We are in the final stretch of the 82nd Nevada Legislation, and this week saw a lot of action and some waiting. The money committees, Assembly Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee, met several times a day while the Assembly and Senate met in lengthy floor sessions throughout each day and into the evening to pass out hundreds of bills. In between all of this, there were caucus meetings as lobbyists waited for committee hearings and floor sessions. Last Friday’s second house committee passage deadline saw 38 bills die with a few to note:
· AB411 allowing terminally ill patients in certain medical facilities to use cannabis
· SB184 revising the Charter for the City of North Las Vegas
· SB427 requiring a program for heat mitigation illness and poor air quality
Today’s deadline is for all bills to pass out of the second house, and we don’t anticipate many bills dying.
There was big news early and mid-week. The film tax credit bill, SB496, is diligently being worked behind the scenes, and actor Jeremy Renner descended on Carson City on Monday as he pleaded his case for expansion of the bill to include Northern Nevada. Legislators, lobbyists and legislative staff were starstruck as Renner walked the legislative building and had small group meetings with legislators. As the developer- driven bill is currently written, it only allows for implementation in Las Vegas which Renner is hoping to amend. Mid-week, Democratic leaders introduced five budget bills originally scheduled for May 31. This further heightened Governor Lombardo and his team as they are set to veto any budget bills until his priorities are addressed. Does this signal a special session? We are in a holding pattern. At this time, we have not seen a bill on the move of the A’s to Las Vegas, but there is a great deal of media coverage with anticipation of the bill any day.
Total legislation introduced this session is up to 1,078 including 526 bills in the Assembly and 507 bills in the Senate. Bill deadlines left include:
· TODAY: Second House Passage – May 26
· Sine Die – June 5, midnight
