Last week, Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen introduced the Jobs, Not Waste Act, legislation that goes beyond simply stopping nuclear waste from being stored at Yucca Mountain.

The legislation would repeal the law designating Yucca Mountain as the nation’s nuclear waste repository, require the Department of Energy to terminate the Yucca Mountain licensing proceeding, address environmental impacts at the site, and require a federal study of alternative uses that could create jobs and economic opportunities for Nevada.

The legislation comes as the federal government is exploring a different approach to nuclear waste. In recent weeks, the Department of Energy has entered preliminary agreements involving five states, Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Idaho, as potential hosts for new nuclear facilities. Unlike the decades-long fight over Yucca Mountain, these proposals begin with states willing to participate in the process.

For decades, the federal government designated Yucca Mountain as the nation’s nuclear waste repository despite sustained opposition from Nevadans. The Jobs, Not Waste Act offers an opportunity to finally close that chapter.

But there is also a larger lesson here.

Communities deserve a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their land, water, health, and future.

Whether we are talking about nuclear waste, data centers, energy infrastructure, water development, or the use of our public lands, we should continue asking: Who benefits? Who carries the burden? Who has a seat at the table? And have the people most affected been heard?

As people of faith, we believe caring for creation also means caring for the communities who call that creation home. Decisions with consequences lasting generations should not simply be imposed upon communities. They should be made with transparency, participation, and respect for the voices of those who will live with their consequences.

This is a resource from ELCA Advcoacy for congregational use

“Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them.” — Hebrews 13:3

A recent legislative hearing raised serious questions about deaths occurring in Nevada’s prison system and whether there is enough transparency to fully understand what happened in each case.

When the government takes someone into custody, it also takes on the responsibility to provide safe conditions, access to medical and mental health care, and accountability when a death occurs.

As Lutherans, we believe every person is created in the image of God. Human dignity does not end at a prison gate.

As Nevada prepares for the 2027 Legislative Session, conversations about correctional health care, independent oversight, and transparency are likely to continue.

We can care about public safety and insist on accountability. Justice and compassion are not competing values, they belong together.

Water is life. It sustains our families, our communities, our farms, our economy, and the ecosystems that make Nevada home.

A new federal proposal would reduce Nevada’s Colorado River allocation by about 25% as part of a long-term plan to address the river’s declining water supply. The proposal reflects a difficult reality: there is simply less water in the Colorado River than there was a generation ago, and climate change continues to intensify drought and reduce river flows.

While these reductions are significant, Nevada has spent decades preparing for this moment. Through conservation, water recycling, and investments in efficiency, Southern Nevada has demonstrated that economic growth and responsible stewardship can go hand in hand.

For people of faith, this is more than a water policy debate. It is a reminder that caring for creation means living within the limits of God’s creation while ensuring that every community has access to the resources needed to thrive.

As these new operating rules are considered, we encourage policymakers to continue investing in conservation, climate resilience, and equitable water management that protects both people and the environment for generations to come.

Wildfires are burning across the western half of the United States, threatening communities and stretching firefighting resources across the region.

Last week, neighborhoods around Spokane were threatened after multiple wildfires broke out across eastern Washington. On Saturday morning, the Bug Fire broke out north of Reno, bringing the danger of wildfire close to home and further straining already stretched national wildfire resources.

And wildfire does not stop at state or national borders. Earlier this summer, smoke from wildfires burning in Canada blanketed communities across much of the East Coast, reminding us that what happens in one place can affect neighbors hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

We pray for all the communities impacted by wildfires across the western United States, including our own neighbors in Cold Springs, Northern Washoe County, and the surrounding areas. We pray for firefighters and first responders working long hours under dangerous conditions. We pray for families facing evacuation and uncertainty, and for all those whose homes, livelihoods, and communities are threatened.

As Nevada continues through wildfire season, Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN) also encourages congregations across our state to prepare.

Churches can play an important role before, during, and after a disaster. We encourage congregations to consider developing and adopting a community disaster response plan: knowing how you will communicate during an emergency, identifying vulnerable members and neighbors who may need assistance, considering how church facilities might serve the community, and building relationships now with local emergency responders and community organizations.

Preparedness is one way we care for our neighbor.

As people of faith, we pray—and we prepare to respond with compassion when our neighbors need us most.