LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Gov. Joe Lombardo said he opposes a voter initiative that would give Nevada teachers the right to go on strike, and he is skeptical of a bill to bring Hollywood movie studios to Las Vegas, he said in an exclusive interview with Channel 13.
Lombardo is preparing to deal with lawmakers who are meeting in the second legislative session since he was elected in 2022. During the 2023 session, Lombardo issued a record 75 vetoes of bills.
The governor said he's against an initiative championed by the Clark County Education Association that would remove teachers and other education workers from a list of public employees — including police officers and firefighters — who are prohibited from striking in Nevada. He said the law allows public employees to collectively bargain for wages and benefits and forces local government employers to submit to arbitration. Those concessions came in exchange for striking rights.
"I don't support it [the initiative]. I don't support it," Lombardo said. "It's not a good business model to have firemen and policemen or your first responders, and teachers in my opinion are a necessity, to be able to go on strike for wages and collective bargaining was brought in as part of that solution."
The Education Association — which represents teachers in the Clark County School District — circulated the initiative after fighting with the district over contracts in 2024. At one point, the district went to court claiming the union was engaged in an illegal strike, and a court agreed. The union also sued over the anti-strike law, claiming it was unconstitutional.
In this case, the governor's opposition may not matter. Because the union chose to use a statutory initiative, if the Legislature fails to pass the measure as written — or if lawmakers pass it and Lombardo issues a veto — it will go before voters in 2026 for a final decision.
Film tax credit opposed
Lombardo also expressed skepticism about a tax credit designed to lure film studios to Las Vegas, creating what some people envision as a "Hollywood East" center for moviemaking. The idea has been endorsed by lawmakers and actors such as Mark Wahlberg.
But Lombardo didn't include the cost of the idea in his executive budget and cited the cost as one reason why. According to a letter from tax credit backer state Sen. Roberta Lange, D-Clark County, the plan would cost $95 million per year for 17 years, a grand total of more than $1.6 billion.
"Once again, the devil's in the details, right?" Lombardo said. "And as you presented, the narrative you just provided, I'm not supportive as the governor. I'm not supportive."
The idea came up at the tail end of the 2023 session but never gained traction as time ran out, and lawmakers were approving a special tax district for a proposed baseball stadium for the then-Oakland Athletics baseball team.
Lombardo said it's not only the size of the ask, but the length of the state's commitment was daunting.
"And I just don't see that being good policy, good investments for the constituents and the state of Nevada," he said. "And you also have to be really careful in trying to convince the public it's a good way to do business when they see that there's such massive companies and there's a need in there."
Still, Lombardo said he'll evaluate any bill that comes out of the legislative process, with an eye toward evaluating the state's commitment.
Jan. 6 pardons
Lombardo is a former Las Vegas Metro Police officer and spent eight years as the elected sheriff of Clark County. He's also a Republican who was endorsed by President Donald Trump in 2022. Two years later, Lombardo returned the favor, endorsing Trump over Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris.
But the governor said he parts ways with the president when it comes to the blanket pardons for the Jan. 6 rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol, injuring police officers in the process.
"Yeah, it's unfortunate, because I was always under the belief it would be a targeted pardon on individuals that hadn't committed violent crimes per se, and inclusive of crimes against police officers," Lombardo said. "But it came to bear that that wasn't it. So I can't get into the mind of the president and his ultimate decision to make that decision, but I believe it should have been a little more targeted in that endeavor."
Lombardo is hardly alone in his views. Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Vice President JD Vance, have said violent rioters should not be pardoned. And Trump's own nominee to head the FBI, Kash Patel, said he disagreed with the idea of pardoning violent protesters.
Saving for a Rainy Day
We also asked Lombardo about whether he was putting too much money in the state's savings account, known as the Rainy Day fund, rather than spending the cash on important projects. (Lombardo in his State of the State speech touted a balance in the fund of $1.3 billion, while also saying he'd rejected millions in requests from state agencies for funding.)
But Lombardo pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Rainy Day fund was completely drained, as a reason to keep money in reserve. He said he worked with the Legislature to increase the balance of the fund and said lawmakers may want to consider using it for various emergencies, including wildfire response in Northern Nevada.
"As the population increases, your liability and the number of people that you need to respond to increases, and you know, what's the appropriate amount?" he asked. "Maybe we expand upon the ability to use the Rainy Day fund in those type of situations [wildfires]."
Red-light cameras
One issue we've heard repeatedly from locals about is traffic, including dangerous situations created by drivers speeding, running red lights and driving without displaying a required license plate.
Lombardo said he's supportive of using automated cameras to catch red-light runners, something currently banned in Nevada law. But with traffic deaths rising — more than 400 people were killed in crashes in Nevada last year — things may be changing. Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill, Lombardo's successor, has also backed the idea of using cameras for traffic enforcement.
Lombardo said details would have to be addressed — who benefits from the revenue from citations issued by red-light cameras, how can authorities ensure the actual driver of the vehicle (as opposed to the registered owner) gets the ticket — but he supports the concept.
"Yes, I do, especially today, as you know, there was a conversion of traffic violations going from criminal to civil a couple sessions ago," he said. "In today's age, the ability would be a technology and it being a civil process versus a criminal process, I would support red lights and the enforcement on that."
The 2025 Legislature ends on June 2.
Do you have questions about the Legislature, politics, elections or laws in Nevada? Email us using the Ask Steve link on our website.
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