Nevada lawmakers have passed a hard-fought bill to regulate companies like Uber that allow people to hail a ride through a smartphone app.

Last week, state lawmakers passed what will be a $7.2 billion general fund budget, complete with new programs for education and $8 million for a new medical school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

An amendment to a bill lost in a confusing Assembly floor vote early Saturday that would have given regulatory authority over ride-hailing companies to the Nevada Transportation Authority sailed through in a second vote Tuesday.

Lawmakers are rushing in the remaining days of the 2015 session to come up with enough money to fund the UNLV medical school.

A campaign to gather donations for the inaugural class of the UNLV School of Medicine raised $5.2 million in less than a month.

A joint legislative budget subcommittee signed off on a new medical school for UNLV on Thursday with a low level of initial funding, as recommended by Gov. Brian Sandoval in his proposed budget, but that could change by June 1.

An educated citizenry contributes to an improved quality of life for all. At the college level, the money to pay faculty and keep the lights on comes from tuition and fees, workforce and research grants, and state dollars. However, state funding for the eight institutions in the Nevada System of Higher Education decreased dramatically, by nearly 30 percent, during the Great Recession, from a high of $683,818,577 in 2009 to $472,368,017 in 2013.

We all want things that make life better. Some might be materialistic — a new car, a new house, a new TV, a new outfit. But our most important aspirations have more intrinsic value. We want good health for ourselves and our families, and access to high-quality health care. And we want our children and grandchildren to receive a good education, not only for their sake but so Nevada can provide the kind of trained workforce necessary to lure top-shelf business and industry.

Amity Shlaes’ article in the March 23 edition of Forbes magazine really got me thinking about the importance of education in attracting and retaining the next generation of leaders in our community.

Supporters are planning to meet with state law makers tomorrow in Carson City to talk about the need for a new medical school in Las Vegas.

If you ever have ever tried to make a medical appointment, you probably noticed there is a shortage of doctors in Las Vegas and Nevada.

Nate Christy's medical journey started in Reno with a routine appendectomy on Jan. 13.