LAUREN SCOTT NEWS RELEASE
Northern Nevada business consultant and community activist Lauren Scott has filed to run as a Republican candidate for Nevada’s Assembly District 30. Scott works as a consultant to government and private industry, focusing on business development and renewable energy issues. She is also the executive director of Equality Nevada and a leading advocate for civil rights issues in Nevada.
Scott is running for the seat previously held by Democrat Debbie Smith. Formerly a Democrat, Scott registered as a Republican for the first time last year. She decided that as a Republican she can more effectively work to overcome the gridlock in Carson City.
“We need visionary and decisive leaders in Carson City, not legislators beholden to corporate interests. If left unchecked, neoconservative policies will turn Nevada into a corporate-owned wasteland, not a state for the people and their families. I will bring leadership and common sense back to the Republican Party,” Scott said.
The overwhelming focus of her legislative efforts will be on addressing the high levels of unemployment in Nevada, while working to maintain funding for social services and taking a practical approach to tax reform.
Scott continued, “The Republicans want to lower taxes, which decreases revenue and decimates social services and higher education. The Democrats want to spend more for social services by increasing the debt and raising taxes on businesses and the wealthy. Neither action addresses the real problem facing Nevada today, which is high unemployment.”
“We need to do more to make Nevada more attractive to a wide range of businesses. By reducing energy costs, removing barriers to competition, encouraging rural development and supporting Nevada entrepreneurs, we can get Nevada working again. Employed people increase revenues from payroll taxes, sales taxes, property taxes and fuel taxes and depend less on social services. They buy more and spend more, which results in even more economic growth,” Scott added.
Scott was an active-duty member of the US Air Force for nearly seven years. She served three years in Nevada at the Tonopah Test Range as a military firefighter in support of F-117A Stealth Fighter operations. She was awarded two Achievement Medals and a Commendation Medal for her service during Operation Desert Storm. She received an honorable discharge in 1994.
In 2009, Scott founded Equality Nevada, a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and their families. Equality Nevada organized the first LGBT citizen’s lobbyist group during the 2009 legislative session and supported the passage of domestic partnership legislation.
In the 2011 legislative session, she continued to work tirelessly to advance civil rights in Nevada. By working with members of the American Civil Liberties Union, Nevada Women’s Lobby and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and key legislators, she was able to help to secure the passage of additional civil rights legislation.
By working with the Nevada legislature for over three years to successfully pass groundbreaking legislation, Scott has gained a detailed understanding of the legislative process in Nevada. She has been recognized on the floor of both the Assembly and the Senate. If elected, Scott would be the country’s first openly transgender person to serve as a state legislator.
