Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has shattered his own state record for the most vetoes issued during a single legislative session, rejecting 87 bills passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature. This surpasses his previous record of 75 vetoes set during the 2023 session.
Lombardo, a Republican, faced a 10-day window to act on hundreds of bills following the close of Nevada’s 120-day legislative session—one of only four states that convene their Legislature in odd-numbered years. While he signed 518 bills into law this year, the 87 vetoes highlight ongoing clashes between the governor and Democratic lawmakers, who lack the votes to override his decisions.
“I did not take lightly the decision to veto 87 bills,” Lombardo said in a statement. “I do not enjoy using the veto pen, but as Governor, it is my responsibility to protect Nevadans from legislation that goes too far, expands government unnecessarily, or creates unintended consequences that hurt families, businesses, or our economy.”
Among the most high-profile bills rejected was Assembly Bill 499, a bipartisan voting reform measure that sought to increase access to mail-in voting through additional ballot drop boxes—an element Democrats supported—while also requiring photo ID for in-person voting, a Republican priority. Lombardo, however, expressed concern over inconsistent enforcement and ballot security, ultimately vetoing the bill.
Another key bill to die on his desk was AB 388, which would have mandated paid family leave for businesses with 50 or more employees. Lombardo argued that the bill would hurt Nevada’s “business-friendly environment,” particularly for small and mid-sized businesses.
He also vetoed AB 597, an open primary election proposal that would have allowed nonpartisan voters—Nevada’s largest voting bloc by party affiliation—to participate in major party primaries. Citing the 2024 voter rejection of a similar ballot measure, Lombardo said the bill did not reflect public sentiment.
Despite the record-setting veto count, Lombardo praised bipartisan efforts in key areas like education and housing.
“I am proud of the meaningful progress we made this session—particularly in the areas of education and housing,” he said. “We’ve taken important steps to expand educational opportunity, restore accountability in our public schools, and make housing more attainable for working families.”
Over just two sessions, Lombardo has now vetoed a total of 162 bills—far surpassing the previous cumulative record of 97 held by former Gov. Brian Sandoval across two terms.
