Retail theft, habitual offender changes gone from Lombardo crime bill
CARSON CITY — A heavily amended version of Gov. Joe Lombardo’s proposed crime and public safety bill was released and passed out of committee late Sunday night as lawmakers negotiate on policies before the session ends Monday.
The Republican governor and former Clark County sheriff introduced Senate Bill 457 in April, and a conceptual amendment with 25 changes that was considered on the penultimate day of the session could address some of Democratic lawmakers concerns with the bill.
The bill was politically challenging when first detailed, in part because of a fiscal note from the Nevada Department of Corrections that projects the bill, as introduced, could cost $42.2 million in future state budgets because of an increased prison population.
Additionally, an unsolicited fiscal note from Clark County projected to add more than 2,000 felony cases to the public defender’s office annually based only on the proposition to reduce the felony theft threshold. The county projects the bill’s changes could cost them about $3.6 million in the upcoming fiscal year and about $4.6 million in future biennia.
More costs could be associated with other new crimes created through the bill, according to the note.
That appears to be on its way out. SB 457 originally recommended lowering the felony threshold limit from $1,200 to $750. Backers said it was intended to deter an increase in shoplifting crimes throughout the state. The conceptual amendments also removed sections lowering the number of crimes that would define someone as a habitual offender.
The amendment also removes provisions that detailed increased penalties for fentanyl trafficking.
Changes added to the bill include new reporting requirements in the justice courts of counties with populations over 700,000 (currently, Washoe and Clark counties) related to high-crime areas.
The full list of conceptual amendments is available online. They have not been adopted or considered by the full state Senate as of 10:15 p.m. Sunday.
The 120-day session ends Monday.
Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.
