The 83rd regular session of the Nevada Legislature is over, as lawmakers adjourned just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The final days of the session were characterized by a flurry of activity, accompanied by sudden and dramatic changes to legislation, which often happens in the final hours before lawmakers adjourn.
Among the hundreds of bills that made it to the Governor’s desk are Lombardo’s housing bill; Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro’s education reform measure; and the so-called "Reba's Law," which toughens penalties for animal cruelty. A bill requiring all businesses with more than 50 employees to provide 12 weeks of paid family leave was also sent to the governor’s desk, along with a total of $183 million for attainable housing.
Nevada voters can likely expect to show identification at next year’s election due to Democratic Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager’s passed legislation. This goes against his previous statements that he would never restrict access to voting. In return, his proposal to add ballot drop boxes between the last day of early voting and Election Day was resurrected.
And lawmakers approved the final major budget bill needed to fund state government for the next two years. It authorizes up to $1.1 billion in bonds for public works projects.
In the final moments of the session, Republicans objected to changes to the legislative commission. It’s a board of lawmakers that oversees state affairs during the interim between sessions. Their essential filibuster delayed debate on some of the governor’s bills, including on health care and crime, killing them.
A controversial proposal to expand the state’s film tax credit program to $120 million annually for 15 years also failed to make it past the midnight deadline.
Lombardo now has 10 days to sign each piece of approved legislation, or it automatically becomes law.
