Last required budget bill heads to Nevada governor’s desk

CARSON CITY — With less than half an hour until the end of the legislative session, lawmakers voted to send a budget funding capital improvement projects to Gov. Joe Lombardo’s desk — the last budget bill the Legislature is constitutionally required to pass.

Senate Bill 502 would pay for about $1.56 billion worth of projects, $1.1 billion financed through bonds.

It faced hurdles Monday after the Senate did not concur on an amendment that would have provided up to $50 million of general obligation bonds for attainable housing projects. The Assembly had first approved the amendment Sunday in a 38-4 vote, but it receded the amendment around 11:40 p.m., or else it would have faced going into a special session.

Before the housing amendment was removed, Assemblymembers Sandra Jauregui and Daniele Monroe-Moreno urged their colleagues to support the amended bill late Sunday night. It would have created the Nevada Attainable Housing Infrastructure Account for housing development projects. Up to $50 million of general obligation bonds would have been deposited in the account in the 2025-2027 biennium to be used for loans.

“With this amendment, we are keeping our promise to focus on affordable, attainable housing this legislative session,” Jauregui, D-Las Vegas, said Sunday night. “With the amendment, we are making sure that we are going to fund those projects that will help the affordability of housing in our state, and I want to thank the housing division and the executive branch for the hours that we have worked together to make this possible.”

Republican Assemblymembers Heidi Kasama, Danielle Gallant, Ken Gray and Jill Dickman voted in opposition Sunday.

In a statement, Kasama said she was concerned with structural deficits that were not resolved when the vote took place.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.