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Gov. Joe Lombardo outlines agenda and budget priorities in state of the state address

Gov. Lombardo speaking with media after his State of the State address.
Manuel Holguin JR / KUNR
Gov. Lombardo speaking with media after his State of the State address.

Gov. Joe Lombardo presented his state of the state Wednesday outlining his agenda for the 83rd legislative session which begins Feb. 3.

Lombardo provided an update on the executive budget and his priorities — which include housing, healthcare, education, public safety, economic policy and election process.

During the roughly 45-minute speech, Lombardo also touted his administration’s goal of maintaining fiscal responsibility saying he has already declined millions of dollars in state agency funding requests citing concerns over inflation.

“Considering the added financial pressures Nevada families are feeling, I instructed my cabinet to lock in the resolve to say no to more spending and yes to more accountability and resourcefulness,” Lombardo said.

Some of the measures he presented were making the teacher pay raises approved during the 2023 legislative session permanent, creating stricter penalties for crimes such as theft, and investing up to a billion dollars in public-private partnerships to build more “attainable” housing.

He said lawmakers have a lot of work ahead of them during the upcoming 120-day session.

“Before you adjourn this session and return home, let’s strike a solemn pledge to the people we represent to do something remarkable that is worthy of being remembered,” he said.

Throughout the speech, Lombardo urged the Democratic-controlled legislature to consider his proposals in a bipartisan and collaborative manner.

Democratic leaders responded to the governor's remarks. They expressed concerns that the proposed budget appeared unbalanced, with expenditures outpacing revenue.

They said they appreciated Lombardo’s willingness to work across the aisle but did not yet have enough details to fully weigh in on his proposals.

“The bipartisanship tone that Gov. Lombardo struck (was) very encouraging,” said Assemblymember Steve Yeager. “But there is a lot of work that remains to be done. We didn’t hear a lot of detail, what the programs are and how they’re going to be paid for.”


Healthcare

During his State of the State speech, Gov. Joe Lombardo proposed splitting apart of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. The change would move Medicaid, state employee benefits and mental health services under a newly created Nevada Health Authority.

The change would save people money, said Lombardo’s chief of staff Ryan Cherry.

However, Democratic lawmakers aren’t convinced. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said the devil is in the details.

“Does the idea sound good? Sure, it sounds good, but how are we going to do it? And how are we going to make sure that there’s not a service gap lost there? How are we going to make sure we don’t lose federal funding for those positions,” Yeager said.

Lombardo also outlined a deadline for all insurance plans to adopt standard and digital prior authorization plans by 2028.

Housing

When it comes to housing, Lombardo said the root of the issue is public land that is being held back by the federal government. Land, he said, that could be used for housing.

Outdated practices that slow progress or drive up costs need to be shed, Lombardo said.

He said this is done by “streamlining permits, prioritizing the use of every buildable acre of land for Nevadans, not pout of state investors looking to cash in.”

In their rebuttal to the governor’s speech, Democrats pointed out that Lombardo vetoed a bill during the last legislative session that would have stopped corporate buyers from purchasing more than 100 single-family units per year.

Lombardo also said he wants to invest $1 billion in attainable housing and no caps on rent increases.

Lucia Starbuck is an award-winning political journalist and the host of KUNR’s monthly show Purple Politics Nevada. She is passionate about reporting during election season, attending community events, and talking to people about the issues that matter most to them.
Paul Boger is a former reporter at KUNR Public Radio.