Two Carson City residents have said they will seek the Assembly District 40 seat currently held by P.K. O’Neill.
Former longtime Carson City treasurer Al Kramer and Chris Forbush are entering the race. O’Neill has said he will seek re-election.
Kramer on Friday said he will work to ensure Nevada’s tax dollars are “spent with the greatest efficiency and effectiveness on services that really need to be provided by the state.”
He said Nevada must become a more business friendly state to grow the economy and the new commerce tax isn’t business friendly and is “a step in the wrong direction.” He said the other tax increases approved by the 2015 Legislature should make it unnecessary to further increase any taxes. But he said he has no intention of signing the no taxes pledge.
“Business friendly also means we need a highly trained workforce and means we need an affordable university and community college system where the average Nevadan can prepare for jobs with Tesla and other employers coming to this state,” he said.
He also said Nevada has enough gun laws on the books but supports background checks.
“Studies need to be done to see how we can keep guns out of the hands of those with mental disorders without infringing on the constitutional rights of everyone else,” he said.
Kramer served 20 years as Carson City’s elected treasurer before returning to the state treasurer’s office to manage investments.
Kramer also served five years in the U.S. Army, retiring from the reserves as a captain.
Forbush said the reason for his candidacy is O’Neill’s vote for the 2015 tax package.
“You can’t squeeze a small business or people who produce and provide jobs and simultaneously expect a community or state to prosper,” said Forbush, a Republican like O’Neill. He said his first campaign act was to sign the taxpayer pledge.
He also said he believes “further gun control is a violation of my rights under the Second Amendment and I am not ashamed to speak out against it and push back.”
He’s a recent graduate of Brigham Young University law school but, according to the state bar website, hasn’t yet been admitted to the Nevada bar.