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Nevada lawmakers pick up the pace as bill deadline approaches

March 09, 2021 2:51 PM | Anonymous

Bill Dentzer

Las Vegas Review-Journal

March 5, 2021

Inching through its fifth week of session and into its sixth starting Monday, the Legislature continues operating at a pandemic-constrained pace.

A March 15 deadline for lawmakers to introduce their bills might quicken matters in the coming week, which will see the Legislature reach the one-third mark of its 120-day session.

This 81st session might one day be recalled as “The Lost Session.” Through Friday, 401 pieces of legislation had been introduced. At the same point two years ago, bills and resolutions before lawmakers numbered 539. That’s a little more than a 25 percent dropoff.

Both houses held floor sessions on just three of five days this week, one that concluded amid grim milestones: Deaths from COVID-19 in Nevada surpassed 5,000 on Thursday, and Friday was the anniversary of the state’s first official case of the disease.

The Legislative Building remains closed to the public amid concerns over potential disease spread, though a newcomer Republican Assembly member tried to force a floor vote to reopen the building on Wednesday. She was quickly ruled out of order.

As of midday Friday, the week ahead had 49 bills scheduled to be heard in committees, in addition to budget hearings. The schedule is subject to quick changes.