Nevada State Legislature

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Nevada State Legislature

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General information
Type:   State legislature
Term limits:   Senate: 3 terms (12 years); Assembly: 6 terms (12 years)
Session start:   February 6, 2023
Website:   Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Stavros S. Anthony (R)
House Speaker:  Vacant (D)
Majority Leader:   Senate: Nicole Cannizzaro (D)
House: Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D)
Minority Leader:   Senate: James Settelmeyer (R)
House: Jim Wheeler (R)
Structure
Members:  21 (Senate), 42 (Assembly)
Length of term:   4 years (Senate), 2 years (Assembly)
Authority:   Art 4, Nevada Constitution
Salary:   $164.69/calendar day up to 60 days. Senators who were not up for re-election until 2022 received $159.89/calendar day. + per diem
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Next election:  November 5, 2024
Redistricting:  Legislature-dominant

The Nevada State Legislature is the state legislature of Nevada. The Legislature is a bicameral body, consisting of the Nevada State Assembly, with 42 members, and the Nevada State Senate, with 21 members.

The Legislature meets at the Nevada State Capital in Carson City.

Nevada has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor, while the Democratic Party controls both chambers of the state legislature.

See also: Nevada State Assembly, Nevada State Senate, Nevada Governor

Elections

2022

See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2022 and Nevada State Assembly elections, 2022

Elections for the Nevada State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 14, 2022. The filing deadline was March 18, 2022.

Elections for the Nevada State Assembly took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 14, 2022. The filing deadline was March 18, 2022.

2020

See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2020 and Nevada State Assembly elections, 2020

Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 9, 2020. The filing deadline was March 13, 2020.

Elections for the office of Nevada State Assembly took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 9, 2020. The filing deadline was March 13, 2020.

2018

See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2018 and Nevada State Assembly elections, 2018

Elections for the Nevada State Senate took place in 2018. A closed primary election took place on June 12, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2018.[1]

Elections for the Nevada State Assembly took place in 2018. A closed primary election took place on June 12, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2018.[2]

2016

See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2016 and Nevada State Assembly elections, 2016

Elections for the Nevada State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 14, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 18, 2016.

Elections for the Nevada State Assembly took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 14, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 18, 2016.

2014

See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2014 and Nevada State Assembly elections, 2014

Elections for the Nevada State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014.

Elections for the Nevada State Assembly took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014.

2012

See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2012 and Nevada State Assembly elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on June 12, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2012.

Elections for the office of Nevada State Assembly took place in 2012. The primary election was held on June 12, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2012.

2010

See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2010 and Nevada State Assembly elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on June 8, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was March 12, 2010.

Elections for the office of Nevada State Assembly took place in 2010. The primary election was held on June 8, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was March 12, 2010.

Sessions

When the Nevada Constitution was adopted, its fourth article established when the Legislature was to be in session. However, Section 29 of Article 4, the section that dealt with legislative sessions, was repealed by voters in the 1958 general election. The session dates for the Nevada Legislature are no longer limited by the Nevada Constitution.

2023

See also: 2023 Nevada legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on February 6, 2023, and adjourn on June 5, 2023.

2022

See also: Dates of 2022 state legislative sessions

In 2022, the legislature did not hold a regular session.

Role in state budget

See also: Nevada state budget and finances
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The state operates on a biennial budget cycle that starts July 1 of each biennium. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[8]

  1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in March.
  2. Agencies submit their requests to the governor by September 1.
  3. The governor submits the budget to the Nevada State Legislature in January.
  4. The legislature passes a budget in June. A simple majority is needed to pass a budget.

In Nevada, the governor does not have line-item veto power. However, the governor can veto an appropriations bill in its entirety.[8]

The governor is required by statute to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget.[8]


Legislators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2022
SalaryPer diem
$164.69/calendar day up to 60 days. Senators who were not up for re-election until 2022 received $159.89/calendar day.$151/day; Legislators have a travel allowance of $10,000/session and leadership has an additional $900/session allowance.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Nevada legislators assume office on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November (the day after election day).[9]

Senate

The Nevada Senate is the upper house of the Nevada Legislature. The Senate consists of 21 members from 19 districts, two of which are multimember.

As of the 2020 Census, Nevada state senators represented an average of 148,022 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 129,021 residents.

Senators serve four-year terms. Term limits, limiting senators to three 4-year terms (12 years), took effect in 2010.

Party As of May 2023
     Democratic Party 13
     Republican Party 8
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 21

Click here for a list of members of this chamber.

Between 1992 and 2022, 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 2022. 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: 1992-2022

Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
Democrats 10 8 9 9 9 9 9 10 12 11 11 10 11 13 12 13
Republicans 11 13 12 12 12 12 12 11 9 10 10 11 10 8 9 8

Between 1992 and 2022, 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 2022, 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 13-8 majority following the 2022 elections.

Assembly

The Nevada Assembly is the lower house of the Nevada Legislature. As in neighboring California, the lower house of the legislature is referred to as an "Assembly" rather than the more common "House of Representatives." The body consists of 42 members, elected to two-year terms from single-member districts.

As of the 2020 Census, Nevada state representatives represented an average of 74,011 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 64,510 residents.

Term limits, limiting assemblymembers to six 2-year terms (12 years), took effect in 2010.

Party As of May 2023
     Democratic Party 28
     Republican Party 14
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 42

Click here for a list of members of this chamber.

Between 1992 and 2022, 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 2022. 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: 1992-2022

Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
Democrats 29 21* 25 28 27 23 26 27 28 26 27 15 27 29 26 28
Republicans 13 21 17 14 15 19 16 15 14 16 15 27 15 13 16 14
*Chamber controlled by power-sharing agreement

Between 1992 and 2022, 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.[10]

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 2022 elections, Democrats had a 28-14 majority.

District maps

State Senate


State Assembly


Veto overrides

Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Nevada are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers

Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 28 of the 42 members in the Nevada State Assembly and 14 of the 21 members in the Nevada State Senate. Nevada is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

Vetoes can be overridden in a special session or when the next regular session convenes.[11] Two-thirds of members in both chambers must agree to call for a special session.[12]

Authority: Article 4, Section 35 of the Nevada Constitution

"Every bill which may have passed the Legislature, shall, before it becomes a law be presented to the Governor. If he approve it, he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it with his objections, to the House in which it originated, which House shall cause such objections to be entered upon its journal, and proceed to reconsider it; If after such reconsideration it again pass both Houses by yeas and nays, by a vote of two thirds of the members elected to each House it shall become a law notwithstanding the Governors objections."

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Who Runs the States Project
See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Nevada
Partisan breakdown of the Nevada legislature from 1992-2013

Nevada State Senate: From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Nevada State Senate for the last six years while the Republicans were the majority for the first 16 years. Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.

Nevada State House of Representatives: From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Nevada State House of Representatives for the last 20 years while the Republicans were never the majority. The Nevada State House of Representatives is one of 18 state Houses that was Democratic for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013.

Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Nevada, the Nevada State Senate and the Nevada State Assembly from 1992 to 2013.

Partisan composition of Nevada state government(1992-2013).PNG

SQLI and partisanship

To read the full report on the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI) in PDF form, click here.

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Nevada state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. During the study, Nevada had one Democratic trifecta during 1992. The state's SQLI rankings were high for the majority of the study, finishing in the top-10 from 1996-1997 and from 2005-2006. However, Nevada's SQLI ranking declined from then on, finishing 46th in 2012. Both its highest and lowest rankings occurred when the government was divided between Democratic and Republican control.

Chart displaying the partisanship of the Nevada government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Nevada

In Nevada, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. The lines are subject to veto by the governor.[13]

Under a state law enacted in 2019, state prison inmates are counted as residents of their home addresses for redistricting purposes.[14]

2020

See also: Redistricting in Nevada after the 2020 census

Governor Steve Sisolak (D) signed new legislative maps into law on November 16, 2021.[15] These maps took effect for Nevada's 2022 legislative elections. On November 14, 2021, the Nevada State Senate voted 12-9 to approve the Democratic congressional and legislative map proposals.[16] On November 16, the Nevada State Assembly voted 25-17 to approve the maps.[17]


2010

See also: Redistricting in Nevada after the 2010 census

Nevada received its local Census data on February 24, 2011. At a 35.1 percent rate of growth, Nevada was the fastest growing state in the United States from 2000 to 2010. The state's five most populous each grew: Las Vegas grew by 22.0 percent, Henderson grew by 47.0 percent, Reno grew by 24.8 percent, North Las Vegas grew by 87.9 percent, and Sparks grew by 36.1 percent.[18]

Democrats controlled the Legislature, while Gov. Brian Sandoval was a Republican. The Legislature failed to finish new maps and a court-appointed panel of three special masters took over. New maps were finalized on December 8, 2011, and no challenges were made.[19]

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 in which the Nevada Constitution can be amended:

See also: Article 16 and Article 19 of the Nevada Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Nevada
Nevada Constitution
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Articles
Preliminary Action • Ordinance • Preamble • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • XVIII • 19 • Election Ordinance

The Nevada Constitution can be amended via three different paths: a constitutional convention, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment or an initiated constitutional amendment.

  • An amendment can be proposed in either chamber of the state legislature.
  • A majority of the members of both chambers must approve the proposed amendment.
  • After the next general election for members of the state legislature, the proposed amendment must be considered again and approved by a majority of the members of both chambers a second time.
  • The state legislature can call a special election for the proposed amendment(s) if they wish.
  • The amendment is then put to a vote of the people. If "a majority of the electors qualified to vote for members of the Legislature voting thereon" vote in favor of it, the measure becomes part of the constitution unless it is precluded by Section 2 of Article 19.
  • If two amendments that contradict each other are proposed at the same election, the one that gets the most votes becomes part of the constitution.
  • If two-thirds of the Nevada State Legislature votes in favor, a question about whether to hold a constitutional convention goes on a statewide ballot.
  • That election must be held at the same time as an election is being held for members of the state legislature. In other words, a constitutional convention question can't go on a special election ballot.
  • A majority vote—but not a simple majority vote—of the statewide electorate is required to generate a convention: "In determining what is a majority of the electors voting at such election, reference shall be had to the highest number of votes cast at such election for the candidates for any office or on any question."
  • Signatures equaling 10 percent of the number of voters who voted at the immediately preceding general election must be collected to qualify an amendment for the ballot, and these signatures are subject to a distribution requirement.
  • If an initiated constitutional amendment is approved in one election, it must win again at the next general election in an even-numbered year for it to become part of the constitution.
  • Nevada is the only state that requires that a citizen-initiated amendment be voted on twice. For legislatively referred constitutional amendments, voter approval is required at one election after it is put on the ballot through approval by the legislature in two sessions.



2024 measures:

See also: Nevada 2024 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures have been certified for the ballot.


Potential:

The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2024.

2023 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2023 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2023.

See also: 2023 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

No measures to list


Potential:

The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2023.

No measures to list

See also

Elections Nevada State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Clark County NV, "2018 state/federal elections," accessed August 3, 2017
  2. ↑ Clark County NV, "2018 state/federal elections," accessed August 3, 2017
  3. ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Nevada legislators flock to special session for Faraday," accessed December 17, 2015
  4. ↑ Las Vegas Review Journal, "Five (other) big issues for the 2015 Nevada Legislature," accessed February 2, 2015
  5. ↑ Kolotv.com, "Nev. Legislature convenes Monday with uncertainty," February 2, 2013
  6. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
  7. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
  9. ↑ Nevada Constitution, "Article 4, Section 4," accessed November 1, 2021
  10. ↑ Google Books, "Nevada Politics & Government: Conservatism in an Open Society," accessed October 17, 2017(Page 81)
  11. ↑ Nevada Legislature, "Vetoes and Special Sessions," accessed July 3, 2017
  12. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Special Sessions," May 6, 2009
  13. ↑ All About Redistricting, "Nevada," accessed May 5, 2015
  14. ↑ Prison Policy Initiative, "Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signs law ending prison gerrymandering," May 31, 2019
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named govsign
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named senateadv
  17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named sb1
  18. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Nevada's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," accessed February 9, 2021
  19. ↑ Nevada Legislature, "2011 Reapportionment and Redistricting Home," accessed February 9, 2021
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