LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A wise observer of Carson City once opined that the legislative process was designed to kill bills, not to pass them.

And judging by the Vegas Chamber’s post-legislative session breakfast on Wednesday at the California Hotel & Casino, success in Carson City this year was measured as much in bills that died as in ones that passed.

WATCH | Here are the killed bills discussed at the lobbyist breakfast

Vegas Chamber: No bad bills for Nevada businesses survived in legislative session

Chamber Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Paul Moradkhan said his team had tracked 879 bills, testified on 204 and helped negotiation more pro-business amendments to 24.

But he said that the Chamber had helped kill 41 bills and cheered the veto of another 26.

“And you look because of the work of the business community as a whole, we were able to stop those,” Moradkhan told the crowd. “They were either killed, vetoed or mitigated. So I’m proud to say not a single bad bill got through the session. That’s what we talked about is a huge win for the Nevada business community.”

Among the bills Moradkhan said he helped kill was Assembly Bill 388, a measure by Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch, D-Washoe County, that would have offered state and private-sector workers eight weeks of paid family leave. That bill was vetoed by Gov. Joe Lombardo, one of 87 bills he rejected during or after the 2025 session.

Another was Assembly Bill 414, by Assemblywoman Cinthia Moore, D-Clark County, that would have required safety standards for warehouse workers exposed to vehicle exhaust fumes. That bill was vetoed.

And Senate Bill 182 — by state Sen. Rochelle Nguyen, D-Clark County — would have required staffing plans at hospitals, including setting minimum nurse-patient ratios. That bill was also vetoed.

But it wasn’t just killing bills that occupied the Chamber’s team. Moradkhan said he was most pleased with Assembly Bill 444, which requires chambers of commerce to be notified of new regulations.

He also cheered a similar measure, Assembly Bill 125, which requires that all public agency meetings be posted on a state website and Senate Bill 373, which provides for business licenses in Clark County that are good across jurisdictional lines.

He said that the Chamber was already at work preparing for the 2027 session, when he said he expects to see some killed or vetoed bills return.

“We were able to kill some bills, stop some bills, but we know they’re going to come back, so we’re prepared to have that conversation,” he said.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – It took almost no time for the shockwaves surrounding the Minnesota attacks to travel all the way to Nevada.

Now state lawmakers tell FOX5, they most definitely felt it and its impact on their own well-being.

“One of the first things I did was reach out to my colleague and fellow Attorney General Keith Ellison to check in on him, because his name was on that list as well,” Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford told FOX5.

Bad news travelled fast on Saturday – in no time, lawmakers more than 16 hundred miles away were hearing about the tragedy surrounding their colleagues in Minnesota.

“Right after the incident, the governor, the governor’s team reached out to myself, my team, and all of us, to try to help make sure that proper procedures were being followed,” shared Assembly Minority Leader Gregory Hafen, a Republican from Pahrump.

The news sparking many, many phone calls – and many, many conversations about lawmaker security.

“We’ve been reaching out to other Senators and other lawmakers and making sure that we’re answering any questions that we can, and making sure that we have contact with our legislative police to ensure the safety of all state lawmakers,” said Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democrat from Las Vegas.

“I think when you see something like that, you know, an attack on lawmakers in their very own homes, I think it’s really scary,” she adds.

Lawmakers tells FOX5 they feel very secure while the legislature is in session.

“When we’re in Carson City, and in our Las Vegas office, there are metal detectors, x-ray machines before anyone can enter, and so extensive law enforcement presence at those facilities,” said Hafen.

But Nevada doesn’t provide off-site security for members of the legislature. In fact — no states do. The governor does get his own detail, but other elected officials have to ask for it.

“In fact, this past legislative session, my office specifically asked for detail protection for me, because we’ve been getting increasing amounts of threats directed toward me,” said Ford.

Ford got his detail – but Assemblymembers and state Senators remain on their own when it comes to their personal security.

“I’ve been involved in local politics in Nye County for probably going on 20 years now, so to me it’s just been second-nature, you have to be vigilant,” said Hafen. “Sadly we live in a society where things do go wrong. We don’t live in a perfect world, so you always have to be vigilant and cautious when you’re out and about.”

Cannizzaro agrees.

“The idea that because you choose public service, for a part of your life – giving back to the community you live in, that could potentially lead to a very violent situation, can definitely make you think about your surroundings a little bit more.”

Nevada has never witnessed an act of political violence that cost a lawmaker his or her life.

All the lawmakers FOX5 spoke with say they have complete confidence in local law enforcement to protect them when they’re in their home districts, but they all agree vigilance is essential in times like these.

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VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK (KTNV) — Nevada is taking action to preserve its state animal, the Desert Bighorn Sheep, by relocating part of a herd based in Southern Nevada.

Geneva Zoltek spoke to state officials to understand how they are moving the sheep and the reasons behind the relocation.

Nevada moves bighorn sheep as drought threatens state animal

The reason for the relocation is a lack of available food and water for the herd, with drought being the common denominator.

In just one year, dry conditions have significantly worsened across Nevada. While only a small area was abnormally dry in June 2024, now most of the state is experiencing all four levels of drought extremes.

“We had to take action,” said Joe Bennett, a specialist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

According to Bennett, since December, 122,000 gallons of water have been hauled to watering holes, or guzzlers, in Southern Nevada to support sheep hydration.

“Some of these animals couldn’t leave these guzzlers. They couldn’t get more than a couple miles away because they needed that water,” Bennett said.

By reducing the herd size, the hope is that there will be more resources to go around to support the remaining herd.

“If 400 or 500 is the new norm? That’s still a very large sheep population that’s still a great success story,” Bennett said.

Through June 19, Bennett is working with dozens of team members and volunteers to safely relocate 150 sheep from Valley of Fire State Park and Lake Mead National Recreation Area to three different release sites in Utah and northern Nevada.

“It’s a bunch of passionate people out here for a good cause,” Bennett said.

This strategy of direct intervention comes as drought not only reduces available water but also available vegetation too — compounding as a complex threat to the species.

“The worst day of my career was flying over a guzzler in 2020 and seeing dead bighorn sheep. It was terrible, it was awful to see,” Bennett explained. “It’s our state animal. Everyone loves to see bighorn sheep, everybody loves to recreate with bighorn sheep, and it’s the state department’s responsibility to manage them appropriately.”

The relocation process involves a helicopter crew with a net gun facilitating the capture. Each animal is then lifted back to the base to get a physical before being transported via livestock truck to the new ranges.

“You know it’s a stressful event for them, and that’s why we have a variety of different options here to provide veterinary support to provide intervention if needed,” said Nate Lahue, NDOW’s wildlife veterinarian on site.

Lahue helps take vital signs and draw blood samples.

“Our goal is to keep these animals as safe and healthy as possible,” he explained.

According to the Nevada Climate Initiative, drought is expected to increase in frequency and severity in the future due to higher temperatures, even if precipitation remains the same or increases slightly.

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