LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Governor Joe Lombardo says he will call a special session of the Nevada Legislature "at some point over the next few months."
Under the state constitution, the governor may "on extraordinary occasions" call the Legislature into special session at any time during their 18-month hiatus, and provide them a list of bills to consider.
VIDEO: Gov. Lombardo announces call to special session in the next few months
Lombardo was mum on the agenda, however, saying only "The goal will be to finish what the Legislature left unfinished — plain and simple.”
Lombardo said in an August interview with Channel 13 that special session discussions were taking place back then. Lawmakers and the governor typically agree on the subjects of a session, so that they can finish the work quickly after arriving back in the capital.
With Lombardo and most of the Democratic caucus seeking re-election or a move to higher office, a special session can be a political liability. Incumbents are banned from raising money before, during and after a special session.
Although Lombardo didn't list topics for a special session, it's likely that a crime bill he backed but that failed to pass during the regular session will be on the agenda. That bill includes provisions for safety on the Strip, which has seen some shootings in recent months.
Democrats have urged the governor to consider funding that might be needed to replace lost federal funds, including through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That includes funding for health-care programs.
The state's rainy day fund now has a balance of more than $1.2 billion, money that Democrats may want to tap to ensure that health care and nutrition programs don't suffer cuts.
Another potential agenda item: Film tax credits aimed at building a film studio in Summerlin. The measure barely passed the Assembly and died in the Senate on the final day of the session.
It's unclear, however, if backers have the votes to pass the measure in the state Senate. It would provide more than $1.6 billion in tax credits, the largest business incentive in state history.
Lombardo said last month that a bill aimed at increasing cybersecurity for state and local government would not necessarily be on a special session agenda, but that it would definitely return in the 2027 session.
If a special session is called, all currently elected officials will return to Carson City. Lawmakers who have resigned will be replaced by appointments made by the county commissions where their districts are located. Commissioners must choose someone of the same political party as the resigned lawmaker.
Since 1999 — when the current 120-day limit on legislative sessions went into effect — there have been 19 special sessions of the Legislature. Many lasted just a day or two, called after a regular session to finish business left undone before the 120-day clock ran out.
The longest, in 2003, lasted nearly a month, in a dispute over taxes that was finally resolved when lawmakers mustered the two-thirds vote necessary to pass a tax increase in Nevada.