Assembly Democrats keep 4 bills Lombardo vetoed in 2023 for possible override attempt

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Assembly held back four bills Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed in 2023 — from free school lunches to summary eviction changes — giving the Legislature the chance to override the vetoes later in the session.

On the fourth day of the session Thursday, the Assembly reviewed a swath of bills Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed two years ago. Most were scrapped, though a few key pieces important to the Democratic majority were placed on the chief clerk’s desk to preserve the ability to take action on them.

Those bills included pieces of housing legislation, from Assembly Bill 218, which would prohibit a landlord from charging a tenant an amount that exceeds the amount of rent under the written rental agreement, and AB 340, which would have established a new summary eviction procedure for tenants.

The Assembly also placed the universal free school meals bill — AB 319 — on the clerk’s desk, as well as AB 383, which would have established the Right to Reproductive Health Care Act, which would have codified the right to contraception in state law. It also would have prohibited a governmental entity from burdening activity related to reproductive health services.

Some of those issues are already being addressed with new legislation. Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro’s education bill includes free school meals. Assemblymember Venicia Considine, who had sponsored AB 218 in the last session, put forward AB 121 this session with the same proposals.

Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui, D-Las Vegas, said those four bills reflect the Assembly majority’s values.

“Having the bills on the desk is a reminder to us of why we’re here,” she said Thursday. “We get to see those bills printed on our daily file every single day, reminding us that our constituents are counting on us.”

Jauregui said if Lombardo and legislative Republicans are serious about bipartisanship, they can work with Democrats “on our fight to make sure we’re reducing costs, making sure tenants are able to stay in their house, making sure kids have lunch when they go to school and breakfast.”

“That’s an expedited way to bring relief to Nevadans,” Jauregui said.

Lombardo’s office declined to comment.

Some of the vetoed bills from the last session that the Assembly decided to scrap included AB 242, which would have required all votes to be counted by machine, as opposed to hand counting, and AB 246, which would have required election materials to be printed in languages other than English.

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