In a major legal test of a landmark 2019 law that allowed state workers to unionize, a Carson City judge ruled against Nevada’s largest state worker union Thursday, preserving a veto from Gov. Joe Lombardo that scuttled a $25 million appropriation funding a now-2-year-old state worker arbitration agreement.

Under Nevada law, charges for filing false documents must come within three years of the offense — meaning charges would likely need to be filed by Dec. 14.

Opponents argue that a state-managed health insurance option could exacerbate Nevada’s shortage of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals.

The former Clark County sheriff’s victory — bolstered by $8.1 million in big-money contributions ($200 or more) — made him the only Republican to unseat a Democratic governor last year, even though he was outraised by a 3-2 margin through Election Day by his opponent, incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak.

The 56-year-old represented Senate District 18 in Las Vegas for a decade before resigning Oct. 26 and accepting the governor’s appointment to lead the Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation (GOWINN) effective last Wednesday. Hammond’s tenure in the Senate was set to end in 2024, and was prohibited from running again due to term limits.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 4041 alleged in a Friday statement that the plan from Gov. Joe Lombardo’s administration would “unlawfully” exclude thousands of state workers from longevity pay, an incentive program designed to boost salaries for some of the state’s longest tenured employees. 

Since July 2022, 988 has received more than 6 million calls, texts and chats. There were more than 38,000 contacts from Nevada and routed to the state.

Nearly a decade after Nevada implemented Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, the results are in — the state’s uninsured rate has plummeted, but challenges still plague the state’s health care ecosystem.

Four Democrats have ties to the nonprofits. Republicans accused them of corruption, as the GOP hopes to fend off a Democratic legislative supermajority.

Along with savings from the canceled projects, myriad ARP-funded projects have come in under budget, leaving lawmakers with more than $60 million to obligate before a deadline at the end of 2024. 

Nevada would be the sole state to fund the reinsurance program with only federal funding. Most states use a combination of state and federal funds.

Attorneys for Gov. Joe Lombardo have filed a lawsuit appealing the Nevada Commission on Ethic’s decision to censure and fine the governor for using his Clark County sheriff uniform and badge on the 2022 campaign trail.

When state lawmakers allocated a quarter of a billion dollars of federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds last spring to develop and preserve affordable housing, they were aiming to alleviate Nevada’s increasing housing costs — which at that time were skyrocketing to record levels.

Other bills that went into effect include measures that increase criminal penalties for stealing catalytic converters, place stronger restrictions on pet restraints and loosen fee hikes at Nevada prisons.

The teacher union-led PAC “Schools Over Stadiums” announced Thursday that its referendum petition to repeal public funding for a new Major League Baseball stadium in Las Vegas has been legally challenged.

Following an outcry from Nevada businesses over a little-noticed state law adopted this year, state lawmakers have adopted a regulation meant to “provide clarity" on a major liability insurance bill.

Last week, Gov. Joe Lombardo departed Nevada for a trip to Texas and a trade mission in Canada. Soon after, on Monday, Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony left the Silver State for a trip promoting Nevada tourism in Mexico. 

Federal and state officials are offering divergent explanations for why more than 100,000 people were removed from Nevada’s Medicaid rolls.

In an hourlong interview, Gov. Joe Lombardo addressed a wide range of topics including the Oakland A’s move to Nevada and his K-12 accountability initiative.

By the end of 2021, Nevada’s incarcerated population reached its lowest level in two decades at less than 10,400 people, down from a recent peak of more than 14,000 in 2016, according to data published by the Nevada Department of Sentencing Policy.