After more than a year in office, Lombardo scraps together election year scheme scraps together election year scheme
New reporting from The Nevada Independent detailed how Joe Lombardo is preparing a three-year scheme to take credit for investments passed by Democratic state legislators during the last legislative session while refusing to expand access to reproductive health care, lower costs for Nevadans, or make our communities safer– all after vetoing a record number of bills that would have addressed these issues and lowered costs for Nevada families.
Read more about Lombardo’s ‘priorities’ that legislative Democrats made possible during the 2023 session:
- SB231: Invests $250 million in matching funds for school districts to raise pay for educators and support staff; holds school districts accountable for how they spend the funds
- Meanwhile, Lombado vetoed SB340 which provides summer school for all students
- AB517: Requires the Legislative Auditor to conduct performance audits of CCSD and Washoe County Schools
- SB98: Requires the state superintendent to establish performance metrics for each grade and make that data available online
- AB364: Increases access to healthcare by keeping Physician Assistants in Nevada
- Lawmakers in 2023 allocated $20 million to increase the number of nursing faculty and graduates at seven state nursing programs.
- Lawmakers in 2023 adopted a measure establishing a loan repayment program for providers who have worked in underserved communities for five years. Under the law, eligible health care workers can receive up to $120,000 in loan forgiveness.
- Democratic lawmakers approved the highest raises for state employees in decades and passed a bill that streamlined state hiring practices.
- Support state employees with commensurate salaries and benefits via AB522, which provides for;
- An additional 10% to 12% pay increase to begin July 1st, 2023, and then an additional 4% pay increase to begin July 1, 2024
- Reinstatement of longevity pay
- Retention bonuses of $250 per quarter over the next two fiscal years
- Increasing the employer side Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) contribution
- Addressing the rising cost of health care by increasing state health savings accounts for state employees and their families
Nevada State Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett:
“Last year, Lombardo used his veto pen a record-breaking 75 times to kill Democratic-led legislation that prioritized Nevadans. Lombardo’s lackluster election-year ploy refuses to adequately address the ongoing housing crisis, ignores efforts to lower household costs for Nevadans, and leaves reproductive healthcare hanging in the balance. It’s clear that this 11th-hour scheme is a weak effort to cover up for Lombardo’s do-nothing approach to his first year in office.”
