With less than 24 hours left, session's to

If remaining budget bills are not passed and become law, the Legislature will be forced to convene a special session before the end of the month or risk a government shutdown. (Photo: Trevor Bexon / Nevada Current)

Gov. Joe Lombardo's K-12 omnibus education bill on the penultimate day of the session began progressing through the Nevada State Legislature — a sign that the Republican governor and legislative Democrats may be inching toward a deal to finish off this year's 120-day political slugfest.

Democrats on Sunday amended into Lombardo's Assembly Bill 400 provisions that would allow cities and municipalities to sponsor charter schools and help fund transportation services at charter schools. Lawmakers then advanced the bill out of the Assembly on a 41-0 vote, with Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe Moreno (D-North Las Vegas) excused.

The charter school provisions had been removed by Democrats from AB 400 last week, along with other provisions that would vastly expand Nevada's quasi-voucher program (known as Opportunity Scholarships) and established open zoning at school districts. Democrats this legislative session have said they are not interested in advancing Lombardo's "school choice" agenda, which includes additional financial support for charter and private schools.

But Democrats will have to give Lombardo something because he has veto power over two budget bills that need to be passed into law before the end this month in order to avoid a potential shutdown. One of those budget bills, known as the Appropriations Act, was first introduced as Assembly Bill 520, passed by Democrats and vetoed by Lombardo last week.

Democrats reintroduced an identical Appropriations Act as Senate Bill 511.

The other remaining budget bill, Assembly Bill 521, known as the Capital Improvement Projects, also needs to pass the legislature before sine die on Monday. It will need to pass with a two-thirds majority because it involves renewing an existing tax. Democrats have a supermajority in the Assembly but are one shy of it in the Senate, meaning they will need the support of one Republican.

Lombardo has already signed three budget bills: Senate Bill 503 (K-12), Assembly Bill 522 (State Worker Act) and Senate Bill 504 (More Appropriations).

If the remaining budget bills are not passed and become law, the Legislature will be forced to convene a special session before the end of the month or risk a government shutdown.

Beyond the constitutionally mandated budget bills, several other high-profile bills now have less than 24 hours to pass the legislature and make it to the governor's desk for action.

They include:

Senate Bill 429, sponsored by state Sen. Edgar Flores (D-Las Vegas), would have required employers receiving tax abatements from the Governor's Office of Economic Development to offer paid family and medical leave. The requirement aligned with provisions of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which provides 12-weeks of unpaid job protection for workers at businesses with more than 50 employees.

In his veto message, Lombardo said the bill "would put Nevada at a severe disadvantage in its work to bring desirable businesses within its borders." He also noted that businesses of that size are "already required to provide employees with paid leave," referencing a 2019 bill that established a minimum mandatory paid time off accrual equivalent to earning 40 hours of paid time off after one year of full time work.

Senate Bill 302, sponsored by state Sen. James Ohrenschall (D-Las Vegas), would have protected medical providers from discipline or retaliation for providing gender-affirming care. While the bill language was similar to Senate Bill 131, a bill the governor did sign that provided similar protections for abortion providers, Lombardo vetoed on the grounds that it "inhibits the executive branch's ability to be certain that all gender-affirming care related to minors comports with state law."

As of late Sunday, Lombardo had vetoed 30 bills, with more than five dozen bills listed as being on his desk awaiting action.

by April Corbin Girnus, Nevada Current June 5, 2023

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April Corbin Girnus is an award-winning journalist with a decade of media experience. A stickler about municipal boundary lines, April enjoys teaching people about unincorporated Clark County. She grew up in Sunrise Manor and currently resides in Paradise with her husband, three children and one mutt.