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2021 Nevada legislative session
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← 2020
2022 →
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| 2021 Nevada legislative session |
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| General information |
| Session start: February 1, 2021 Session end: June 1, 2021 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Kate Marshall (D) House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 8, 2022 Last Election: November 3, 2020 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2021 legislative sessions |
In 2021, the Nevada State Legislature was scheduled to convene on February 1 and adjourn on June 1.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2020 elections. Democrats won a 12-9 majority in the Senate and a 26-16 majority in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Democratic state government trifecta. At the start of the 2021 session, Nevada was one of 28 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
The Nevada State Legislature is responsible for redistricting following each census. Legislators were expected to address redistricting as part of the 2021 legislative session. As of the 2020 Census, Nevada was one of 37 states where legislators were responsible for redistricting.
Leadership in 2021
Nevada State Senate
- Senate president: Kate Marshall (D)
- Majority leader: Nicole Cannizzaro (D)
- Minority leader: James Settelmeyer (R)
Nevada House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: Jason Frierson (D)
- Majority leader: Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D)
- Minority leader: Robin Titus (R)
Partisan control in 2021
- See also: State government trifectas
Nevada was one of 15 Democratic state government trifectas at the start of 2021 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Nevada was also one of 28 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Nevada State Legislature in the 2021 legislative session.
Nevada State Senate
| Party | As of January 2021 | |
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| Democratic Party | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 9 | |
| Total | 21 | |
Nevada House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 26 | |
| Republican Party | 16 | |
| Total | 42 | |
Regular session
The following widget shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2021 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2021. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of enacting new district boundaries for elected offices, particularly for offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures.
To learn more about the redistricting process in Nevada after the 2020 census, click here.
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2021 legislative session, there were 21 standing committees in Nevada's state government, including 11 state Senate committees and 10 state House committees.
Senate committees
- Commerce, Labor and Energy Committee, Nevada State Senate
- Education Committee, Nevada State Senate
- Finance Committee, Nevada State Senate
- Government Affairs Committee, Nevada State Senate
- Health and Human Services Committee, Nevada State Senate
- Judiciary Committee, Nevada State Senate
- Legislative Operations and Elections Committee, Nevada State Senate
- Natural Resources Committee, Nevada State Senate
- Revenue Committee, Nevada State Senate
- Select Committee on Economic Growth and Employment, Nevada State Senate
- Transportation Committee, Nevada State Senate
House committees
- Commerce and Labor Committee, Nevada Assembly
- Education Committee, Nevada Assembly
- Government Affairs Committee, Nevada Assembly
- Health and Human Services Committee, Nevada Assembly
- Judiciary Committee, Nevada Assembly
- Legislative Operations and Elections Committee, Nevada Assembly
- Natural Resources, Agriculture and Mining Committee, Nevada Assembly
- Taxation Committee, Nevada Assembly
- Transportation Committee, Nevada Assembly
- Ways and Means Committee, Nevada Assembly
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Nevada Constitution can be amended:
The Nevada Constitution can be amended via three different paths: a constitutional convention, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment or an initiated constitutional amendment.
Initiative
- See also: Initiated constitutional amendment
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In Nevada, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 10% of the total number of votes cast in the preceding general election. A simple majority vote in two consecutive elections is required for voter approval.
Legislature
A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the Nevada State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 22 votes in the Nevada State Assembly and 11 votes in the Nevada State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to Section 2 of Article 16 of the Nevada Constitution, a two-thirds vote of the Nevada State Legislature is required to refer a constitutional convention question to the ballot. A simple majority vote of the electorate is required to call a convention.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Nevada.
Nevada Party Control: 1992-2025
Five years of Democratic trifectas • Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | S | S | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Historical Senate control
Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Nevada State Senate shifted from a Republican majority to a Democratic majority. Since the 2016 elections, Democrats have controlled the chamber. The table below shows the partisan history of the Nevada State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Nevada State Senate election results: 1992-2020
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 |
| Republicans | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
Between 1992 and 2020, majority control of the state Senate changed three times. During that period, the Democratic and Republican parties both claimed relatively narrow majorities, the largest being from 1994 to 1996 when Republicans had a five-seat advantage. From 1992 to 2020, neither Democrats or Republicans held more than the 14 seats required to override a gubernatorial veto.
Republicans controlled the Senate from 1992 until the 2008 elections. In the 2008 elections, Democrats picked up two seats and held a 12-9 majority. That Democratic majority held until the 2014 elections, when Republicans gained an 11-10 majority. Republicans held the majority until the 2016 elections, when Democrats retook control of the chamber with their own 11-10 majority. Democrats held a 12-9 majority following the 2020 elections.
Historical House control
Between 1992 and 2020, the Nevada State Assembly was controlled by the Democratic Party with the exception of two years when the chamber was tied and two years when the Republican Party controlled the chamber. Since the 2016 elections, Democrats have controlled the chamber. The table below shows the partisan history of the Nevada State Assembly following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Nevada State Assembly election results: 1992-2020
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 29 | 21* | 25 | 28 | 27 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 15 | 27 | 29 | 26 |
| Republicans | 13 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 27 | 15 | 13 | 16 |
Between 1992 and 2020, majority control of the state Assembly changed four times. As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats held a 29-13 majority. Democrats lost eight seats in the 1994 elections, which resulted in a tie chamber at 21-21. A power-sharing agreement was reached between Democrats and Republicans where each party picked a co-speaker and a co-chair of each committee and alternated leadership every other day during the legislative session.[1]
In the 1996 elections, Democrats gained four seats to take control of the chamber. That Democratic majority held until the 2014 elections, when Republicans gained 12 seats. Republicans held that majority until the 2016 elections, when Democrats retook control of the chamber. In the 2016 elections, Democrats went from having a 15-27 minority to a 27-15 majority. After the 2020 elections, Democrats had a 26-16 majority.
See also
| Elections | Nevada State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes
