2021 Nevada Legislative Session - An Insider’s Perspective
Tray Abney - Abney Tauchen Group
Lindsay Knox - McDonald Carano
Wed, Jul 28 – Free Live Stream from Noon to 1 pm
Virtual Networking from 11:30 to Noon
Registration Info Below
Join us on July 28 as Lindsay Knox and Tray Abney provide an insider’s perspective on the 2021 Nevada Legislative Session. While we were told prior to the Session to expect only budget talk and very little policy work, we ended up with a lot of both! Mark Twain is thought to have said that “no man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.” Did you survive? Now that it’s done, what do you need to know?
Tray and Lindsay will give you a behind-the-curtain look of the legislative process as they cut through the smoke in the back room and give you an outline of how everything went down and why.
In what was maybe the weirdest Session ever, what priorities did Governor Sisolak and the legislators have?
Given the COVID-induced, government-imposed blow to our economy, how did our tax revenues and final approved budget fare?
And how did lobbyists and legislators navigate a process that saw the legislative building closed for most of the Session and with almost all business being conducted over Zoom?
Did employers and the business community come out of this Session relatively unscathed?
About our speakers
Tray Abney
Tray Abney
Tray Abney is a partner of the Abney Tauchen Group (ATG), offering a wide range of services to help navigate Nevada’s complex political landscape. Tray is proud to represent clients in the retail, agricultural, pharmacy, health insurance, behavioral health services, energy efficiency, and drone delivery industries before local, state, and federal government entities. Tray provides a unique blend of experience that includes a deep understanding of the political process, along with strong public policy expertise, and a history of successfully educating, lobbying, and influencing elected officials.
Prior to co-founding ATG, Tray served as the Director of Government Relations for The Reno+Sparks Chamber of Commerce for over ten years and was responsible for ensuring that the largest broad-based business organization in Northern Nevada had a voice at all levels of government, including city, county, state, and federal. Tray has experienced eight Nevada State Legislative Sessions (so far) and has been a key voice on business and taxation/government spending and efficiency issues in Carson City. He has successfully helped steer critical bills to signature (and veto) and maintains great relationships with elected officials from throughout Nevada and on both sides of the political aisle.
Before the Chamber, Tray served as Legislative Director for Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and spent four years working for Gibbons, including as a senior legislative staff member in his Washington, DC congressional office. During the 2007 Nevada Legislative Session, Tray served as the Governor’s chief lobbyist in the legislative building. He was responsible for spearheading the Governor’s agenda and ensuring it was approved by the Legislature.
Tray graduated summa cum laude from Missouri State University in 2003, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science, with minors in Sociology and Public Administration. Tray received his Master of Arts Degree in Political Management from the Graduate School of Political Management at the George Washington University in Washington, DC in 2005.
Tray currently serves as the Chair of the Reno Civil Service Commission and the Chair of Bristlecone Family Resources. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates.
Tray resides with his wife, Dawn, and their son, Noah, in Reno. His daughter, Katelyn, is attending the University of Arkansas.
Lindsay D. Knox
Lindsay D. Knox
Lindsay Knox is a Vice President in the Government Affairs & Advocacy Group with McDonald Carano. For over a decade, she has served as a key resource for clients, advocating on their behalf and closely monitoring legislation and regulation to identify potential issues. Due to the depth of her knowledge in this area, Ms. Knox is frequently called upon for public speaking engagements.
Ms. Knox has extensive experience in a broad range of industries, with a focus on the health care, home building, technology, public safety, education, water and transportation sectors, as well as assisting many non-profit organizations in navigating the election and legislative processes. She handles a wide variety of initiatives at the state level, including drafting amendments, reviewing bills, testifying before committees and collaborating with other lobbyists, routinely drawing upon her vast network of contacts to make necessary connections on behalf of her clients. On a local level, Ms. Knox skillfully manages and maintains important relationships with elected officials and key staff while closely tracking changes in the law and regulation to ensure seamless and continuous business compliance.
Outside the office, Ms. Knox has been involved in a variety of community organizations. She currently sits on the Executive Board of the Business Council of Douglas County and is a board member for the state chapter of Susan G. Komen. She also worked on behalf of the SAS Institute, where she collaborated with state and local government agencies on how to improve and leverage their use of data to better serve the public as a whole.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Jul 28, 2021 11:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sdu6tqjgrGd0gwmhD55ybtes1mX7nUntd
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.