Senate panel hears $800,000 request to fund Nevada Center for Civic Engagement programs

Senator Marilyn Dondero Loop, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and sponsor of Senate Bill 133, introduced a proposal that would appropriate $800,000 to the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement to support statewide civics education programs.

The funding would be dedicated to programs the center runs or supports, including We the People, National History Day, Civics in Action Summits and Kids Vention. The bill, as presented, also incorporates programs previously run by Voices in Voting under the center's umbrella. Dondero Loop told the committee the appropriation will help “support civic education programs across the state for the students and adults.”

The bill would include reporting and audit provisions: upon acceptance of funds the center must prepare an annual report describing each expenditure for the interim finance committee, and, upon request from the Legislative Commission, make records available to the legislative auditor.

Christine Hall, executive director of the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement, told senators the center used prior state funding to expand year‑round professional learning for teachers, adding roughly 60 regularly participating teachers in the last biennium and supplying curricular materials to participating schools. Hall said the center estimates it currently reaches between 6,000 and 10,000 students per year through the teachers it trains and hopes, if funded, to expand programming from 10 school districts to at least 15 districts and double annual student impact to about 20,000 students per year.

Supporters who testified at the hearing included representatives from the Nevada Association of School Boards, Nevada Association of School Superintendents, the Nevada State Education Association, Clark County School District staff, alumni of We the People, and other community members. Tom Clark, speaking for the Reno‑Sparks Chamber of Commerce and the Nevada Association of School Boards, said, “We need to expand these programs,” and Andrew McKay, a former treasurer of the center's board, described civic education as teaching students “how to listen” and urged continued legislative support.

Committee members asked for financial transparency and details about the center’s governance. Hall said the center has an 11‑member board and that its end‑of‑year financial report and the materials submitted to the interim finance committee are available online; she also said the center used previous state funds to leverage additional grant funding.

No committee vote was recorded at the hearing; the bill was presented and discussed during the hearing only. The sponsor and witnesses urged committee members to support the appropriation so the center could scale teacher professional learning, broaden district participation, and expand student access to civic education opportunities.

With questions answered and public testimony complete, Chair Dondero Loop closed the hearing on SB133 and moved on to the next agenda item.