An effort to expand paid family and medical leave to Nevada’s public and private sector employees was introduced in the Nevada Legislature on Thursday.
Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch said she submitted a bill draft request to provide paid family and medical leave for workers in the state.
The legislation would provide parental leave for both childbirth and adoption. It would also include serious medical leave, military leave and “safe leave,” or the leave for victims of domestic violence.
La Rue Hatch, D-Reno, said the legislation came out of speaking with constituents who struggled with taking care of their health or families without the assurance of a paycheck.
“I talked with a graduate student at UNR — she gave birth, and then she had to be back in the lab in two weeks,” she said. “She had these terrible health complications because of it.”
She pointed out how the federal Family and Medical Leave Act only allows for unpaid leave, which can be a non-starter for low-income earners.
No bill language has been introduced yet. La Rue Hatch said she is still working on the details, including the number of weeks and the percentage of pay a worker would receive, but she wants it to be “meaningful” and not a symbolic amount.
Thirteen states and Washington D.C. have paid family leave policies, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Paid family leave has been in discussion at the Nevada Legislature before. A 2023 bill required businesses with 50 or more employees that receive tax exemptions from the state to provide at least 12 weeks of paid family leave to its employees after they have been employed for one year. Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed the bill, but the policy was ultimately included in the special session law that provided funding to the Major League Baseball development plan.
Eligible state employees are entitled to eight weeks of paid family leave under a law passed in the same year.
The proposal may face Republican opposition. Officials with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development – the agency responsible for awarding tax abatements and other economic development incentives — told legislators in February 2024 that Nevada “experienced some headwinds” regarding attracting new businesses to the state because of the policy.
The introduction brought immediate support from progressive and health advocacy groups and labor unions.
“No cancer patient or caregiver should have to worry about losing their paycheck while facing a health crisis,” Adam Zarrin, director of state government affairs for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, said in a statement. “Paid family and medical leave eases that burden, allowing families to focus on treatment and recovery. Every family or caregiver facing a chronic illness in Nevada deserves this support.”
Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.
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Las Vegas High’s baseball team claimed a 3-2 home win over Coronado on Friday.
Las Vegas (9-13-1) next hosts Rancho at 10 a.m. Saturday. Coronado (13-14) hosts Chaparral at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
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