Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo’s Support For Ambitious Bills Is Uncertain

At the end of a hearing for a bill that would further expand coverage for gender-affirming medical care, transgender rights advocate Brooke Maylath shifted her focus from the majority-Democratic senators before her to the Republican governor who likely will decide the bill’s fate.

“This bipartisan support has been described as ‘The Nevada Way,’” Maylath said, repeating Gov. Joe Lombardo’s mantra coined during his January inaugural address. In the speech, Lombardo vowed broadly to push conservative tenets like school choice and bolster criminal penalties while working with the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Five months later, little more is known about how Lombardo will respond to several ambitious policy proposals advancing in the Legislature. He has declined to comment publicly on most bills, setting the stage for last-minute deals and conflicts as the final month of the session nears.

The stakes are high in one of the few Legislatures meeting every other year. Nevada lawmakers adjourn in early June, and the final stretch will further define Lombardo — the only Republican to unseat a Democratic governor in the 2022 election.

As his counterparts in the GOP push anti-transgender rhetoric and vow to curtail transgender healthcare on the campaign trail, Lombardo steered a more moderate path. He stayed away from anti-transgender rhetoric and touted his position as Clark County sheriff to build an ethos among conservatives.