Author: Matthew Jay Wilkie | Northern Nevada Constituent
I spent a lot of time showing up in Nevada politics in 2025, Not as an elected official and not as someone with party power. Just as a regular Nevadan who actually cares about what policies do to real people. I believe policy should reduce harm, help people stay stable, and reflect what is actually happening out here, not just what sounds good in a meeting or what donors say.
What I learned this year was frustrating but also eye opening. Nevada does not lack ideas or data or public input. What it lacks is urgency and courage. There is a big gap between what people say and what they are willing to actually do.
Throughout 2025 I testified at the Nevada Legislature on multiple bills and also spoke regularly at local government meetings in Washoe County. A lot of my focus was on housing instability, homelessness, the justice system, and the overuse of enforcement as a so called solution. I showed up consistently and I tried to be clear and grounded in policy. My frustration is not about disagreement. Disagreement is normal. What gets to me is watching preventable harm continue while real solutions stall because of politics and optics and fear.
During the 83rd Nevada Legislative Session I testified on several Assembly bills including AB 112, AB 62, and AB 291. I spoke in front of committees like Judiciary, Commerce and Labor, Revenue, and Government Affairs.
I supported AB 112 because work and housing are connected whether we want to admit it or not. When people have unstable jobs or face unnecessary barriers, housing insecurity usually follows. These are not abstract labor conversations. They affect families, rent, and whether someone ends up displaced. I testified in support because preventing economic instability is always cheaper and more humane than dealing with the fallout later.
I supported AB 62 in front of the Revenue Committee because where money goes says a lot about priorities. Fiscal policy is moral policy whether people like that framing or not. Investing upfront in services and prevention saves money long term and prevents people from cycling through emergency rooms, jails, and crisis systems. That cycle helps no one.
My testimony on AB 291 focused on the justice system and how punishing survival behavior just creates more instability. Piling on fines, citations, and legal problems does not make communities safer. It just traps people. AB 291 felt like a step toward common sense and proportionality.
Across all of my testimony the message stayed the same. Policy should reduce harm, not make it worse. Outcomes matter more than good intentions.
At the local level I spoke directly to the Washoe County Board of Commissioners about proposals that would further criminalize homelessness, living in vehicles, and simply being in public spaces.
Starting in March 2024 and continuing into 2025, the county kept considering enforcement focused approaches dressed up as public safety. I spoke against those efforts because the evidence is clear. Criminalization does not reduce homelessness. It just increases court involvement, fills jails, drains resources, and pushes people further from stability.
I raised concerns about punishing people for sleeping in vehicles or being in public when there were not enough shelter beds, services, or real alternatives. Enforcement without options is not a solution. It is displacement.
I also pushed for safe parking programs and better coordination with the Community Homelessness Advisory Board. These are not extreme ideas. Other places are already doing them successfully. Safe parking gives people structure, safety, and access to services while reducing conflict and emergency calls. A lot of people using these programs are working and contributing but still priced out of housing. And soon washoe county will be piloting a parking program with 6 spots available.
I also called out the county for relying on misleading shelter data. Static dashboards do not reflect what is actually available in real time. Bad data leads to bad decisions. When data is wrong, real people pay the price.
Why do I Keep Showing Up Even When It Feels Pointless!!??
Public comment in Nevada often feels like talking into a void. People thank you, smile politely, and then move on like nothing was said. Lived experience and actual policy knowledge get acknowledged and then ignored.
But I keep showing up because not showing up guarantees nothing will change.
Nevadans deserve a system where public input matters. Where advisory boards actually meet and have influence. Where compassion is not just a talking point. Where officials are held accountable for what their policies do, not just what they say.
I am Frustrated but Still Hopeful . frustrated because the solutions are not a mystery. We know what works and what does not. But punitive responses are easier politically in the short term, so they keep coming back.
Still, I am not giving up.
More people are paying attention. More Nevadans are questioning narratives. More lawmakers are listening, even if the system itself resists change. Progress usually starts in the cracks.
Being involved in 2025 reminded me that change in Nevada is not going to come from silence or waiting patiently. It comes from pressure, persistence, and refusing to accept harm as normal.
I am staying engaged not because the process is welcoming or efficient, but because this state is worth fighting for.
Things are changing here. Slowly and unevenly. But they are changing.
And I plan to keep pushing them forward!!
