LETTERS: Sebelius off-base on ESA exemptions

I read Steve Sebelius' Dec. 2 column, "Schwartz sticks with questionable regulations for ESAs," and I disagree with his conclusions.

Mr. Sebelius objects to the military and kindergarten exemptions, which we have included in our final regulations for Nevada's new Education Savings Accounts. On the first, he may be technically correct. But that's why we held hearings (none of which Mr. Sebelius attended). After hearing from members of military families, our office felt that if we can help, why not?

The Interstate Compact says we should, as do laws of common respect for those who serve. Moreover, our proposed regulations are subject to approval by the Legislative Commission, which should provide comfort that we are acting constitutionally. On the proposed kindergarten exemption, the law expressly states that parents of children ages 7 to 18 can open ESAs and must meet the 100-day requirement. Senate Bill 302, however, is silent on those under age 7. The Distributive School Account that funds public school children — and will fund the ESAs — currently includes an allocation for those in kindergarten. So, logically, the Legislature intended to include them within the purview of SB302 while excluding them from meeting the 100-day requirement. Legislators didn't expressly say that, which is why we added this clarification to the proposed regulations. Again, the Legislative Commission has the final say on the matter.

Finally, Mr. Sebelius criticizes Attorney General Adam Laxalt for failing to opine that the treasurer's office is exceeding its legal authority in proposing these changes. Simply put, the attorney general believes SB302 is constitutional, and he is working closely with us to dismiss the two complaints that have been filed.

In sum, the elected members of the Legislative Commission, not lawyers at the Legislative Counsel Bureau, have the final say. If they approve our proposed rules, then we have acted constitutionally.

Dan Schwartz

Carson City

The author, a Republican, is treasurer of the state of Nevada.

Liberals on guns

Another tragedy occurs and, before there are even any substantiated facts made public, the left is out there calling once again for gun control. These are terrible tragedies, but do they really think that more gun laws are going to resolve anything?

California, the location of this most recent heartbreak, is one of the most restrictive states in the union when it comes to gun laws. We never hear about all the gun deaths that happen every weekend in Chicago and Washington, D.C., with illegal guns (two more places with highly restrictive gun laws).

I have two questions for those on the left, who seem incapable of comprehending cause and effect. First, since guns are manufactured en masse all over the world, how effective would our government be at keeping out illegal guns when it can't stem the flow of illegal drugs? (The two go hand-in-hand.) Second, why can they not seem to figure out that there must be some reason that these evil people always seem to choose liberal-created "gun-free zones" to kill people? Hmm.

Oops, two more questions: Why did Australia's crime rate go up after their government confiscated all the legal guns? And, finally, what does the Obama administration think is happening with those thousands of guns they lost track of in their failed "Fast and Furious" operation? Geniuses, one and all.

And some actually vote to put these people over our domestic and foreign policy.

Todd Gibson

Las Vegas

Reid on NRA

Sen. Harry Reid is once again blaming the NRA and the GOP for the lack of gun control in the wake of the tragedy in San Bernardino ("Reid calls NRA 'quasi-militant wing' of Republican Party," Dec. 4 Review-Journal).

Of course, Sen. Reid and President Barack Obama won't mention that there has been more terrorism and civil unrest in America in the past eight years than any other time since the Civil War. By the way, Mr. Reid and his party controlled Congress for four years. They shoved Obamacare down our throats but did nothing about gun control. I guess it just wasn't convenient at the time.

Robert Brooks

Las Vegas