Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 | 2 a.m.
Nevada state lawmakers pledged Monday to spend the next 120 days leaving behind disagreements from the campaign trail to focus on solutions for constituents as the 83rd Nevada Legislature convened in Carson City.
“My sincere hope is that all of you have come to this building with a servant’s heart, because this job at its core is about the people,” said Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, D-Las Vegas. “(It’s) not about anybody’s political future ambitions or how many likes some post gets on social media.”
From now through June, legislators will have to navigate issues including housing costs, inflation and access to health care, among others.
The first Assembly and Senate floor sessions saw members take their oath of office, remarks from chamber leaders and jokes about the inclement weather that disrupted many members’ travel plans to the capital.
“My door will always be open. I will consider every idea that moves our state forward, no matter where it comes from,” said Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, D-Las Vegas.
Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus, R-Wellington, echoed a similar sentiment.
“As a citizen legislature, we’re not here for personal gain,” Titus said. “In fact, it costs us a lot to serve the people of Nevada. We are here not as partisans, but as guardians of Nevada.”
The session’s first day featured a lot of big promises that will inevitably be tested as the term continues. Nevada’s 2023 legislative session is often remembered for its partisan divides, mainly between the Democratic-led majority and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo who vetoed a record 75 bills.
As of Monday afternoon, over 340 bills had been formally filed addressing topics including energy, health services, housing, elections and cannabis. Another 1,000 bill draft requests dating to July 2023 will be allowed to flow in until a Feb. 10 deadline.
The 42-member Assembly welcomed 11 new lawmakers and the 21-member Senate swore in three. Both chambers have a Democratic majority, though the Assembly lost its razor-thin supermajority from the 2023 session.
Housekeeping items dominated the early hours of Monday’s sessions with votes on resolutions like a change to standing rules that would replace the gendered title “assemblyman” or “assemblywoman” with the term “assemblymember.”
Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant, R-Las Vegas, expressed discontent with the motion.
“We have fought very hard for the title of assemblywoman back in the ’90s, as well as being almost celebrated for having the first female majority legislature, and we still continue to,” Gallant said. “So, I will be voting no on these resolutions for that reason.”
The new session comes in the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Yeager, not mentioning any specific policies, said the federal government was nothing more than a collection of 50 states.
“When we can work with the federal government for the benefit of Nevadans, we will,” Yeager said. “And when we cannot, we will push back and stand up for all Nevadans. That should be a bipartisan effort.”
The governor also joined in the calls to put “partisan rhetoric” aside and work together to create legislative progress.
“As I said in my State of the State address, finding sensible solutions requires leadership, partnership, and bipartisanship,” Lombardo said in a statement. “Together, let’s strive to make significant progress this session in lowering housing costs, expanding healthcare access, maximizing our investment in education, implementing education accountability, bolstering public safety, and building a stronger economy.”