LAS VEGAS — Abortion access advocates in Nevada said Monday that they have submitted almost twice the number of petition signatures needed to qualify a measure for the November ballot that would enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution.
Supporters collected and submitted more than 200,000 signatures, Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom President Lindsey Harmon told reporters. Proponents need 102,000 valid signatures by June 26 to qualify for the ballot.
“The majority of Nevadans agree that the government should stay out of their personal and private decisions … about our bodies, our lives and our futures,” Harmon said at a rally with about 25 supporters outside the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas.
Elections officials in Nevada’s 17 counties still must verify signatures and it’s not clear how long that will take.
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In Washoe County, spokeswoman Bethany Drysdale said advocates delivered several boxes of signatures to the registrar’s office in Reno. Boxes also went to officials in Clark County, the state’s most populous and Democratic-leaning area, which includes Las Vegas.
Nevada voters approved a law in 1990 that makes abortion available up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, a point considered a marker of fetal viability. But Nevada is one of several states where backers are pressing to strengthen abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Since then, several Republican-controlled states have tightened abortion restrictions or imposed outright bans. Fourteen states currently ban abortions at all stages of pregnancy, while 25 allow abortions up to 24 weeks or later, with limited exceptions.
People hold signs during a news conference by Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, Monday, May 20, 2024, in Las Vegas. Abortion access advocates in Nevada said Monday they’ve submitted twice the number of petition signatures needed to qualify for a ballot measure aimed at enshrining what they term reproductive rights in the state constitution. Credit: AP/John Locher
Harmon said the effort to collect signatures was “very expensive” but declined to give an exact figure. She noted that the neighboring states of Idaho, Arizona and Utah have stricter abortion rules than Nevada.
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Most states with Democratic legislatures have laws or executive orders protecting access. Voters in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont have sided with abortion rights supporters on ballot measures. Supporters of abortion rights have qualified measures for ballots in Colorado and South Dakota, and Nevada is among nine other states where signature drives have been underway.
The measure would ensure “a fundamental, individual right to abortion” while allowing Nevada to regulate “provision of abortion after fetal viability … except where necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant individual.”
Melissa Clement, Nevada Right to Life director, told The Associated Press her organization will continue to fight the proposed amendment in courts and at the ballot box.
People hold signs during a news conference by Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, Monday, May 20, 2024, in Las Vegas. Abortion access advocates in Nevada said Monday they’ve submitted twice the number of petition signatures needed to qualify for a ballot measure aimed at enshrining what they term reproductive rights in the state constitution. Credit: AP/John Locher
“As a woman, nothing makes me angrier than Democrats taking one of the most difficult and traumatic decisions a woman can make and using it for political fodder,” Clement said. “Scaring women. It’s despicable.”
Signature-gathering is one of two tracks being taken in Nevada to get the measure on the ballot.
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To amend the Nevada Constitution, voters must approve a measure twice. If the abortion amendment qualifies and is approved by voters this year, they would vote on it again in 2026.
In the Legislature, Nevada’s Democratic-majority lawmakers passed a 24-week right-to-abortion measure last year along party lines, teeing the issue up for another vote when lawmakers return next year for their next every-two-years session in Carson City. If approved then, the proposed constitutional amendment would be put on the 2026 statewide ballot.
Mojave (Nev.) head football coach Wes Pacheco announced on Sunday morning that he’s stepping down from his position, according to a social media post.
Pacheco announced his resignation after six seasons at the helm of the Rattlers, putting together a 29-22 overall record from 2020-2025.
“I have officially stepped down as Head Coach of the Mojave Football Program,” Pacheco said in his social media post. “Thank you to Principal Cole for giving me the opoortunity make an impact on the lives of Mojave Student-Athletes. I am grateful and blessed to have labored through a 6-year journey of successes, failures, life lessons, character building and growth with the student-athletes myself and my coaching staff have served. I will forever love my Mojave Family, the Mojave Community and believe in the notion that SUCCESS can be attained by showcasing character, treating everyone with respect, and always have the courage to dream big and trust that “ATTACKING THE HARD WORK” & “HIGH MOTORING EVERYTHING” can yield SUCCESS that you want to achieve in life!”
During Pacheco’s half dozen seasons leading Mojave, his best record came in the 2024 season when the Rattlers finished with a 12-1 record. Located out of North Las Vegas, Mojave had to compete against the likes of national high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman during the regular season.
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Mojave ended the last season with a 4-6 record and as the state’s No. 23rd ranked team, according to the final 2025 Nevada High School Football Massey Rankings.
More about Mojave High School
Mojave High School, located in North Las Vegas, NV, is a dynamic public high school that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and community involvement. Home of the Rattlers, MHS offers a wide range of academic programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities. With a strong commitment to student success, Mojave emphasizes leadership, college and career readiness, and a supportive school culture that prepares students for life beyond graduation.
For Nevada high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Silver State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across Nevada.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
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So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.
