On The Record: Republicans Voted Against Funding Education and Feeding Students

Last legislative session, Republicans voted against a record $11.1 billion education budget that included a historic 26% increase in education funding, record per-pupil funding, aided in the hiring of more teachers, increased teacher pay, and covered the cost of school supplies so teachers don’t have to come out-of-pocket for their classroom needs. Even worse, Republicans chose to leave Nevada students hungry when they voted against AB319 which guaranteed school meals to public school students. 

Despite a fact-check, Assembly Deputy Minority Whip Danielle Gallant called guaranteed school meals for hungry kids “wasteful government spending” and Carrie Buck said that the budget won’t be on “wasted food.” The Nevada Assembly Republican Caucus doubled down claiming that ensuring no student in Nevada goes hungry would be a waste of money. Joe Lombardo’s hand-picked candidates for the state legislature are out of touch with Nevadans and are opposed to public education funding, guaranteeing school meals for students, summer school, and more. 

Republicans put politics over Nevadans and voted against numerous bills that would have uplifted students, parents, educators:

• SB503: Ensures sufficient funding for K-12 public education for the 2023-2025 biennium, historically including more than $2 billion in new funding as a direct result of the new pupil-centered funding plan passed by Democrats in 2019 which would see an increase of 30% in per pupil spending by the end of the next biennium.

• AB319: Would have ensured no student goes hungry in Nevada’s schools by guaranteeing school meals for every public school student

• SB340: Would have provided summer school for all students.

• SB148: Would have required schools to maintain minimum staffing ratios for school security and custodians

• AB224: Would have allowed NSHE professionals to collectively bargain

• SB511 (AB520):
  
  • Funding for Nevada universities and colleges, including $255 million for University of Nevada, Reno and $379 million for University of Nevada Las Vegas
    
  • $10 million for Silver State Opportunity Grants, providing need based scholarship aid
    
  • $11.2 million for the Teach Nevada Scholarship to improve the teacher training pipeline 

###