NV Legislature won't override Sandoval vetoes, including minimum wage bill

As Speaker Jason Frierson, D-Las Vegas, explained during the first day of the 2019 Nevada Legislatures on Monday, the bills were then moved to the Chief Clerk's Desk. Since Frierson said there would be no further action on those laws, they're effectively dead.

There are another four measures in the Senate. Majority Leader Kelvin Atkinson, D-Las Vegas, said they would be read into the record Feb. 12, and then a motion for no further consideration this session will be taken on each measure.

Among the measures in the Assembly are AB175, which would have made major changes to the process of determining minimum wages paid to private employees that Sandoval said could result in small businesses dropping worker health insurance or laying off some employees just as the state is recovering from the recession.

AB206 he vetoed, saying while he supports the goal of expanding Nevada's renewable energy use, AB206 would put small ratepayers at risk of increased rates.

AB259, Sandoval said, goes too far in clearing the criminal records of minor marijuana possession convictions and mandating those records be sealed.

He said those cases should be considered individually and not automatically cleared just because possession of minor amounts of pot is now legal.

He also vetoed the plan in AB374, which would have created a way for people not eligible for Medicaid to purchase Medicaid-like coverage at full cost through the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange.

While he applauded the creativity of the plan, he said the bill raised more questions than it answered and needs more study before any such plan is mandated by the state.

Sandoval also vetoed AB403 which would have given the Legislative Commission power to suspend or nullify administrative regulations.

He said it would give the commission “total unchecked control over all executive rules, standards, directives, statements and regulations,” upsetting the balance of power between the branches of government.