Amodei wants new House Speaker who supports Nevada lands bills

City moving forward with land acquisition under previous lands bill while current bill awaits in Congress

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

Congressman Mark Amodei voted not to remove Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, but when it comes to choosing a replacement, Amodei said that any candidate for the position who wants his vote will have to support Nevada lands bills.

House membership voted 216-210 Tuesday to remove McCarthy as Speaker of the House.

In a statement he released Wednesday, Amodei said that means the next week will be full of jostling between candidates to see who will be elected speaker.

“I urge any candidate for speaker looking for my support to commit to delivering results for Nevada, including ensuring all Nevada lands bills are made a priority and advanced to the floor,” Amodei said.

Last May, Amodei reintroduced the Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, legislation which will allow for the conveyance of federal lands to Douglas County, Pershing County, Carson City, the City of Fernley, the City of Sparks, and the Incline Village General Improvement District (IVIGD) for public purposes and economic development.

The Fernley portion of that bill would allow the City of Fernley to acquire land within the city that is currently owned by the Federal government, to be used for economic or community development purposes.

While the City is waiting for that bill to make its way through Congress, it’s moving forward to acquire land it was authorized to purchase by another lands bill passed by Congress in 2014.

On Aug. 16^th, the Fernley City Council approved a contract with Wood Rodgers for $291,000 over a period of two to three years to assist the City with the conveyance of 10 parcels under the 2014 “Conveyance to the City of Fernley, NV”, which was included in that year’s National Defense Authorization Act. That bill required the Bureau of Land Management to convey to the City of Fernley approximately 9,779 acres of public lands.

At that meeting, city councilman Ryan Hanan said a developer as purchased private land adjacent to some of those parcels in anticipation of purchasing the federal land to be acquired.

“There are developers ready to write a check,” added mayor Neal McIntyre.