Student debt is more than a personal financial challenge, it is a community issue. It is a justice issue. When thousands of Nevadans struggle with loan payments, it affects their ability to buy homes, start families, build savings, support local businesses, and contribute to Nevada’s economy. Policies that expand affordable higher education, strengthen repayment options, and address the broader cost-of-living crisis can help more Nevadans achieve long-term economic stability.

More than 93,000 Nevadans are currently in default on their federal student loans, owing an estimated $2 billion. Overall, nearly 368,000 Nevadans carry student loan debt totaling $13.2 billion.

These aren’t just numbers. They’re teachers, nurses, social workers, small business owners, and young families trying to build a future while facing rising housing costs, inflation, and fewer repayment options.

When people are burdened by overwhelming debt, it becomes harder to buy a home, start a family, save for retirement, or invest in their communities. Student debt doesn’t just affect individuals—it affects Nevada’s economy and the well-being of our communities.

As people of faith, we believe education should open doors, not leave people trapped in a cycle of debt. We need policies that make higher education more affordable, strengthen repayment options, and ensure that working families have a fair opportunity to thrive.

A stronger Nevada is one where education creates opportunity, not lifelong financial hardship.

In June, the Bureau of Land Management approved a 167-megawatt data center in Eldorado Valley through a permitting process that did not include an environmental review or opportunities for public participation. It marked the first data center approved on public lands.

The project is located southeast of Las Vegas in habitat for the threatened desert tortoise. It also raises important questions about water use at a time when the Colorado River Basin faces increasing uncertainty. Last month, federal officials announced a new framework that could require Nevada to reduce its Colorado River water use by 13 percent under certain shortage conditions, underscoring the need for thoughtful planning about how we allocate one of our most limited resources. Water. Water is Life.

This summer Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN) is taking a closer look at the rapid expansion of data centers and what it means for our state. Communities we call home are currently grappling with difficult questions as local governments, counties, and state leaders respond to an industry that has received significant incentives while placing growing demands on electricity, water, and land.

Nevada can benefit from technological innovation, but we also live in one of the driest states in the nation. Our energy grid is under increasing strain, the Colorado River continues to face long-term challenges, and our public lands and wildlife deserve careful stewardship. Decisions made today will shape Nevada’s future for generations.

During the 2027 legislative session, LEAN will advocate for stronger policies that ensure greater transparency, meaningful public participation, environmental accountability, and responsible planning for data center development. Good policy should protect our natural resources, strengthen our communities, and ensure that growth serves the common good rather than placing additional burdens on future generations.

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.