of this time due to the COVID-19 the pandemic, not a day goes pandemic. However, this time, by that there isn’t a news our Nevada legislature has an story about another business opportunity to do more than fleeing California or New York apply a bandage; instead of City. Other states are already another rushed tax hike, it’s Mary Lau, RAN CEO doing the research and time for our legislature to ask until the economy recovers, having conversations to make themselves if Nevada’s system only to continue the cycle. Continued on page 11 of taxation makes sense in This year we have an the post-COVID economy. opportunity to change the INSIDE The COVID pandemic conversation. COVID has Retail: An Old Industry That is has created a perfect storm presented an opportunity for All About Tomorrow ......................2 for Nevada’s state budget Nevada to modernize and First Allocation of that is built on the unsteady optimize to ensure our state COVID-19 in Nevada ......................3 foundation of tourism is competitive in the national Senate Majority Leader dollars. Any time there is Nicole Cannizzaro and and global markets in the Senate Minority Leader a hiccup in the economy future. COVID has brought to James Settelmayer Announce 2021 Legislative Session the cycle repeats. Tourism light that consumer behaviors Committee Assignments...............4 dollars decline, resulting are changing, and our tax COVID-19 in Employment: in layoffs and increasing base is not keeping up. For Can Businesses Require unemployment, followed example, a paperback book Employee Vaccinations? ...............5 by a reduction in sales and purchased in a store is subject NACDS Says HHS’ Alignment of Training Requirements business tax revenues. When to sales tax; however, an Will Enhance Patients’ Access the Legislature convenes, e-book is not. A video game to Vaccinations in Pharmacies ......8 they do their best to plug the purchased in a store is subject Speaker Frierson holes in the budget, justifying to sales tax; a downloaded Announces Committee Assignments for the that the program cuts (or tax video game is not. 2021 Legislative Session ..............9 hikes) are temporary, just Nevada is not the only Retail Association of Nevada • www.rannv.org Retail: An Old Industry That is All About Tomorrow By Andy Peterson ETAIL IS AN the face of uncertainty. a result, retailers extended ANCIENT Obviously, those Black Friday into a month- ART. RETAIL who adapted quickly did long event. Much of it was ACTIVITIES much better than those online but some was in- Rthat are thousands of years who didn’t. Some trends store. old have been discovered which helped included Consumers were able by historians. Goods back omnichannel integration to leisurely compare prices then were fairly essential wherein a seamlessness and products and pick those — animals, grains, tools of evolved between online items up curbside, have sorts, and a million other presence and brick them delivered, or have things various cultures and mortar. them shipped directly to used to survive. Omnichannel is likely to recipients. In North America’s Andy Peterson remain past the pandemic The jury is still out as short history, it was the and seem normal to all to the final Black Friday retailer who provided the could procure most anything involved. numbers, but judging by goods needed to survive they wanted when great Another trend which numbers from the National and thrive, and, more often swathes of the country went seemingly thrived during the Retail Federation results will than not, retailers were the into lockdown. Soon after pandemic has been direct to be respectable. Black Friday most successful people in a the lockdowns eased even consumer marketing. may have changed forever, town or region. the most picked over shelves Old and new brands and it may, depending For example, during were once again full. Retail took advantage of the trend upon results, evolve into an the California Gold Rush held up. and consumers saw the expanded holiday shopping retailers were the most As the new year unfolds, brands show up in social event. stable, trustworthy, we will return to normal even media outlets bypassing Retail has been around and prosperous. Retail though normal may take both online and brick and for a very long time. Times throughout history has some time. This, as we all mortar outlets all together – have changed and 2020 been the cultural glue know, is due to scientists who we can expect the trend to certainly challenged retail. which lubricated the rapidly developed a vaccine. remain in some form. We can only expect a economy and held cultures Once a sufficient number of Black Friday, however, stronger retail year in 2021. ■ together. people get vaccinated, normal was likely the event most Today, in some of is sure to return. impacted as a result of the most uncertain times Scientists, government the many of us have ever officials, economists, and pandemic. experienced, retail has those involved in the rollout, Retailers come through once again. all predict mid-summer as the knew they Retail held up during the point we can consider things wouldn’t pandemic of 2020. There to be “back to normal.” expect door were a few shortages - However, retail may have crushing toilet paper, paper towels, already been “back to normal” consumers and cleaning supplies long before. Retailers were to fill baskets come to mind — but, for forced to quickly figure out before the the most part, consumers how to make things work in sun rose. As 2 ◆ www.rannv.org • Retail Association of Nevada First Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine in Nevada By Liz MacMenamin EVADA UPDATE: 12/7/2020 include front-line medical RECEIVED Nevada is expected to workers and others in the ITS FIRST receive approximately 164,000 public health sector. This DISTRIBUTION doses of COVID-19 vaccine group includes 173,451 Nof 12,675 COVID-19 doses on in December. Doses will people. Tuesday, December 14, 2020. be allocated to Tier One Nevada expects to These were delivered to individuals. Allocations will be implement vaccinations, hospitals to be administered made according to the priority including those in group A & health care workers. The to as outlined in the Nevada’s B, as soon as vaccinations are state is following the federal COVID-19 Vaccination received. guidelines to distribute the Program Playbook. Because vaccinations are first dosages to health care limited, the state will follow workers on the front lines THOSE IN TIER ONE BY the aforementioned list as Liz MacMenamin and then to the long-term PRIORITY ARE: means of scheduling priority. the above individuals, the care facilities in our state. a. General medical and Once Tier One vaccine will then become The state has a public- surgical hospital staff vaccinations are complete, available to healthy adults private partnership with b. Long term care those in Tier Two, including between the ages of 18-64 members of RAN and facilities — staff & residents those considered to be and the remainder of the these members will c. Psychiatric and critical infrastructure public. be assisting with the substance abuse hospitals workforce, will be offered The process is predicted process of getting those d. Emergency medical vaccinations. This will include to take time; many may in long-term care facilities services personnel those in education, public have to wait until spring or vaccinated. e. Frontline public transportation, agriculture midsummer according to The first shipment is health — workforce and and food processors, Candace McDaniel, Bureau expected to cover only volunteers essential retail workers, Chief of Nevada Department about 15 percent of the “Tier f. Laboratory workers logistics and supply chain, of Public and Behavioral 1” community at this time. g. Pharmacists and utilities, communication, Health. More doses are expected pharmacy technicians NDOT, and others. Pharmacists shortly in order to inoculate h. Outpatient and Tier Three will consist or pharmaceutical most of those in this “Tier 1” home health providers of those at increased risk technicians who are willing priority group.. i. Nevada Department for severe illness or of to volunteer in assisting in The public will still have of Corrections — staff acquiring or transmitting the administration of the to wait several months before j. Deployed and mission COVID-19. This will include vaccines should contact the the vaccine is available in large critical personnel who play the homeless, those living in Board of Pharmacy, who has enough quantities in order to essential role in national transitional housing, those been an active participant in be vaccinated. security. with underlying health the safe and effective rollout RAN will be sending k. State and local conditions that are or may of COVID-19 vaccinations. ■ out information to keep its emergency operations — be at increased risk of severe members updated as the managers/staff illness, and the elderly. vaccine becomes available. Tier One recipients Upon completion of ◆ 3 Retail Association of Nevada • www.rannv.org Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and Senate Minority leader James Settelmeyer Announce 2021 Legislative Session Committee Assignments 4 ◆ www.rannv.org • Retail Association of Nevada COVID-19 in Employment: Can Businesses Require Employee Vaccinations? By Laura Jacobsen, McDonald Carano Law Firm ITH THE RECENT reason, it can be required employee accommodation ANNOUNCEMENT only if it is job-related requests. An employer THAT THE and consistent with has a duty to reasonably UNITED STATES business necessity.