CARSON CITY — A new report released by the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) states the Nevada Assembly earns an A+ for passing legislation regarding racial equality during the 2009 legislative session. But Gov. Jim Gibbons fails with an F- because of several vetoes against such racial equality laws.

“Nevada can no longer be a place where racial disparities are swept under the rug,” said PLAN executive director Bob Fulkerson.

PLAN, a coalition of organizations that examines social issues, released its first legislative report card on racial equity Tuesday. The report examined four areas — education, the economy, health and civil rights — that have an impact on communities of color as well as the 18 laws passed by the Nevada Assembly and Senate relevant to these groups.

Bills included in PLAN’s study had to follow certain criteria. The study evaluated whether the legislation addressed racial disparities with the aim of protecting groups against racial violence, profiling and discrimination.

Of the 18 bills studied by PLAN, six became law.

Representatives from PLAN, the Nevada Immigrant Coalition, Planned Parenthood, the Nevada Women’s Lobby, TRENDZ Inc., the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and the Reno-Sparks NAACP said the report card was a good indicator of Nevada’s changing demographics and its need to champion legislation that would be more inclusive of its diverse population.

“I think now that PLAN has released this report card, we have something in hand,” said PLAN executive board member Michon Eben, representing the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. “We need to be able to get out to the community and say this is what’s happening and this is why you need to vote.”

The Nevada Assembly received the high mark of A+ because it passed 10 of 10 bills regarding racial equality. The Senate scored a D+ for its passage of six of nine racial equity bills and one institutional racism bill.

Individual legislators’ voting records were also tracked. Voting made up 90 percent of their grade and leadership, including sponsoring a qualified racial equity bill, accounted for up to 10 percent.

One legislator from the Reno-Sparks area was graded higher than others. Sparks Assemblywoman Debbie Smith received 90 percent — an A- grade — for supporting the bills this session that dealt with racial equality. State Sen. Maurice Washington received 40 percent — an F — for only supporting four of the 10 bills. Sen. Bill Raggio also received a failing grade.

While the study scored legislators based on bills that went to the floor, Gibbons’ ranking of 43 percent was based on his vetoes or signings.

Spokesman Daniel Burns told the Associated Press the governor dismissed the report.

“The governor believes the report card is ridiculous, that it’s filled with false information,” said spokesman Daniel Burns. “The governor believes PLAN should take 5 seconds and tell him everything they know about good, responsive government.”

Launce Rake, a communications official for PLAN in Las Vegas, said some laws that should have been passed were overlooked, including Assembly Bill 304, which would preserve historic neighborhoods and includes an amendment to allow the Nevada Department of Transportation to reopen F Street. The street was closed, cutting off predominantly black residents in West Las Vegas from new downtown developments.

“I think what surprised me a little bit was in the process of looking at these bills, there was some legislation that did not make it through the process,” said PLAN communications official Launce Rake of Las Vegas. “They literally cut off the community of African-Americans in a really unfair way — they couldn’t go to grocery stores, no hospitals.”

The study also looked at missed opportunities: whether those included bills that could have been signed into law or were passed but overlooked some key steps to improve racial disparities.

“No matter if you’re looking at health issues, at economic issues, criminal justice issues or civil rights issues, there are enormous disparities in communities of color,” Fulkerson said. “What we want this report to do is to lift up those disparities so we can have conversation as a state about how to make America’s promise of democracy and equality come true for everybody who lives here.”

The report was distributed Tuesday on the national Bill of Rights Day, instituted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 to honor the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.