CARSON CITY, Nev. (KOLO) – The Nevada Assembly has passed a bill that would ban people under the age of 21 from owning semiautomatic guns.

Assembly Bill 245 is now awaiting a vote in the Senate after passing the Assembly by a vote of 27-15.

The bill mandates that any person found guilty of violating this law will be guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

For second offenses, the guilty person will be guilty of a category B felony and shall be imprisoned for at least one year and may be fined a max of $5,000.

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President Donald Trump has pardoned a Nevada Republican politician who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for a statue honoring a slain police officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery.

Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for state treasurer, was found guilty in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was out of custody ahead of her sentencing, which had been scheduled for next month.

In a lengthy statement Thursday on Facebook, the loyal Trump supporter expressed gratitude to the president while also accusing the U.S. government and “select media outlets” of a broad, decade-long conspiracy to “target and dismantle” her life.

The pardon, issued Wednesday, comes less than a week after Fiore lost a bid for a new trial. She had been facing the possibility of decades in prison.

Federal prosecutors said at trial that Fiore, 54, had raised more than $70,000 for the statue of a Las Vegas police officer who was fatally shot in 2014 in the line of duty, but had instead spent some of it on cosmetic surgery, rent and her daughter’s wedding.

“Michele Fiore used a tragedy to line her pockets,” federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar said.

FBI agents in 2021 subpoenaed records and searched Fiore’s home in Las Vegas in connection with her campaign spending.

In a statement, Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett called the pardon “reckless” and a “slap in the face” to law enforcement officers.

Fiore, who does not have a law degree, was appointed as a judge in deep-red Nye County in 2022 shortly after she lost her campaign for state treasurer.

She was elected last June to complete the unexpired term of a judge who died but had been suspended without pay amid her legal troubles. Pahrump is an hour’s drive west of Las Vegas.

In her statement Thursday, Fiore also said she plans to return to the bench next week.

Nye County said in an email to The Associated Press that it is awaiting an update from the state Commission on Judicial Discipline on Fiore’s current suspension. The AP sent emails seeking comment to the commission, as well as Fiore’s lawyer.

Fiore served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016. She was a Las Vegas councilwoman from 2017 to 2022.

While serving as a state lawmaker, Fiore gained national attention for her support of rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014 and Malheur, Oregon, in 2016.

NEVADA COUNTY – Living in an RV is illegal in Nevada County, yet the RV living community estimates there are more than 1,000 of them living under the radar. But county leaders could be bringing those people into the light with a potential new ordinance that would legalize RV living.

“What people don’t realize is that people are already doing it. We tend to be very discreet because we’re paranoid, ya know, don’t want to get reported,” said Nevada County resident Tom Durkin, who lives in a trailer.

Durkin has been a leader in advocating for alternative housing for more than six years.

“I’ve got excellent credit, no criminal history, I’m well educated and I couldn’t find a place to live,” he said.

Having been homeless himself, he’s since found refuge in a trailer in an undisclosed location, because living there is illegal in Nevada County.

The county’s current ordinance says you can only live in an RV or trailer for up to 90 days between April and October.

“Housing is extremely hard to find, and RVs and trailers aren’t the ideal solution, but they’re the best solution for right now, because there’s no place to go,” Durkin said.

After passing an ordinance to allow for permanent living in tiny homes on wheels in January, Nevada County is now considering making RV trailer living permanent, too.

“It’s part of the direction and leadership from the board of supervisors who felt that we could do more to help our citizens in Nevada County with housing needs,” said interim director of housing with Nevada County, Tyler Barrington.

The county said they want the community’s input for a draft ordinance. They’ll be holding four public meetings over the next few months.

“RVs are not typically designed for long-term habitation, so health and safety will be a primary thing we’ll be looking at, to make sure adequate water and safety is there,” Barrington said.

“Must have septic, must have running water. Minimum health and safety standards, but it’s insane for us to say it’s illegal to live in a trailer, but then making people live outside,” Durkin said.

The county said they want to hear it all: concerns, complaints, advocacy. Ultimately, they’re trying to address the housing crisis while keeping low-income residents in mind.

“My goal is to get people housed. Getting into a trailer is the first step, then you have an address. You can get your job going, get the kids enrolled in school, then you can look for housing,” Durkin said.

The county expects to have a draft ordinance ready in June or July.