Name: Artemus "Art" Ham
Office: State Senate, District 5
On-Air Interview Summary:
Ham is a fourth generation Nevadan and a practicing attorney. Ham told KNPR’s State of Nevada that his priority is improving the state’s economy. He believes there are tremendous opportunities to bring companies to the state, and he believe there is a lot the Legislature can do make the state appealing to those companies.
He wants to make Nevada the obvious first choice for companies looking to move their headquarters. He believes in incentives to lure companies here and policy changes that support those companies when they do get here. Ham says more large companies will trickle down to the rest of the economy.
Ham praised Gov. Brian Sandoval and the GOP leadership for passing the tax increase to improve Nevada’s education during the 2015 legislative session. He said is now time to see if the reforms are working.
Party Affiliation: Republican
Website: www.ham4nevada.com
Biography provided by candidate:
My name is Artemus Ham, and I am running for the Assembly in District 5. My great-grandparents moved to Las Vegas more than 100 years ago. My family has always worked to increase opportunities, improve education and make Nevada a great place to live. With your support, I can continue that tradition in the Nevada State Assembly. I attended Bishop Gorman High School, earned a Bachelor's Degree at Santa Clara University before graduating from the Creighton University School of Law. I have been a practicing attorney in Las Vegas for the past 17 years specializing in commercial and business litigation. In addition to being actively involved in state and local legislative politics, I have also been a very active member of our Community by serving on various Board's of Directors, including the Fremont East Entertainment District. My wife, Elizabeth, is currently the President of the CASA Foundation which helps our abused and neglected children. I have two beautiful daughters, Jordan (19) and Isabel (12), and look forward representing your interests in the Nevada State Legislature.
Question: In a 140 characters, introduce yourself as if you are introducing yourself to a neighbor.
I am passionate about strengthening Nevada's economy, creating jobs, improving education and making our neighborhoods safer.
Question 1: Last legislative session, the major initiative was a tax increase to support education in the state. What should the major accomplishment of 2017 legislature be? : The major accomplishment of the 2017 Legislature should be to pass legislation that is designed to improve our economy and create more jobs. Specifically, we should continue efforts to diversify our economy, attract new businesses and industries, maintain a business friendly environment and do whatever is necessary to create more jobs.
Question 2: If recreational marijuana is legalized by voters in this state, do you want revenue from it to fund health initiatives, research and/or youth awareness campaigns?
Should recreational marijuana be legalized by voters, I would like to see revenue utilized to fund health initiatives, research and/or youth awareness campaigns. If passed, I would also like to see revenue generated from recreational marijuana utilized to help fund programs for our abused and neglected children.
Question 3: Many elected officials in Clark County say they’d like to see the property tax cap changed – that its time because tax revenues aren’t meeting budgets. Is that an idea you want to see the legislature tackle?
I am fundamentally opposed, as a general rule, to raising taxes to meet budgets.
I am skeptical that throwing additional money at budgetary shortfalls is the correct path. I would certainly prefer to explore cutting unnecessary spending before raising taxes as long as it does not cost people jobs. With that said, I recognize that the property tax cap was instituted to help Nevada navigate through historic high's and low's in our real estate market, and recognize that it might be time to re-analyze whether existing property tax caps are warranted. I am certainly open to a discussion at the State Legislature regarding this very important issue.
Question 4: Do you support the construction of a taxpayer-funded NFL stadium?
I support the construction of a NFL stadium, but I do not support the use of Nevada taxpayer dollars to fund the same. It is my position that a small increase in Nevada's room services tax can be utilized to fund the construction of a stadium without the need for utilization of Nevada taxpayer funds.
(Editor's note: The candidate's biography and answers were not edited for content or length)