New bill would prevent cool U.S. cities from being blacklisted from government events

Nevada’s congressional representatives don’t want the government to blacklist cities because they’re too fun.

Republican Sen. Dean Heller introduced a bill Thursday to prevent lists of vacation destinations in which the government isn’t allowed to stage an event. He says such policies could hurt tourism-driven cities such as Las Vegas and Reno.

The move comes as federal agencies face backlash for holding lavish conferences on the taxpayer’s dime. A 2010 IRS employee conference in Anaheim, Calif., home to Disneyland, cost $4.1 million and involved some employees staying in posh suites.

Last year, the General Services Administration came under fire for hosting an $823,000 conference at the M Resort in Henderson. That event featured expensive dinners and a mind reader.

Nevada’s House delegation introduced a similar bill last month.

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