MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Richard “Tick” Segerblom, Democrat, running for District 3
In 2001, Nevadans voted to legalize medical marijuana. Lawmakers were supposed to figure out how to get the plants to patients legally, but never did. Assemblyman and Senate hopeful Tick Segerblom wants to change that.
Segerblom’s plan mimicks already-successful systems in place in states such as Colorado and Arizona, which carefully regulate the industry. The plant would be grown by co-ops and businesses, even imported from California, and sold and taxed for profit.
He doesn’t know exactly what system will work for Nevada, but Segerblom is open to “experimentation.” We’ll toke to that.
EQUAL RIGHTS FOR GAYS
Patricia Spearman, D-North Las Vegas, running for District 1
Who better to fight for equal rights than someone with a personal stake in the issue? Spearman, a first-time candidate, has an impressively diverse background: She is a 29-year Army veteran, an evangelist pastor and a lesbian.
Spearman, backed by progressive, environmental and LGBT groups, beat District 1 incumbent Sen. John Lee in the Democratic primary, even though Lee was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Harry Reid.
Spearman has a number of firsts under her belt — the first openly gay candidate to get the nod, and only the second female African-American candidate to run for state Senate.
We’re eager to see what other firsts she accomplishes if elected.
EDUCATION
Joyce Woodhouse, Democrat, running for District 5
A veteran educator herself, Woodhouse understands first-hand the problems schools face. (She served as a principal, teacher and administrator for more than 40 years in Clark County.) If elected, Woodhouse promised to protect funding for education, while also reducing class size and increasing teacher pay. Education, she says, is her No. 1 priority.
CLEAN ENERGY
Aaron Ford, Democrat, running for District 11
Ford is a former math teacher and lawyer who cares about boosting solar, geothermal and wind power in our state not just for our state’s economic well-being, but for the environment. “While recent strides have been made, there is so much more we can do,” says Ford, who has five degrees. We, sir, wholeheartedly agree. KRISTY TOTTEN
