A Friday deadline in the Nevada Legislature was the last one on the calendar of the 120-day session until June 2, but there is still plenty for lawmakers to consider in Carson City before the 2025 session adjourns.
About 60 bills have been considered by both chambers and are on their way to the governor’s desk as of 6 p.m. Friday. Hundreds more must be considered in the next 10 days or face failure.
Bills without exemptions needed to pass through their second house, either the Assembly or state Senate, before they could receive Gov. Joe Lombardo’s consideration. But they weren’t the only measures considered; leaders also pushed through some of their recent proposals to cap insulin costs — and sailed through four out of five major budget bills in late-night votes.
Here are some highlights from Friday’s second house passage deadline in the Legislature.
Bills that survived
A bill criminalizing wrong-way driving will head to the governor’s desk. Assembly Bill 111 — dubbed “Jaya’s Law” — passed unanimously in the Senate on Friday. The bill was named after 3-year-old Jaya Brooks, who was killed in a wrong-way crash on U.S. 95 near the Durango Drive off-ramp in December 2023.
“I am thrilled both the Assembly and Senate understood the importance of this bill, and I look forward to the Governor signing it into law,” bill sponsor Brian Hibbetts, R-Las Vegas, said in a statement.
A proposal to allow workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement to use sick time to take care of family members advanced through Friday’s deadline. Assembly Bill 112 removed an exemption for employees under collective bargaining, making the use more widely available.
AB 112 passed the Senate 15-6. Two Las Vegas Republicans joining the Democrats: John Steinbeck and Lori Rogich. The bill was returned to the Assembly, where they still must vote to agree on new amendments.
Gun possession policies that Lombardo vetoed last year passed the Assembly on party-line votes Friday, with Democrats in support. Senate Bill 89, sponsored by Sen. Julie Pazina, D-Las Vegas, would prevent someone convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime from owning or purchasing a firearm for 10 years.
The bill heads to the governor’s desk, where it may face another veto.
Other actions in the Legislature
Lawmakers also advanced a key last-minute proposal from Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager. The chamber unanimously approved Assembly Bill 555, which would cap insulin at $35 for a 30-day supply for private insurance users. The legislation, introduced on May 8 and not subject to Friday’s deadline, follows the federal government’s price cap for insulin costs for people on Medicare.
“I think most of us here campaigned in 2024, and I’m sure that your voters made clear to you that their No. 1 concern was rising costs,” the Las Vegas Democrat said during the bill’s hour-long hearing on Wednesday. “This answer is a partial answer to that to so many Nevadans.”
AB 555 now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Lawmakers also saved legislation that could have failed Friday’s deadline. Senate Bill 179, defining “antisemitism” for Nevada Equal Rights Commission investigations, was exempted from deadlines on Friday.
Jewish advocacy groups asked for it to be amended to include the widely adopted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition, which includes contemporary examples, during a May 13 hearing. The Government Affairs committee recommended it as amended on the previous deadline day, May 16. The exemption gives the bill more time for a floor vote from the Assembly.
State budget moves along
Lawmakers moved four of the five major budget bills this week. The bills allocate funding to K-12 schools, state employees, capital improvement projects, state departments and authorize the use of federal funds and other fees generated by the state. They are typically among the last bills considered, but only the capital improvement projects bill, Senate Bill 502, needs the Assembly’s approval to head to the governor.
On Friday afternoon, senators appeared ready to send two of the bills — Assembly Bills 591 and 592, appropriating funds for state agencies and state employees salaries, respectively — to the governor’s desk. They voted on the bills before rescinding them when they realized the Assembly had not yet acted on the education budget (Senate Bill 500), which is constitutionally required to be approved first.
Late Friday night, the Assembly uanimously approved SB 500 allowing the others to be voted on, as well.
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.
click to expand photos
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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