Senator Jacky Rosen: “Let me be perfectly clear: This fight is not over.”
Updated with commentary from Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto and Governor Lombardo.
Despite intense pressure from Nevada's congressional delegation and local officials, the U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday that it is moving forward with plans to move its Reno mail processing operations to Sacramento.
When the transfer is complete, a letter sent from one Reno resident to another will be sent to California first.
“As part of a $40 billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve postal processing, transportation and delivery networks, the U.S. Postal Service announced its plan to modernize mail operations at its Reno Processing and Distribution Center in Reno, Nevada,” USPS said. In a press release.
Senator Jacky Rosen, Democrat of Nevada, said it was not a done deal in her mind.
“Let me be absolutely clear: this fight is not over,” she said in a statement. “As a member of the committee with jurisdiction over the Postal Service, I will continue to fight this ill-advised decision and explore all available options,” she added. to prevent its implementation.
The postal facility on Vassar Street in Reno will be converted from a processing and distribution center to what USPS is calling a local processing center.
A processing and distribution center processes mail coming from a specific geographic area and sorts it for distribution to its final destination. The local processing center distributes the mail to individual post offices.
This will affect all mail sent in Northern Nevada and part of the Lake Tahoe area.
USPS said California's move is justified from a business perspective because the majority of Northern Nevada's mail is directed outside the Reno area and is therefore handled more efficiently at its facility in West Sacramento.
At a recent congressional hearing, it was said that the move would begin in earnest in January, after the general election in 2024.
“The consolidation of plant operations will allow Reno LPC to be co-located with the sorting and delivery center,” the press release said. “These facilities will allow the Postal Service to provide faster and more reliable delivery of mail and packages across a larger geographic area.”
U.S. Senators Rosen and Katherine Cortez Masto, U.S. Representative Mark Amodei, Governor Joe Lombardo, the Washoe County Commission and others have implored USPS not to take this step.
Last week, Rosen questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about Reno's plans, which could slow mail service for 10% of Northern Nevada residents.
“I'm angry that out-of-touch bureaucrats in Washington think they know what's best for our state and decided to go ahead with this misguided plan to move mail processing operations to Sacramento,” she said Tuesday.
“As Nevadans have made clear all along, this decision will impact hardworking families and small businesses that depend on timely mail delivery.”
Cortez Masto also spoke out against the USPS announcement.
“The USPS’s decision to move its Reno mail processing operations to California in 2025 is a mistake that will hurt the state of Nevada,” she said in a statement. “I will continue to do everything I can to protect Nevada jobs and make sure Nevadans can get their mail.” on time.”
Governor Lombardo said his administration worked closely with Nevada's federal delegation and expressed widespread concerns about the changes at the Vassar Street postal facility.
“We will continue to fight against mismanagement in Washington to provide efficient and timely postal services to Nevadans,” he said.
USPS said it took into account feedback about the plans.
“This announcement comes after a comprehensive review of the business and solicitation of public feedback on the future of the facility,” a USPS press release said.
USPS added that no “professional employees” will be laid off, although it is unclear how many contract workers will be affected.
“Once the changes are implemented, commercial mail entry, post office, terminal and retail branch services are not expected to change, and delivery services will be enhanced,” the press release said.
“After the Reno facility is converted to LPC, it is expected to be able to mail and ship packages, hand letters and flats. LPC is also expected to offer express services and accept bulk mail and registered mail.”
more: What we know about USPS' plans to move Reno mail processing to Sacramento
Mark Robison is the state politics correspondent for the Reno Gazette, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to [email protected] Or comment on Mark Grand Renault Facebook page.
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