The G3Wire

January 17, 2025

Governor Joe Lombardo raised more than $3.2 million in 2024 and has more than $5.5 million in cash on hand as the Republican governor gears up for his second legislative session and a high-profile re-election campaign. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto reintroduced legislation aiming to combat and prevent wildfires Tuesday as a series of catastrophic wildfires continued to burn in Southern California. And Senator Jacky Rosen reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would implement “no taxes on tips,” a major campaign promise of President-elect Donald Trump. And Los Angeles consistently tops the list of in- migration to the Las Vegas Valley and close to 158,000 people relocated from California to Nevada from 2019 to the end of last year, making up 43 percent of all new residents to the state, the biggest out of any state in the nation, according to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.  These Nevada News Links and so much more below!

Updates from the Governor’s Office

Joint Letter on DOGE

Many Governors wrote and signed a letter to express overwhelming support for President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Initiative and request that Congress work alongside him to solidify the efficiencies that are found into law. (rga.org/joint-letter-on-doge/)

Lombardo, Democrats call for bipartisanship but draw battle lines for upcoming legislative session

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is proposing splitting up the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and moving several major divisions and programs into a new agency called the Nevada Health Authority. (Nevada Current)

Governor Lombardo Appoints Andrew Coates as Incoming Nevada State Public Defender

Governor Joe Lombardo announced his appointment of Andrew Coates as the incoming Nevada State Public Defender. (gov.nv.gov)

State and Local Government Updates

CCSD blames ’17 law for teacher vacancies

The Clark County School District is no stranger to teacher vacancies. But how those vacancies are distributed is far from equal. Of the school district’s 700 teacher vacancies, 570 are in Title I schools, Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen Mitchell told the State Board of Education on Wednesday. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

City of Las Vegas to consider new housing development for Badlands golf course

Under an agreement tentatively approved last month by the City Council, the city would take control of the roughly 250-acres plot of land for $636 million and then sell the property to Lennar Homes for $350 million. That developer is planning 1,480 housing units, according to city documentation. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Indy Education: New trustees take their place on Nevada school boards

Last Monday, new trustees Emily Stevens, Lydia Dominguez, Tameka Henry and Lorena Biassotti took their seats on the Clark County School Board. It’s higher than the turnover the school board saw four years ago when it welcomed three new members. (The Nevada Independent)

HOA regulation in Nevada ineffectual, captured by industry, critics complain

The state department that regulates homeowners’ associations is overly secretive, bogged down in minutiae that leaves little time for significant issues, and shies away from big-ticket enforcement while instead targeting “impoverished boards” and disruptive homeowners, say critics, including a member of the commission that regulates HOAs.  (Reno Gazette Journal)

Request to shield refuge–Amargosa Valley fighting mining firm

An extensive fight to protect the water of Nevada’s Amargosa Valley may soon be won, ending a nearly two-year battle that spanned from the nation’s capital to the porches of Nye County residents forced to spend thousands of dollars to drill their wells deeper. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Washoe school board president gushes: New board ‘loving on each other’

School Board President Beth Smith said she “finally” has a fantastic board.  During the first official board meeting of 2025, Smith, who was reelected board president Tuesday night, gushed about how she just loved the new school board. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Indy Environment: Maps show heat hits much differently from one Reno neighborhood to next

Scientists find 23-degree difference in temperature across Reno-Sparks communities as part of an effort to locate heat islands in the region. (The Nevada Independent)

LV City Council passes bills aimed at reducing animal abandonment and hoarding

An ordinance passed Wednesday intended to curb the rash of animal abandonment cases in Southern Nevada in recent years is unlikely to result in more citations, a city official told the Las Vegas City Council, but advocates hope the threat of a $1,000 fine will act as a deterrent to those considering abandoning a pet. (Nevada Current)

Federal Updates

Rare, 1-inch-long butterfly to receive federal protections

A 1-inch butterfly that can only be found beside hot springs near the Nevada-Oregon border will soon be awarded federal protections under the Endangered Species Act, the law meant to protect plants and animals at risk of extinction. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

D.C. Download: Why all Nevada Democrats voted to advance House GOP immigration bill

Policy changes pertaining to undocumented immigrants — be they congressional or executive — have the potential to upend Nevada, which has the highest percentage of undocumented workers in its workforce of any state. (The Nevada Independent)

Desert tortoises getting help to pass highway–Wildlife crossings, fences will be built

The federal Department of Transportation awarded Nevada’s transportation agency a $16.8 million grant to build 61 wildlife crossings and 68 miles of fencing along the highway. Clark and Lincoln counties, as well as private companies such as the Coyote Springs Investment group, will fund the project in total. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Bill funds prevention, suppression of wildfires

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto reintroduced legislation aiming to combat and prevent wildfires Tuesday as a series of catastrophic wildfires continued to burn in Southern California. (Las Vegas Review Review)

Lee against bill; says she opposes trans athletes

Nevada Rep. Susie Lee voted with her party against a bill that would ban transgender girls and women from competing in school sports, but then issued a statement saying she opposes trans athletes competing in girls’ sports. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Nevada employers to pay more for workplace safety violations. Here’s how much

Employers in Nevada will be paying more for workplace violations after penalties increased as part of a federally required mandate. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Feds signal halt to mineral leasing in Amargosa Valley to protect treasured wetland

After an intense local campaign to protect a treasured wildlife refuge in the Amargosa Desert the federal government has proposed a two year pause on new mining claims on thousands of acres of public land in Nye County. (Nevada Current)

Feds approve Nevada public option health insurance plans

Public option health insurance plans, offered at lower costs than the plans available through the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, will be available to Nevadans seeking coverage for 2026, Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro announced Monday. (Nevada Current)

Cortez Masto challenges Trump’s energy nominee on ‘failed Yucca Mountain’

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., asked President-elect Donald Trump’s energy secretary nominee, Chris Wright, to acknowledge the “failed Yucca Mountain project is unworkable,” during his confirmation hearing Wednesday. (Las Vegas Sun)

Rosen reintroduces ‘No Tax on Tips’ bill

Sen. Jacky Rosen reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would implement “no taxes on tips,” a major campaign promise of President-elect Donald Trump.  The Nevada Democratic senator introduced the No Tax on Tips Act on Thursday with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Amodei introduces bill to end presidential National Monument designations

Nevada’s only Republican in Congress, Rep. Mark Amodei, announced plans Thursday for legislation that would require Congressional approval of all future national monuments in Nevada. (Nevada Current)

Lombardo says ‘an exorbitant amount of time’ required before mass deportations could happen

The first-term Republican governor made the comment after his second state of the state address on Wednesday. He was asked by KUNR what impact mass deportations could have on Nevada’s economy. (Nevada Current)

TikTok ban poised to disrupt information ecosystem, livelihood of millions of users

The United States Supreme Court heard arguments last week over a law President Joe Biden signed last April, which says that the app poses security concerns, because TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, is subject to Chinese national security laws that can compel companies to hand over users’ data at any time. The court upheld the law early Friday, just days before the deadline. (Nevada Current)

Articles of Interest

Snowpack average–Rockies portending unspectacular runoff

It’s too early to make sweeping assessments of this year’s snowpack, but some signs point to a remarkably average year in the Rocky Mountains, where snow turns to water and flows down the Colorado River into ever-shrinking reservoirs. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Experts: Policies for AI lacking–Vary on ChatGPT role in explosion

Experts are divided on whether the role ChatGPT played in plans to explode a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International hotel on Jan. 1 should raise concerns about the safe use of artificial intelligence, but many agreed the New Year’s Day explosion highlights the fact that policies safeguarding the use of AI are lagging behind as technology races ahead. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Traffic fatalities increase in 2024

The 412 traffic deaths in 2024 resulted from 377 crashes involving a fatality, according to an annual report from the state Office of Traffic Safety. That makes 2024 the fourth-deadliest year on record, according to state records dating back to 1991 and tracked by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Little vetting for LV tunnels–City now a testing ground for Musk’s Boring Company

The powerful Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority greenlit the idea and funded an 0.8-mile route at its convention center. As that small “people mover” opened in 2021, the authority was already urging the county and city to approve plans for 104 stations across 68 miles of tunnels. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

AI is already shaping the future of Las Vegas’ hospitality industry

As visitors repeatedly come to Las Vegas, locals who work at the resorts get to know them better and better. But why shouldn’t that same experience extend to someone’s first time in town? That’s the leading philosophy behind Otonomus Hotel, a new property opening near Allegiant Stadium in May. Its owners believe it’s the first “AI hotel.” (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Los Angeles wildfires will put pressure on Las Vegas’ housing market, expert says

Los Angeles consistently tops the list of in migration to the Las Vegas Valley, and close to 158,000 people relocated from California to Nevada from 2019 to the end of last year, making up 43 percent of all new residents to the state, the biggest out of any state in the nation, according to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

‘Waiting list to nowhere’: Homelessness surveys trap Black men on the streets

Vulnerability questionnaires, created to determine how likely a person is to get sick and die while homeless, are being singled out for systematically placing homeless white people at the front of the line for housing, ahead of their Black peers. (The Nevada Independent)

This Nevada city has highest percentage of people working from home

One-fifth of Henderson’s workforce works remotely, the highest percentage of any major Nevada city, according to a recent study by SmartAsset. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Caseworkers coax homeless people out of Las Vegas’ tunnels for treatment

Outreach workers who travel into the tunnels said they have noticed an uptick in the number of people living underground as housing costs have skyrocketed and local officials have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to homelessness. (The Nevada Independent)

Homeless deaths in Reno drop by half; meth, fentanyl cited in many accidental fatalities

The number of homeless people who died on the streets of Reno fell by almost half in the past year, from 135 in 2023 to 77 in 2024. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Hot August Nights moving main venue to UNR from GSR this year

Classic car event Hot August Nights is changing its main venue for 2025 as the Grand Sierra Resort works on its arena project. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Indy Gaming: Despite hype, Strip gaming revenue stayed flat during second F1 Las Vegas race

November’s Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix race didn’t provide the expected business lift that a few Strip properties experienced from 2023’s inaugural event. (The Nevada Independent)

Sisolak appointee Watkins announces her departure from the Gaming Control Board

After her departure, all three members of the panel that regulates the state’s largest industry will be Gov. Joe Lombardo’s appointees. (The Nevada Independent)

LV bolsters bid to host college football title game

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Board of Directors approved the potential of hosting a college football championship game at Allegiant Stadium, should one be offered in the future. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

LVCVA chief questions news report, says Las Vegas Loop is safe, has adequate oversight

The head of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority defended the tunnel system connecting the Las Vegas Convention Center’s campus and Resorts World with a fleet of Tesla vehicles after a recent media report questioned safety oversight of the project. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Aim for the sky: Air taxi service–Spaceport CEO seeks Uber-like electric system

The developer of the Las Vegas Spaceport has long considered initiating a helicopter transport from his desert land west of Las Vegas to the Strip and other locations in the city once the spaceport opens. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Reno airport sees highest passenger traffic count in nearly 2 decades

Reno’s airport is also on track to see an increase in passenger numbers for the first quarter of 2025. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Amazon tops list of companies tapping into taxpayer-funded Nevada Medicaid

Workers aren’t booted from the insurance program for low-income families if they have a job, but critics say it’s a quiet subsidy for profitable corporations. (The Nevada Independent)

Reno plummets in annual best cities rankings over job growth, wages, housing

The Reno metro area ranked 93rd among U.S. cities in the 2025 Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index. Reno fell for the second straight year in the ranking after placing 49th in 2024 and 16th in 2023. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Reno among worst in the nation for its share of young adults buying homes

Young adults in Reno are buying fewer homes compared to the rest of the nation, according to an analysis of home purchase loans. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Energy nominee draws criticism–Yucca Mountain stance criticized

The Department of Energy recommended Yucca Mountain, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as a national nuclear waste repository in 2002. But each time plans resurfaced; plans stalled because of bipartisan opposition. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Housing proposal clears hurdle–Badlands development size draws opposition

Las Vegas’ Planning Commission then unanimously approved land-use entitlements, an early step that pushes forward Lennar Homes’ proposal. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Water use increased in ’24–Dry, hot weather in Southern Nevada may be biggest reason

Despite homeowners converting 6.4 million square feet of grass last year to keep water use down, Nevada’s use swelled in 2024 compared with the previous year, according to preliminary estimates. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Homelessness project advances–Campus for Hope public-private partnership

A $200 million public-private partnership intended to help reduce homelessness in Southern Nevada will move forward, Gov. Joe Lombardo said Wednesday. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Economist: Vegas’ future bright–City can build on successes to meet challenges

Jeremy Aguero, principal for Las Vegas-based Applied Analysis, emphasized the value of experience as a draw to Southern Nevada, highlighting the continued appeal of sports and entertainment even while addressing issues like homelessness, housing affordability, population growth, debt and inflation. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

California fuel lines reopen as Las Vegas gas stations stay busy

In a statement Friday, Kinder Morgan confirmed that both the SFPP West and CALNEV lines have returned to service. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Election News

Lombardo raised $3.2M in 2024, setting fundraising record 2 years ahead of re-election bid

Gov. Joe Lombardo raised more than $3.2 million in 2024 and has more than $5.5 million in cash on hand as the Republican governor gears up for his second legislative session and a high-profile re-election campaign. (The Nevada Independent)

Fact check: Analysis undermines claims that GOP switched votes to Trump in Nevada

A viral Reddit post accusing Republicans of switching votes in Nevada from Kamala Harris to Donald Trump has been viewed thousands of times, but it fails to account for other factors that easily explain certain highlighted disparities in voting data. (The Nevada Independent)

Behind in fundraising and endorsements, incumbent trustee pulled out a win

Diane Nicolet’s stubbornness didn’t cost her a win. In fact, it didn’t cost her nearly as much as it did everyone else. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Legislative Updates

Important Dates

• First day of session: 17
• Last day for bill introductions: 60
• First house passage deadline: 96
• Sine die: 137

Check out the 982 Bill Draft Requests that have been submitted up until now–BDR List.

Bills from the 83^rd Legislative Session – to date: 250 bills

2025 Legislature: Five topics that could dominate in Nevada

Here’s what you can expect to be some of the biggest topics of discussion in Nevada’s capital — and specific bills that could make their way through the legislative process. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Requiring AI transparency in political ads proposed in Nevada

The bill would require a disclosure if AI or other digital software is used in a campaign ad to create realistic depictions of something that never actually happened. For example, if the bill is signed into law, the phrase “This image has been manipulated” would need to be the largest text on a mailer. Similar requirements address newspaper, radio and TV ads. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Behind the Bar: We’re so back

Welcome to our first edition of Behind the Bar for the 83rd legislative session. The newsletter will have a slightly different format this year but still provide you with essential updates on the Legislature twice a week (possibly more). (The Nevada Independent)

Lombardo State of the State takeaways: Permanent teacher raises, stricter theft laws

Nevada Independent reporters highlight five takeaways from Gov. Joe Lombardo’s speech and his policy proposals for the upcoming year. (The Nevada Independent)

Why does Nevada have a short legislative session?

Nevada is one of four states that meets biennially (the others being Montana, North Dakota and Texas). The state’s 21 senators and 42 assemblymen and assemblywomen have about four months every odd year to introduce bills, update laws, establish the biennial budget and any other legislative work that may come up. (The Nevada Independent)

Lombardo’s address spotlights five bills–Making teacher raises permanent a priority

Gov. Joe Lombardo announced sweeping policy proposals at his State of the State address on Wednesday, from making teacher raises permanent to investing $1 billion in new housing — all while calling for unity in the divided government. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Graduate assistants’ push to unionize gains support of Nevada lawmakers

They say at least 27 Assembly members and 12 state senators signed a letter urging the Nevada System of Higher Education to recognize the union and “enshrine a fair and enforceable collective bargaining framework” like what the system’s classified employees have. The letters were submitted Thursday.

Lame duck Congress ended without mine permitting reform bill pushed by NV lawmakers

A bipartisan effort to give mining companies more legal rights to federal lands and speed up the permitting process did not make it past a contentious five-week lame duck session, dashing hopes to reverse a major court ruling adopting a stricter interpretation of federal mining law, at least for the time being. (Nevada Current)