Dear Vegas Chamber members:
After 120 days, the Nevada State Legislature adjourned its 81st Legislative Session on May 31. When the 2021 Legislature opened in February, it was already threatening to be one of the most daunting sessions ever for the business community. There were numerous proposals that, if passed, would have significantly harmed employers and small businesses. Additionally, the significant and unprecedented involvement of special interest groups from outside Nevada that pushed for a nationally focused, progressive agenda with imported proposals that would have seriously eroded our economic climate.
The Chamber’s job was to defeat as many of these bad bills as possible and mitigate provisions that would adversely impact employers and employees in those bills that moved forward.
Thanks to the engagement, diligence, and relationships of the Vegas Chamber’s Government Affairs team - along with trade associations across the state - nearly all these bad bills were either defeated or mitigated, protecting employers, small business owners, and our economy.
This was no easy task. More than 1,000 bills were introduced this session. Of those, the Chamber tracked 637 bills and testified on 126 of them. More than 80 legislative bills were identified as hindering economic prosperity for Nevada’s employers and their employees. By the end of session, the Chamber's Government Affairs team spent more than 3,700 hours at the Legislature protecting you.
Despite the unprecedented restrictions on access to the legislative building and in the early months the legislators themselves, the Chamber engaged daily with lawmakers, staff, and administration officials to share the perspective of employers on a wide range of issues including labor regulation, workforce development, healthcare, and education.
As the “Voice of Business”, the Chamber stood up against special interest groups that were pushing for proposals and policies that would harm economic recovery, stunt job creation, and increase the costs of doing business. Often, proposals were “solutions” in search of problems that do not exist, with the sole purpose of advancing a national agenda that disregards what makes Nevada unique.
Our success in defeating so many detrimental proposals was the entire business community working together and speaking with one unified voice. The Vegas Chamber regularly convened business and trade associations from across Nevada to share information, explore solutions, and reach out to lawmakers about the impacts of proposals on a variety of industries. We appreciate the collaboration of all our partners across the state.
Another key factor in this success was the engagement of our nearly 200 Chamber Advocates. Through social media, contacting lawmakers, and testifying, Chamber Advocates gave lawmakers firsthand accounts of how proposals would adversely impact their operations and employees. Their efforts amplified the Voice of Business and put faces to our business community struggling to recover from the pandemic. We thank these members for all their help.
And there is more good news to report: Several proposals moved forward this session that will make a positive impact on our economy and community. Southern Nevada Forum priorities, such as the funding of the Medical Education Building and Advanced Engineering Building at UNLV. These initiatives will help train more doctors, healthcare workers and engineers, which will address workforce needs, expand access to healthcare providers, and bolster economic growth and stability. We would like to thank Governor Steve Sisolak and those legislators that worked with the Chamber on important policy issues this session.
The Chamber was also supportive in passing legislation that will implement the new funding formula for K-12 education throughout Nevada. This will dedicate more money to our classrooms to bolster student achievement.
Throughout the session, the Chamber kept you informed on the latest in Carson City that impacts you and your business. We sent out the weekly Rundown, the most thorough update in Nevada on pending business legislation; we convened the monthly Carson City Calls and Legislative Roundtables to keep you updated, as well as the bi-monthly Paul Calls for our President’s Club and Advocacy members.
The Chamber’s full legislative end of session summary is now available by clicking the following link. This legislative report is a comprehensive summary of the legislative bills that we tracked this session, the position of the Vegas Chamber, how it might have impacted your business, and final action taken by the State Legislature and Governor Sisolak.
While the 2021 Legislature has adjourned, Governor Sisolak still has ten business days excluding Sundays to veto bills, and there will likely be two special sessions in the coming months. We anticipate that these special sessions will be centered around how the state will spend the federal stimulus funds and legislative redistricting. The Governor may add other topics to the special sessions per his discretion. Rest assured, the Vegas Chamber’s Government Affairs team will continue to work on your behalf.
Thank you for your engagement and support.
Mary Beth Sewald, President & CEO
Gina Bongiovi, Chair, Board of Trustees
Hugh Anderson, Chairman, Government Affairs Committee
