Each biennium, UNLV places legislative interns and externs in Carson City to assist lawmakers with various duties such as tracking bills, conducting research, and meeting with constituents. The experience takes the classroom to the community, empowering students to have real-world impact on some of Nevada’s most critical issues. The opportunity is open to all UNLV majors, though most participants are political science and law majors.
Each week during the legislative session, we will introduce you to one of UNLV’s interns or externs. This week, we are highlighting an intern from the College of Liberal Arts:
Name:
Phyllice Pichon
Hometown:
Born and Raised in Las Vegas, NV
Major:
Political Science
Role in Session:
Interning for Senator Julie Pazina
What excites you most about the legislative session?
It is fascinating to me to learn about the bills and amendments that are being presented. I’ve learned that each bill and/or amendment is, ultimately, proposed for the health and well-being of the people in the State of Nevada. It’s a captivating experience to be able to talk with legislators and understand why they each choose the path of being a legislator, and how they each look to impact Nevada by representing their constituents.
What do you hope to learn?
As session continues, I would like to learn how it is that the legislative body considers a law and delves into whether it is more beneficial to the people of Nevada, or if the law has proven to hurt more people, and if so, how do they (as a legislative body) account for the hurt that was caused by a law, while also acknowledging the people it has helped?
Which legislative proposal do you find most interesting and why?
As of right now, I am following SB132 which helps living organ donors to have health insurance coverage. I find this interesting because, as of right now, health insurances can legally discriminate against living organ donors and not provide their services to help. This is absurd and unjust, and it is my hope that this law will ensure that health insurances can no longer discriminate, but rather they give their services equally to all people regardless of who they are.