Political State Senator Dallas Harris, a well-known figure in Nevada’s liberal political landscape and the Senate’s Chief Majority Whip, just gave The Blade an exclusive interview that explored her experience as a mom, wife, attorney, and senator.
On December 4, 2018, the Clark County Commission appointed Harris to represent the 11th District, replacing Sen. Aaron Ford ( D) who assumed the role of Attorney General. Dallas ‘ legislative work focuses on LGBTQ problems, LGBTQ troubles, and advocating for underserved populations.
Dallas’s path has been shaped by a unwavering commitment to public service. From 2015 to 2017, she served as a Plan Extern at Public Knowledge, a non- income firm based in Washington, D. C., advocating for expanded bandwidth exposure and consumer protections. Dallas next made her way back to her native Nevada, where she gained first-hand knowledge of electricity regulation and state government.
Dallas has been a member of the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada’s Adult Guardianship Project since August 2019 and continues to fight for the right of underprivileged people.
Outside of her congressional jobs, Dallas is Of Counsel at Davison Van Cleve, a law firm specializing in power rules.
Dallas and Summer Thomas- Harris, her family of five years, and their two children, ages 12 and 2, live together.
A Passion for Las Vegas
Harris spent her early years in the teeming brain of Sin City, where her voyage toward public company and lobbying began.
” I was born in the nineties, and I’ve seen the city develop a lot since next,” Harris told The Blade. ” I enjoy seeing the expansion,” I say.
Harris happily described Las Vegas as a “gem” that people have been” stumbling upon”.
” I like that so many people are aware of how good it is here. The climate is excellent, and up until recently, the cost of living was relatively low.
” Another item I love that has changed is that we now have house clubs that are really doing quite well”, said Harris, who enjoys frequenting Las Vegas Aces activities with her wife and friends.
Harris expressed relief that her beloved city is spared the overcrowding and congestion that another industrial hubs are battling. But, with Biden’s most recent news of a$ 3 billion award for the construction of a high-speed road and promising to cut travel time from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to just two and a half hours of pleasant, air-conditioned travel with Wi-Fi access, the once-closet city of Vegas is bound to experience a major influx of people in the near future.
But Harris said she is never worried.
” People from Southern California have always wanted to visit Las Vegas,” Harris said. People who seek some child entertainment in Las Vegas have always been drawn there. The road is going to make it a lot easier for that to continue to happen, but the connection between Southern California and Las Vegas has been there for a very long time”.
Queerness
The lawmaker reflected on her lifestyle and his authentic role models who helped him grow up.
Harris praised her lifelong quest toward self-acceptance, saying,” I could never really conceal my queerness. ” It’s never been an opportunity for me ever since I was pretty, very young”.
Senator Harris credited social predecessors like Senator David Parks for creating an inclusive environment by acknowledging the liberal setting of her upbringing in Nevada.” My childhood was in the best 90 % of what it could’ve been in terms of openness about being queer,” she said. ” I realize that it took people like Senator David Parks ‘ intentionality to create this environment for a child like me to grow up in.”
Senator Parks was the first openly LGBTQ Nevada lawmaker in the legislature.
Senator Harris acknowledged the difficulties she faced, particularly from relatives with religious beliefs. She revealed that some members of her family had religious beliefs and a general sense of discomfort with everything. ” It was underneath the surface. It was undoubtedly there, but I just kept going.
Senator Harris emphasized the value of perseverance and the support of loved ones despite these difficulties. Laughing, she said,” Sometimes I think my mom likes my wife better than she likes me”.
Work/Life Balance
” The work- life balance is tough”, admitted Senator Harris. ” I think it’s hard on anyone who does this,” he said. She made a point about how demanding her job is because she spends months away from home as a result of legislative sessions.
Adding to the complexity, Senator Harris and her wife both have full- time jobs, further complicating their efforts to balance work and family responsibilities. It can be difficult to give enough to each of those various identities, Harris said. It’s not a walk in the park, they say.
To navigate the chaos, Senator Harris and her wife rely heavily on meticulous scheduling.
We employ a lot of scheduling. We have a meal plan. We sit down and plan out our entire week every Sunday”, she explained. This strategic approach helps them stay organized and are aware of who is in charge of childcare, school pickups, and other daily tasks.
Despite the difficulties, Senator Harris emphasized the value of putting her marriage first in the chaos. ” We have been working to carve more space out for us”, she said. We make an effort to connect with other adults while also having fun and fun times.
Senator Harris reflected on her experience as a mother and praised the insights she gained into the issues that many women in the workforce face.
” The thing about being a mother that has affected my view is not just the fact of having a child but the fact of managing a family”, she shared. Because that is what we are in the US so frequently. We are the family’s managers. I think I better understand now what it’s like for women to be in politics and for women to be in power”.
Tenant Landlord Regulations
Harris shared her opinion on tenant-landlord laws, whose personal experiences have a significant impact on her legislative approach.
Growing up with a single mother and moving frequently, Harris gained firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by tenants, particularly in dealing with security deposits and maintenance issues.
Senator Harris compared her upbringing to the impact of living in apartments with 12-month leases, where frequent moves were required. She continued,” I’ve lived in a lot of apartments,” highlighting the frustration of tenants who diligently clean their units only to have security deposit disputes. ” You clean the apartment from top to bottom, but the landlord still claims you owe them something from the security deposit”, Harris recalled. ” I am aware of that fight.”
Senator Harris’s commitment to addressing these issues was demonstrated by the bill she introduced, Senate Bill 381, a measure intended to shield landlords from charging for repairs and maintenance. The bill, sponsored by Senators D. Harris, Donate, Spearman, Flores, Daly, Krasner, Lange, Neal, Ohrenschall, Scheible, and Stone, received approval from both the Senate and Assembly.
Nevada’s current law mandates landlords to keep rental properties in habitable condition throughout the duration of a tenant’s stay. By forbidding landlords from levying fees or charges on tenants for repairs, maintenance tasks, or other tasks the landlord must perform in order to keep the unit habitable, SB 381 strengthens this requirement.
Education
Harris discovered her passion as a child, not just in the bright lights but also in sports and education. She actively participated in a variety of youth sports, particularly tennis, basketball, and taekwondo. Due to her frequent moves, Harris navigated through several schools across Clark County, including Parsons Elementary, Swainston Middle School, Lied Middle School, Las Vegas Academy ( where she majored in Theatre ), and Green Valley High School.
Dallas left Green Valley High School and began her higher education journey at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas ( UNLV ). She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2008, followed by a second Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science in 2009. Eager to delve deeper into policy and public service, Dallas ventured to Southern California to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Claremont Graduate University. With her solid understanding of the intricacies of policymaking, her studies focused on economics, policy analysis, and statistics.
Dallas then set her sights on law school, making her way to the country’s capital, with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to change. She enrolled at the George Washington University Law School, where she honed her legal acumen and gained invaluable insights into the intersection of law and policy. Dallas left law school in 2005 with a fresh perspective and a burning desire to change the world.
Harris ‘ diverse educational backgrounds in the Clark County School District provided the foundation for her commitment to advancing Nevada’s education. Through Senat Bill 543, Harris was able to revise what she called an “archaic” school funding formula to allow for a substantial increase in school funding throughout Nevada.
Reform of firearms
Harris introduced Senate Bill No. 201 in a move intended to tighten gun laws and address hate-motivated crimes. 171. The bill, which was sponsored by Senators D. Harris, Spearman, Donate, Flores, Ohrenschall, and Scheible, sought to outlaw the purchase, possession, or ownership of firearms by those found guilty of committing violent hate crimes, as well as impose a ten-year cooling off period for those who had committed any nonviolent crimes.
Criminal offenses committed with reasons such as race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity are punishable as gross misdemeanors under current laws. Additionally, individuals convicted of certain crimes are already prohibited from firearm ownership.
Harris told the Blade that she was disappointed that the bill was ultimately overturned because it represents a flagrant error in how gun distribution is handled in her state, according to The Senator. Harris plans to continue pushing for gun law reform as school and mass shootings are ever increasing throughout the US.
HIV Modernization
Senator Harris was instrumental in fortifying Senate Bill 275, a comprehensive legislative initiative tackling communicable diseases, as a proactive step toward strengthening public health initiatives. Important provisions in the bill that have the support of both parties are introduced to improve state-wide disease prevention and control strategies. Notably, the bill seeks to transform the approach towards HIV, recognizing it as a medical diagnosis rather than a criminal offense—a significant shift towards destigmatizing and addressing the condition effectively.
One of the most notable aspects of SB 275 is the authorization to appoint quarantine officers when necessary to carry out quarantine measures. This rule aims to make quarantine protocols more effective, particularly when there are public health emergencies.
Additionally, the bill empowers health authorities to adopt reasonable fees for issuing or renewing health permits or licenses required by state law or local ordinances. Without relying on general income, these fees are intended to cover the costs associated with issuing permits and conducting related investigations.
In addition, the legislation emphasizes the value of public health initiatives over criminalization in preventing the spread of communicable diseases. It underscores the need for a balanced approach that prioritizes public health interventions.
Additionally, it places a premium on privacy and the protection of personal information while allowing for testing and disclosure of information regarding exposure to communicable diseases under particular circumstances.
Looking Forward
Senator Dallas Harris, known for her advocacy for community well- being and economic growth, recently shared her vision for the future of Las Vegas. She emphasized the importance of making a more walkable and pedestrian-friendly city in her aspiration for an ideal Las Vegas.
According to Harris,” My ideal Las Vegas of the future would have more bike lanes, walkable areas, and more centralized areas.” ” Everything would be a little bit closer together…. The quality of life would increase in that manner.
Her goals align with efforts to make the city more livable, making it simpler for residents and visitors to move around and use amenities without having to rely heavily on cars. By prioritizing walkability and bike- friendly infrastructure, Harris ‘ vision aims to improve public health, reduce traffic congestion, and promote a sense of community connectivity.
Additionally, Senator Harris emphasized the importance of economic diversification in ensuring the city’s resilience and prosperity. She said,” I would like to see more diversification in our economy.” ” I would love to see our economy get even stronger by broadening out and inviting in all of the different industries”.
Las Vegas could potentially lessen its reliance on a single industry, such as tourism and hospitality, and increase the opportunities for growth and innovation across various sectors by encouraging a more diverse economy. This strategy strengthens the city’s economic foundation as well as increases its resilience to external shocks and changes in the global market.
As Senator Dallas Harris continues to advocate for the interests and well- being of Las Vegas residents, her vision for a more livable and diverse city promises to shape the future trajectory of one of the nation’s most dynamic urban centers.
Finally, Harris addressed a question for future leaders:” There’s nothing to it but to do it,” Harris said to The Blade. No one can tell you no if you want to run.
