Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Caucusing 101: How it works, and where Clinton and Sanders stand on key issues

Hillary Clinton Speaks in Summerlin

Steve Marcus

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes a selfie during a campaign stop Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, at Mountain Shadows Community Center. Nevada Democratic caucuses are Saturday, Feb. 20.

With only two days before the Nevada Democratic caucuses on Saturday, time is running out for undecided voters to pick their favorite candidate for president.

Because of the caucus format, supporters of each campaign will have a chance during the caucus to sway undecided voters or change the minds of voters on the fence.

Since the summer, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have spent much of their time touring Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states with Democratic contests. But they’ve also spent a considerable amount of time in Nevada and talking about Nevada-centric issues, including federal lands, immigration and the ongoing controversy over the future of solar in the state.

Hillary Clinton Visits Las Vegas

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton meets with people in front of a beauty school, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, in Las Vegas. Launch slideshow »

So which candidate better aligns with your views? To recap, here’s where Clinton and Sanders stand on some of the most pressing issues facing Nevada and the nation, as well as a review of where you can see the candidates in the next couple of days and how to caucus.

On the economy

The most pressing issue for Nevadans headed into the caucuses is the economy, according to a recent CNN/ORC poll. Likely caucus goers are split on who would best handle that issue, with 48 percent saying Clinton would handle it better and 47 percent saying Sanders.

Sanders has proposed a 2.2 percent income-based tax on most households to help pay for his single-payer health care plan, in addition to progressive taxes on income in excess of $250,000. He also would implement a 6.2 percent employer tax, which some experts have projected would likely be passed on to workers.

Bernie Sanders Rallies at Bonanza High

Oliver Lomas, 3-months, wears a Bernie Sanders outfit as Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) greets supporters during a rally at Bonanza High School Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016. Nevada Democratic caucuses are Saturday, Feb. 20. Launch slideshow »

Clinton proposes tax increases on the wealthy and corporations to pay for her programs, including a 4 percent surtax on income over $5 million.

Sanders also plans to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2020, while Clinton supports a $12 an hour minimum wage.

On health care

Health care has been one of the biggest issues on which Clinton and Sanders have clashed in recent weeks.

Clinton is in favor of defending the Affordable Care Act while expanding coverage in certain areas. Sanders is in favor of replacing existing health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, with a broader, single-payer system that covers everybody.

Clinton says it would be infeasible to push Sanders' plan through a Republican-controlled Congress.

“My opponent wants us to start all over again, throw us into a contentious national debate,” she said at a rally in Henderson on Saturday.

But many have called Clinton's criticism unfair, since a single-payer system could replace existing government health care programs all in one bill.

Sanders, at a rally Sunday in Las Vegas, praised the Affordable Care Act but emphasized the millions of Americans were still without health care insurance. “I do believe health care is a right," Sanders said, "not a privilege."

On immigration

Almost half of all undocumented immigrants in Clark County qualify for deportation relief under the president’s executive actions on immigration, which both candidates support but which are now before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In addition to supporting comprehensive immigration reform, each candidate also has released detailed plans for handling immigration.

Clinton said she would end family detention and close private detention centers as well as defend the president’s executive actions on immigration, which provide deportation relief for those covered by the Dream Act, as well as parents of Americans and other lawful residents. She has also said she would focus on deporting individuals who pose a threat to public safety.

“I strongly favor comprehensive reform with a path to citizenship, and that's what I would stand up for and fight for as president,” Clinton said in an interview with the Sun in January.

Both candidates agree that immigrants should be able to receive coverage under the Affordable Care Act regardless of their immigration status.

In addition to supporting the president’s executive actions on immigration, Sanders would allow all undocumented immigrants who have been in the US for at least five years to stay in the country without fear of being deported. Sanders also wants to end family detention and private detention centers and advocate for legislation that contains a road map to citizenship.

“How many fields or factories are there where people without legal status are used up and thrown away?” he said during a June appearance in Las Vegas. “We cannot continue to run an economy where millions are made so vulnerable because of their undocumented status. We have to ask ourselves who benefits from this exploitation.”

On federal lands in Nevada

Both candidates support keeping Nevada’s public lands — which comprise more than 80 percent of land in the state — in the hands of the federal government.

“If all of the sudden tomorrow the federal government were to say to all the states where they own land, from the East Coast to the West Coast and Alaska, 'OK, you take care of it,' your state and local taxes would skyrocket, because trying to take care of this and manage it is a big, big proposition,” Clinton said at a rally in Elko, according to the Elko Daily Free Press.

Sanders also has called for ending what he called “sweetheart mining concessions.”

“Public lands should be managed for the benefit and enjoyment of all Americans, and not just the oil and gas, mining, and timber companies that have had disproportionate influence in management decisions on federal lands,” Sanders told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

On the solar controversy in Nevada

Sanders has been focusing on Nevada's solar energy situation on recent trips to the state and even met with a group of laid-off solar workers over the weekend in Reno.

"It is beyond my comprehension what your Public Utility Commission did in Nevada. We should be expanding solar," he said at a Las Vegas rally on Sunday. "If we invest properly in solar, we can lead the world in combating climate change."

On multiple occasions, Sanders has called the PUC's decision in December to increase bills for solar customers “absurd."

In an interview with the Sun, Clinton didn’t directly condemn the commission, instead saying people shouldn’t be penalized for investing in solar.

“I don't know all of the public utility rules in Nevada, but certainly people who acted in good faith should be given the benefit of that moving forward,” Clinton said.” I don't think any change in rules should penalize people who were permitted and encouraged to do what folks have done.”

At her rallies, instead of going after the commission, Clinton has stressed the importance of job creation, particularly in such sectors as renewable energy. She also came out in favor of an amendment introduced into the Senate last week that would regulate rate changes for utility customers who get credits for generating excess electricity.

On online gaming

Both candidates have cited significant concerns about online gaming. In October, Nevada regulators banned daily fantasy sports sites.

“I do not think it would be appropriate for the federal government to legalize online gaming at a time when many states are clearly against it,” Sanders told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The candidates agree that if states are willing to take charge of regulating daily fantasy sports, the operations could generate extra revenue to fund or expand state government services. But they also urge caution in making sure that gaming is regulated to serve the best interests of residents and users.

On Yucca Mountain as a nuclear repository

Clinton and Sanders agree that Yucca Mountain should not be considered as a repository for nuclear waste.

During her 2008 campaign for president, Clinton said Yucca Mountain would be “off the table forever.” She reiterated those views in a January interview with the Sun. “Yucca should be off the table because I think there are enough questions about its suitability as a site, and there is also such organized opposition to its use that it doesn't really make sense,” Clinton said.

Instead, she said there should be a “continuing science-based effort” to decide what to do with nuclear waste, adding that she was willing to talk with experts and community members about what the best solution should be.

Sanders pointed to questions over Yucca’s geological stability as a reason for opposing the site. "My own view at this point is that Yucca Mountain is not a good depository for nuclear waste,” Sanders said in a December interview with KNPR.

He added that he was not a “great fan” of expanding nuclear power in general without having a clear plan of where nuclear waste should be stored. “So we have got to figure out how we get rid of nuclear waste and we have to figure out how we do it in a way that is safe,” Sanders said.

On legalizing marijuana

In November, Nevadans will have a chance to join Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Alaska by voting to legalize marijuana. Both Clinton and Sanders support reclassifying marijuana — currently a Schedule I drug — at the federal level.

Clinton has said she would continue Obama's enforcement guidelines to allow states to determine their course of action in regulating marijuana, calling for more research into plant's medicinal uses.

“I think the states should be the laboratories of democracy on this,” she told the Reno Gazette- Journal.

Sanders agreed, telling the paper that states should have “the ability to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana without interference from the federal government.”

• • •

Where you can see the candidates

Clinton and Sanders both will appear Thursday evening at a town hall meeting in Las Vegas. The town hall, sponsored by the state Democratic Party, is not open to members of the general public, but will be aired live on MSNBC in English and Telemundo in Spanish. Telemundo’s José Díaz-Balart and Chuck Todd of NBC and MSNBC will host the event.

Also Thursday, Sanders will attend the Clark County Democratic Party’s caucus kickoff dinner at the Tropicana. Tickets to the dinner are $125 and can be purchased online or at the door.

Clinton will attend two pre-caucus rallies, one at the Laborers International Union at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and another at the Clark County Government Center amphitheater at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Former President Bill Clinton and the Clintons' daughter, Chelsea, will attend the second event.

Hillary Clinton also will attend a caucus day rally with her husband at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Caesars Palace.

Sanders will attend a town meeting at the Elko High School Old Gymnasium at 8 a.m. Friday. He will also attend a rally at the Sparks Nugget at 1 p.m. Friday, followed by a 4 p.m. rally at Henderson Pavillon. As of Wednesday afternoon, his campaign had not announced any caucus day events.

• • •

How to caucus

Check online at nvdems.com/caucus to find your caucus location. Show up at your caucus site at 11 a.m. Saturday. The caucus will start at 11:30 a.m., and you must be in line by noon to participate.

After arriving at your caucus site, you will either sign in or register to vote if you are not a registered Democrat. After the precinct chair counts the number of people in attendance, you will cluster with other supporters of your chosen candidate on a certain side of the room or say that you are undecided.

After that, supporters of candidates can try to persuade caucusgoers into their groups, and people are then given a chance to move. Once the groups are established, the number of delegates awarded to each candidate is determined. Groups then elect delegates to attend the county convention on April 2.

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