(The Center Square) – Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo revealed his five “priority pieces” of legislation during his State of the State.
“Each of these proposals represents a comprehensive and strategic approach to addressing the challenges we face and are designed to deliver tangible results, improve government efficiency and provide financial relief to taxpayers,” Lombardo, a Republican, said on Wednesday.
“I would ask that before some of you say ‘no,’ work with me, collaborate with my agency head, ask questions, give input, offer alternatives and set aside partisan politics,” he added.
The state’s legislative session is set to start on Feb. 3. Democrats control the state House and Senate.
Lombardo’s first priority piece of legislation is the Nevada Housing Accountability Act.
The governor said this measure will reduce building fees, incentivize development and create a public-private partnership.
Lombardo added that Nevada will put “$1 billion in new attainable housing units” across the state.
“By streamlining permits and prioritizing the use of every buildable acre of land for Nevadans – not out-of-state investors looking to cash in – we’re creating a route for housing attainability for all,” the governor said.
According to Zillow, the average cost of a Nevada home in December 2024 was $440,458. In January 2020, the cost was $301,061.
The second piece of legislation Lombardo discussed was the Nevada Healthcare Access Act. The governor said that the state has a shortage of doctors.
“With some of the lowest provider-to-patient ratios in the nation, far too many Nevadans are left waiting for care, or worse, going without it,” he said.
As of 2021, Nevada ranked 45th among states for active physicians per 100,000 people. Also, the state ranked 48th in the country for primary care physicians per 100,000 people and 49th nationwide for general surgeons per 100,000 people.
This health-care act would make it so that by 2028, health insurance plans in Nevada “adopt standardized and digitized prior authorization plans, thus reducing delays for patients and providers,” according to the governor.
Lombardo also said this bill would create the Nevada Health Authority. This agency would address the state’s most “pressing health care needs,” Lombardo said.
Education was the next agenda item Lombardo talked about in his speech.
“The Nevada Accountability in Education Act sets out four specific areas of how we intend to impose accountability, accelerate improvement and give every student a legitimate shot at success,” he explained.
This bill would increase Nevada’s academic standards, expand open enrollment policies in public schools, reward the state’s “highest-performing teachers and administrators” and improve its early literacy rate.
As of 2022, 73% of Nevada fourth graders were not proficient in reading, and 79% of eighth graders were not proficient in math.
“For those schools that are struggling, we will dedicate targeted resources to drive improvement while holding everyone accountable for results,” Lombardo said. “If a school is found to be consistently underperforming, make no mistake, my bill proposes decisive action.”
Lombardo, as a former sheriff, discussed how he wanted to improve public safety in Nevada.
In a 2023 study, Nevada ranked number one in the country for “violent crimes against people.”
“As a part of my commitment to protecting Nevada families, I’ll be forwarding for your consideration the Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act,” he stated.
Lombardo said that this piece of legislation will hold repeat and violent offenders accountable and invest in stopping drug abuse.
Also, this proposal would reduce the felony theft threshold and introduce harsher penalties for repeat offenders.
This act would prevent “the use of diversion courts” for people who commit crimes against the elderly and children.
According to the governor, this bill also addresses other public safety issues, “including DUI laws, domestic violence, bail policies, stalking and cyberstalking.”
The final bill Lombardo discussed was the “Economic Development Policy Reform Act.”
“Our state is at a pivotal moment emerging from the challenges of recent years and poised to reshape its economic future,” he stated. “To foster growth, we are rethinking economic development to focus on strategies that directly benefit businesses, workers and families already established in our state.”
This bill, according to Lombardo, will modernize incentives for businesses, address “needs like healthcare and childcare” and embrace “innovation and sustainability.”
“Nevada will not simply follow the future; we will define it,” Lombardo said.
This article was originally published at www.thecentersquare.com
