Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Supported by

Nevada Waived Legislator Conflict Rule For Raiders Vote

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A new analysis of legislative conflicts of interest by The Associated Press and Center for Public Integrity found numerous examples around the country of state lawmakers voting on bills that ended up benefiting their own business interests.

The news organizations reviewed financial disclosure forms for nearly 7,000 lawmakers to identify potential conflicts.

Nevada is among the states that largely leave it to legislators to decide themselves whether they should abstain from voting.

Sponsor Message

But Nevada's Legislature did something it apparently had never done before when it convened in an emergency session last fall to pass a $750 million tax bill to help the NFL's Oakland Raiders build a new stadium in Las Vegas.

Without debate, the Senate and Assembly effectively waived all self-reporting requirements for any potential conflict of interest.

Critics say the deal "dripped with cronyism."