The G3Wire

February 14, 2025

Happy Valentine’s Day! Ready or not, the 2026 race for the Nevada governor’s seat is beginning next week. This week, Gov. Joe Lombardo pushed legislators to issue a resolution urging the federal government to release land for housing development in Nevada, though the leaders of the Democratic-majority Legislature have plans of their own to address housing. In addition to the housing issues, Gov. Joe Lombardo signed legislation Thursday that will allow Nevada to temporarily drop a ban on all but cage-free eggs in the state, an effort that was fast-tracked through the Nevada Legislature to address rising egg prices. And federally, Nevada’s Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford re-introduced legislation Thursday to eliminate the subminimum wage and end taxes on tips — adding to a popular policy proposal supported by Republicans and pushed by President Donald Trump. These Nevada news links and so much more below!

Legislative Updates

Important Dates:

March 17^th     Last day for legislator bill introductions

April 11^th        First house passage deadline

June 2^nd          Sine die

What will Nevada’s US senators, representatives do in 2025? Here are committee assignments

Nevada’s U.S. senators and representatives recently received their final committee assignments for the new Congress. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Freshman Orientation: Lori Rogich’s advocacy for her daughter informs priorities in Senate

Rogich, a Republican, is a regulatory compliance attorney focused on the cannabis industry. (The Nevada Independent)

Nevada bill could increase egg supply temporarily

A bill in the Nevada Legislature could address egg shortages and rising egg costs by allowing the state to temporarily suspend a law requiring the sale of cage-free eggs. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Lombardo’s heavy reliance on one-shot funding raises questions about sustainability

The Indy’s legislative team breaks down what you need to know about upgrades to the legislative building and higher employee contributions to the state’s retirement system. (The Nevada Independent)

Nevada sportsbooks win a record $22.1 million on Super Bowl, even though betting was down

Despite the win, overall wagering on the NFL championship game was $38M less than a year ago when Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas was the host. (The Nevada Independent)

Survey suggests Nevadans want governor, Legislature to reach creative compromises

Nevada’s Democratic-controlled state Legislature holds a lead over Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo when it comes to public trust in education policy positions, according to a recent survey. (Las Vegas Sun)

After thorny end to 2023 session, can Lombardo, Democrats mend fences?

The legislative team breaks down where the governor stands on a daily room cleaning mandate and a new bill proposing to rein in AI. (The Nevada Independent)

Indy Explains: Can the Nevada Legislature actually help reduce egg prices?

Officials said a new bill should increase the state’s egg supply, but they emphasized it is not a “silver bullet,” especially given that there may be an increase in transportation costs with a broader geographic range of suppliers. (The Nevada Independent)

Freshman Orientation: Researcher-turned-electrician Venise Karris heads to Carson

Venise Karris was a medical researcher before working as a union electrician for 27 years. She thinks her experience as a union steward will serve her well as a legislator. (The Nevada Independent)

Lawmaker hopes to extend paid family leave law to Nevada’s private sector

Only a fraction of Nevadans work for an employer that is required to offer paid family and medical leave, but one state lawmaker is hoping that might change this year. (Nevada Current)

State egg bill speeds through Legislature–Cage-free chicken rule would bend

A bill to temporarily suspend Nevada’s cage-free egg sale rule is heading to the governor’s desk after passing through the Legislature unanimously this week. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Record net for MGM in 2024–China operation key as Vegas flat

Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International reported its highest annual net revenue in 2024 despite flat returns from its hometown operations. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Nevada governor wants to free up federal land for housing. But hurdles remain

Gov. Joe Lombardo this week pushed legislators to issue a resolution urging the federal government to release land for housing development in Nevada, though the leaders of the Democratic-majority Legislature have plans of their own to address housing. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Nevada lawmaker boosts TIPS Act to end taxes on tips, subminimum wage

Nevada’s Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford re-introduced legislation Thursday to eliminate the subminimum wage and end taxes on tips — adding to a popular policy proposal supported by Republicans and pushed by President Donald Trump. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Lombardo signs law allowing Nevada to temporarily drop cage-free egg sale rule

Gov. Joe Lombardo signed legislation Thursday that will allow Nevada to temporarily drop a ban on all but cage-free eggs in the state, an effort that was fast-tracked through the Nevada Legislature to address rising egg prices. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Lombardo seeks resolution to free up acreage–Democrats have own ideas to fix housing

Gov. Joe Lombardo this week pushed legislators to issue a resolution urging the federal government to release land for housing development in Nevada, though the leaders of the Democratic-majority Legislature have plans of their own to address housing. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Bill seeks to ban immigration enforcement in Nevada schools after Trump opened door for it  

AB217 would make it a misdemeanor for a school district employee to share information about a student with officers investigating or enforcing immigration laws.  (The Nevada Independent)

Freshman Orientation: For Joe Dalia, parenting brings new purpose to policymaking

Joe Dalia has long had an interest in public service, interning for powerhouse Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and working on various campaigns, but it was having children that finally pushed him to run for public office. (The Nevada Independent)

Legislation would allow third party control of properties if landlords refuse to meet safety codes

Assembly Bill 211, which got a first hearing this week at the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee, would allow another option: allow a third party to take over the property until the repairs are made and living conditions improved. (Nevada Current)

Updates from the Governor’s Office 

Governor Lombardo Requests Resolution Encouraging the Release of Federal Land to Increase Housing Availability and Decrease Housing Costs

Governor Joe Lombardo released his letter to Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager requesting a resolution to encourage the systematic release of federal land in Nevada. (gov.nv.gov)

State and Local Government

Experts say tax revamp needed to fund schools. State leaders don’t want to touch it.

A funding adviser said without new revenue to aggressively increase education funding, schools will remain at the status quo. (The Nevada Independent)

$9 million of Nevada taxpayer money missing from Lovelock internet project

The state of Nevada gave $9 million to a Reno company to bring high-speed internet to rural Nevada, but the money has disappeared and it’s unclear what happened to it. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Insurance on rise in Nevada–100K homeowners, renters will pay up to 25 percent more

Over 100,000 Nevadans will see an increase in their homeowners or renters insurance in the first half of the year. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Ford sponsors bill to confront ‘unfair’ pricing

Trump administration has backed off investigation of corporate landlords using algorithms to gouge renters.  (Nevada Current)

Reno, Henderson, and Boulder City relay municipal woes to state lawmakers

From not enough students to keep schools open, to recruiting police and firefighter applicants who don’t smoke weed – leaders from Boulder City, Henderson, and Reno apprised state lawmakers Monday of the headwinds facing their individual municipalities.  (Nevada Current)

CCSD expected to pay $800K to settle child abuse allegations

The lawsuit, filed in May 2023, said the 5-year-old child, who suffers from developmental delay and suspected autism spectrum disorder and wears braces on both legs, was the victim of “severe neglect and abusive practices.” (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Nevada’s $156M ‘Solar for All’ grant is frozen again. No one knows why

The Trump administration has again frozen Nevada’s $156 million solar panel grant. The decision comes four days after officials decided to release the grant from its wide-reaching reviews of federal spending. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

WCSD principals on immigration: Court order needed to share info with law enforcement

Principals in Washoe County School District are sending families a form letter addressing concerns about immigration and deportation rules. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Licensing scheme contributing to shortage of psychologists in Nevada, say critics 

Nevada, perpetually ranked one of the worst states in the nation for mental health services, is the only state that requires applicants for licensure as a psychologist to pass a test that is deemed by critics to be racially biased, and was scrapped last year by the national organization that developed it. (Nevada Current) 

Proposed Badlands housing development up for discussion in Las Vegas

The Las Vegas City Council could approve a proposed housing development at the defunct Badlands golf course as early as Wednesday.  Lennar Homes’ project is up for discussion at the next City Council meeting in which the governing body can take action, according to the agenda. Land-use entitlements up for vote include rezoning and a tentative map. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Federal Updates

Federal funds for Nevada solar, home energy efficiency upgrades in limbo

State agencies and groups have diligently applied for their share of various federal pots for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvement goals, from electric school buses to solar installations to electric appliance rebates. (The Nevada Independent)

Trump administration will consider redrawing boundaries of national monuments as part of energy push

As part of the Trump administration’s push to expand U.S. energy production, federal officials will review and consider redrawing the boundaries of national monuments created under previous presidents to protect unique landscapes and cultural resources. (The Nevada Independent) 

Lithium mine’s approval violates international rights agreement, says Human Rights Watch

The U.S. government violated international human rights law when it provided a mining permit to Lithium Americas for the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada, according to a report released Thursday by the Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union. (Nevada Current)

Senate confirms Russ Vought, a Project 2025 author, to manage the nation’s budget

The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to confirm Russ Vought as director of the Office of Management and Budget, giving support to one of the architects of Project 2025 and someone who hopes to erode Congress’ control over government spending. (Nevada Current)

Trump’s quest for ‘energy dominance’ is all about the vibes

This story was originally published by Grist. When President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a “national energy emergency” hours after being sworn into office, something conspicuous was missing from his definition of energy. (Nevada Current)

Trump funding freeze could make fighting Nevada wildfires harder, Rosen warns

Reno fire chief says that a funding freeze affecting seasonal firefighters will mean slower, weaker responses that can allow ‘the fire to get ahead of us.’ (Reno Gazette Journal)

Here’s what Northern Nevada’s senators, representative think of Trump’s Gaza plan

Northern Nevada’s representatives in Congress were less enthusiastic about the plan. (Reno Gazette Journal)

NV deprived of $38M in EV charging funds following Trump program suspension

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a memo last week announcing the suspension of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI) while the U.S. Department of Transportation reevaluates the program, leaving Nevada’s $38 million in funds in limbo, according to Nevada Current. (Nevada Current)

‘It’s demoralizing’: Trump’s climate funding freeze has left tribes and community groups in limbo

Trump administration issued a memo on January 27 directing federal agencies to freeze all funding. Suddenly, the tribe was shut out of its funding. (Nevada Current)

Trump picks oil and gas lobbyist to lead Bureau of Land Management

The head of a Denver-based oil and gas trade group that lobbies for expanded drilling on public lands is Republican President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Land Management. Kathleen Sgamma is the president of Western Energy Alliance, which represents independent oil and gas producers who operate in nine western states. (Nevada Current)

President’s cuts to USAID threaten UNR’s global partnerships and research

UNR says it received an order to stop work on three projects meant for developing global partnerships and scientific research because around $30 million in federal funding used in those initiatives could dry up in President Donald Trump’s gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Red states have the most to lose by Trump freezing money for clean energy

In a quest to eliminate any funding linked to climate change, the Trump administration has frozen federal grants for everything from battery factories to electric school buses and issued executive orders that have halted federal approvals for wind and solar projects. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Ford adds to lawsuit on Musk’s authority

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford joined a lawsuit Thursday challenging “the unlawful delegation of executive power” to billionaire Elon Musk, his office said in a news release.  The lawsuit argues that Musk — the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, X and other companies — gained an unconstitutional level of power through his unelected role as the leader of a new government entity, the Department of Government Efficiency. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

‘No explanation as to why’: Nevada federal funding recipients navigating freezes

President Donald Trump’s Unleashing American Energy executive order has pulled the plug on funding for many Nevada initiatives, including one that would install electric vehicle charging stations on state highways. (The Nevada Independent)

Trump’s plan to end penny production: Will it affect Nevada’s copper mines?

This week, President Trump posted to social media that he has instructed the U.S. Treasury secretary to stop producing new pennies because they cost more to produce than their face value. (Reno Gazette Journal) 

Election News Updates

Many Nevada candidates are fined over transparency on campaign funds. Few pay in full.

The secretary of state’s office is eyeing reforms to the process, as the only way that state officials could force the fines to be paid is through a resource-intensive lawsuit. (The Nevada Independent)

Too soon? 2026 Nevada gubernatorial race starts with Lombardo, Ford out of the gates first

The Cook Political Report, a national campaign forecaster, recently released its 2026 governor race ratings. It categorized only one with a sitting Republican governor as a tossup — and that’s Lombardo in Nevada. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Articles of Interest

Ordered to close its last coal plant, NV Energy will now burn a different fossil fuel

Energy regulators have approved a plan by NV Energy to convert the utility’s last coal plant to natural gas. (The Nevada Independent)

New bird flu variant found in Nevada dairy cows has experts sounding alarms: ‘We have never been closer to a pandemic from this virus’

The disclosure that dairy herds in Nevada have been infected by a version of the H5N1 bird flu not previously seen in cows, has put virologists and researchers on high alert. (yahoo.com)

Cancer-causing PFAS linger in Nevada water

Many water managers have long been stumped on how to best control pesky, cancer-causing “forever chemicals” popping up in samples throughout the country. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Bighorn sheep suffer in drought–200 days of no measurable rain doesn’t help

As the nation’s driest state grows more arid, the animals face a dire dilemma: a lack of water needed to survive. With more than 200 days of no measurable rain in the Las Vegas Valley and counting, the clock is ticking as the dry streak threatens to cut off their food source and potentially warrant relocation out of state. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Fiore files post-trial motion to re-try case–Excluded testimony at center of appeal

Attorneys for Michele Fiore have filed a post-trial motion asking for a new trial, arguing that the testimony of the former judge and councilwoman’s daughter should not have been excluded and that her prior attorney was “ineffective.” (Las Vegas Review Journal)

CDC: New strain of bird flu detected in state dairy worker

A dairy worker in Nevada was infected with a new type of bird flu that’s different from the version that has been spreading in U.S. herds since last year, federal health officials said Monday. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Sandoval joins Strip casino board–Resorts World adds former governor, 61

Resorts World Las Vegas is adding another high-profile name to its recently created board of directors. Former Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has been appointed to the board, the Strip casino announced Monday. Sandoval, 61, is the fifth member of the casino’s nascent board of directors, which began its oversight of the property in December.(Las Vegas Review Journal)

What to know about Nevada’s evolving bird flu outbreak

A Nevada dairy was the first place a second strain of bird flu was discovered. How is it different from the first variant and are milk and eggs safe to consume? (The Nevada Independent)

Nevada snowpack takes a turn for the worse following warm, dry conditions 

Nevada’s water supply outlook is in trouble after snowpack in the state fell below normal for this time of year, following disappointing snowfall and persistently warm temperatures. (Nevada Current)

FBI says it found 2,400 new JFK assassination records

The FBI said it’s working to transfer the records to the National Archives and Records Administration to be included in the declassification process. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Sand Harbor in Tahoe will require reservations this summer: What you need to know

If the reservation system sounds familiar, it’s because Sand Harbor State Park conducted a trial run last year from Aug. 7 to Oct. 13. According to park staff, the trial was successful, and Sand Harbor will require reservations throughout its peak season this year. (Reno Gazette Journal)

Nevada War Room 

This poll shows Governor Joe Lombardo’s agenda has support from Nevadans across the political spectrum. (X)

Former state senator, voice of the Greenwave dies after lengthy illness

Mike McGinness served his community and state for more than half a century

Fallon businessman and state legislator Mike McGinness died Sunday at the age of 77 after a lengthy illness. (Nevada Appeal)

CapRock continues buying spree in Northern Nevada

Chad Ridenour, senior associate at CapRock, told NNBW that the company will continue to seek targeted acquisitions in Northern Nevada, as well as look for additional opportunities for new construction. (Nevada Appeal)

Gas prices to keep rising–Calif. issues impact Las Vegas

Issues with oil refineries in California and an annual switch from winter mix gas to summer mix gas will see gas prices in Southern Nevada skyrocket, according to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.  The Las Vegas Valley relies on California for the majority of its gasoline, so anytime there are issues with refineries or pipelines in the Golden State, Southern Nevada feels the trickle-down effect. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

January records boost in inflation–Fed chairman: Rates need to stay ‘restrictive’

WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation accelerated last month as the cost of groceries, gasoline and rents rose, a disappointment for families and businesses struggling with higher costs and likely underscoring the Federal Reserve’s resolve to delay further interest rate cuts. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

How will Laken Riley Act effect the Las Vegas Valley? It’s complicated

Uncertainty over the impact of immigration crackdowns in Nevada became even more so after a new law vastly expanded opportunities for federal authorities to detain migrants who end up in police custody. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

Wynn saves ‘land bank’ acres–UAE project priority over parcel in Las Vegas

Wynn Resorts Ltd. isn’t in any rush to develop the property it owns across the Las Vegas Boulevard from its existing Wynn and Encore Las Vegas resorts. (Las Vegas Review Journal)

‘We have to grow anyway’: The good and the bad of Northern Nevada’s economy

Growth remains on the menu for Reno area. But high housing costs and income disparities between new and existing residents reflect its challenges. (Reno Gazette Journal)