Nevada
McKenna Ross’ top Nevada politics stories of 2025
The Silver State was plenty purple in 2025.
Nevada has long had a reputation for its libertarian tilt. Nowadays, partisanship leads many political stories. In top state government and politics stories of the year, some political lines were blurred when politicians bucked their party’s go-to stances to make headlines, while other party stances stayed entrenched.
Here are a handful of the biggest stories out of Nevada government and politics in 2025.
Film tax credit saga returns for parts 2 and 3
A large-scale effort to bring a film studio to Southern Nevada was revived — and died twice — in 2025. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery, who were previously leading opposing efforts to build multi-acre studio lots with tax breaks, joined forces in February to back one bill in front of the Nevada Legislature. They were joined by developer Howard Hughes Corp. in a lobbying push throughout the four-month session, then once again during a seven-day special legislative session in mid-November.
The renewed legislation drew plenty of praise from union and business leaders and created an unlikely coalition of fiscal conservatives and progressives on the left against it. Proponents said the proposal would help create a new industry for Nevada, creating thousands of construction and entertainment industry-related jobs. Opponents criticized the billion-dollar effect it would have on the state’s general fund as a “Hollywood handout.”
In the end, the opposition won out. It passed the Assembly 22-20 in the last week of the regular session and received the same vote count during the special session — though six members switched their votes.
The state Senate voted on the proposed Summerlin Studios project only during the special session, where it failed because 11 senators voted against it or were absent for the Nov. 19 vote. Several lawmakers called out the intense political pressure to pass the bill, despite their concerns of how the subsidies would have affected state coffers.
Democrats fight to strengthen mail-in voting
The movement to enshrine mail-in voting in Nevada also stretched through both 2025 legislative sessions, as well as a federal Supreme Court case.
Democratic lawmakers sought to establish state laws around voting by mail, including about the placement of ballot boxes between early voting and Election Day and the timeline in which clerks had to count mailed ballots received after polls closed.
Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, D-Las Vegas, proposed a compromise with Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo through a bill expanding ballot drop box access in the run-up to Election Day and implementing voter ID requirements, but Lombardo vetoed the bill.
Democrats found a way during the special session, however. In the final hour before the session’s end on Nov. 19, Senate Democrats introduced and considered a resolution to propose enshrining mail-in voting in the Nevada Constitution via a voter amendment. The resolution must past the next consecutive session before it can go on the 2028 general election ballot.
This all comes as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a case that could affect Nevada’s existing law that allows ballots postmarked on Election Day to be counted as late as 5 p.m. four days after Election Day.
Cyberattack on Nevada cripples the state for weeks
Nevada state government was crippled for four weeks in the late summer and fall when a ransomware attack was discovered in state systems in August.
Many state services were moved off-line to sequester the IT threats, leading to 28 days of outages after the Aug. 24 discovery of the ransomware attack. Those included worker’s compensation claims, DMV services, online applications for social services and a background check system.
According to the after-action report, a malicious actor entered the state’s computer system as early as May 14. The threat actor had accessed “multiple critical servers” by the end of August. State officials emphasized that core financial systems and Department of Motor Vehicle data were not breached by the hackers.
The state did not pay a ransom, according to officials. Instead, it worked with external cybersecurity vendors to deal with incident response and recovered about 90 percent of affected data. That costed about $1.5 million for those contracts and overtime pay.
Budget woes leave state in status quo limbo
Financial uncertainty clouded Nevada state government throughout the year as the impact of federal purse-shrinking, uncertainty around the effect of Trump administration tariffs and the reduced tax revenue from a tourism slump persisted throughout 2025.
Nevada lawmakers passing the state’s two-year budget cycle were put in a tight spot when economic forecasts projecting state revenue were downgraded during the legislative session and ultimately passed a state budget that avoided funding multiple new programs.
Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada State Police are responding to a deadly crash on northbound I-15 at Spring Mountain Road Friday morning.
According to the NHP crash page, the crash was reported at 8:32 a.m. on the northbound ramp leading to westbound lanes. State troopers say the crash involved a Chevrolet work truck that struck a man crossing the road.
Arriving medical crews transported the pedestrian to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.
All lanes and off-ramps in the area have since reopened as of 12 p.m.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
LAS VEGAS, NV- The Las Vegas Rotary Club, in conjunction with Rotary Clubs throughout Southern Nevada, will host a community pickleball fundraiser in support of End Polio Now, Rotary International’s global effort to eradicate polio. The event will take place on Saturday, February 7th, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Chicken N Pickle Henderson, located at 3381 St. Rose Parkway.
The non-competitive, social event is chaired by Janice Lencke, president of the Las Vegas Rotary Club, on behalf of Rotary District 5300, which serves Southern Nevada and parts of California. The event invites players of all experience levels to come together for an afternoon of pickleball, fellowship and charitable giving, with proceeds benefiting Rotary’s polio eradication efforts.
“The Rotary Clubs of Southern Nevada, together with District 5300, are uniting to host this event to raise awareness and move one step closer to writing the final chapter in polio’s story—an ending marked by eradication,” said Janice Lencke. “Let’s finish what we started and #EndPolio for good.”
Rotary International is a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which was launched in 1988. Since that time, Rotary’s advocacy, fundraising and volunteer efforts have helped reduce polio cases worldwide by more than 99.9 percent, bringing the world closer than ever to eliminating the disease entirely. Polio eradication remains Rotary’s primary humanitarian focus and one of its most sustained global commitments.
General admission tickets include pickleball court access, lunch and sodas, one alcoholic drink ticket, a commemorative photo, one raffle ticket and free parking. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for businesses and individuals who want to support the cause.
District 5300 is promoting the event throughout Southern Nevada, with additional outreach across California to encourage regional participation in similar events.
ABOUT ROTARY INTERNATIONAL AND THE LAS VEGAS ROTARY CLUB
Rotary International is a worldwide fellowship and service organization with 1.2 million members in 200 countries, with 32,000 clubs. Established in 1923 as part of Rotary International, the Las Vegas Rotary Club is the first and largest Rotary Club in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Rotary Club meets for lunch and fellowship every Thursday at Lawry’s The Prime Rib. To learn more about the Club and service projects, visit https://lasvegasrotary.com.
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Nevada
Travel Nevada Presents The Neon in Nature Series, Featuring Artwork by DARIUSTWIN, at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, January 15 – April 6, 2026
Nevada Division of Tourism
Unique exhibition marks DARIUSTWIN’s first museum show in the U.S.
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESS Newswire / January 8, 2026 / Travel Nevada is proud to present The Neon in Nature Series, which features artwork by light painting photographer and animator Darren Pearson (better known as DARIUSTWIN)at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, beginning January 15, 2026. The exhibition is DARIUSTWIN’s first U.S. museum show. To celebrate the exhibition opening, Travel Nevada will pay admission fees for the first 200 guests to arrive directly at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
Created exclusively in Nevada, The Neon in Nature Series captures just some of the stunning landscapes and striking night skies that you’ll find in Nevada when you get a little out there – all juxtaposed with DARIUSTWIN’s signature light paintings infused with and inspired by Nevada character (and characters). The exhibition will inspire museum guests to visit the Nevada ghost towns, state parks, historical landmarks, and more that take center stage in this unique, vibrant, and whimsical exhibition.
“Nevada’s diverse surroundings and dark night skies provided an ideal backdrop to compose this series,” said DARIUSTWIN. “I’m grateful to the Travel Nevada team for commissioning the work and to the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, for housing my very first museum exhibition in the country. I’m hopeful that it will encourage museum guests to travel throughout Nevada, which I found was so rich in history and ripe with adventure opportunities.”
“When the Travel Nevada team first saw DARIUSTWIN’s work, we immediately knew that a partnership with him would inspire people to get a little out there in the state. The Neon in Nature Series is a creative take on what makes Nevada special,” said Rafael Villanueva, chief executive officer of Travel Nevada. “Additionally, we’re thrilled that this exhibition will be housed in the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. We share a mission with the museum to enhance the quality of life for Nevada’s visitors and residents, and what better place to host The Neon in Nature series than a city whose history is intertwined with neon?”
The Neon in Nature Series, Presented by Travel Nevada will be on view at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas through April 6, 2026.
“The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is delighted to host this art- and Nevada-focused installation by DARIUSTWIN,” said Hollis J. Gillespie, director of the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. “The Neon in Nature Series exemplifies our mission of educating the public about the history and natural history of the state, and it does so in an electrifying way. We look forward to sharing it with our visitors.”
EDITORS: Select high-resolution images from The Neon in Nature Series, Presented by Travel Nevada are available here. Photo credit for all images: “Photo courtesy of Travel Nevada/DARIUSTWIN. ©️ 2024 DARIUSTWIN.”
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About Travel Nevada
The heart of Nevada shines through Travel Nevada, an organization focused on sharing the experiences, landmarks and living legends that make the Silver State a one-of-a-kind destination. Through community collaborations and strategic partnerships, we aim to connect with both locals and visitors alike, showcasing the sometimes-surprising, always-exciting treasures that keep people coming to Nevada. It’s theirs to explore-and ours to safekeep, from preserving our wild-at-heart way of life to our wide-open spaces. For more information, visit TravelNevada.com.
About the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas
Founded in 1982, the mission of the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, serves to educate a diverse public about the history and natural history of Nevada. The museum collects, preserves, exhibits, and disseminates material that contributes to an understanding and appreciation of the state. For more information, visit https://www.lasvegasnvmuseum.org/
About DARIUSTWIN
Darren Pearson, known as DARIUSTWIN, is a light painting photographer and animator whose glowing creations have illuminated landscapes around the world. Using long-exposure photography and custom crafted LED lights, Darren “paints” with light in real time, creating skeletal figures, dinosaurs, aliens, and fantastical characters that exist for only a moment before disappearing into the night. His work has been featured by National Geographic, Intel, Honda, and Apple, among others.
Based in Southern California, Darren has been creating light paintings for more than a decade, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, one exposure at a time. See more at dariustwin.com and follow @dariustwin.
Contact:
Tracie Barnthouse, Chief Communications Officer
tbarnthouse@travelnevada.com; 775-624-0618
SOURCE: Nevada Division of Tourism
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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