Outcry to Allocate Budget Surplus to Nevada’s Severe Environmental Injustice
*Interviews Available Upon Request*
Carson City, NV – This past Monday, an estimated $250 million dollar surplus was found for Governor Lombardo’s State fiscal budget for the next two years, leading many in the legislature to question the allocation of these funds. The Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition is advocating for the allocation of these funds to go toward already existing legislation, aiming to bring much-needed environmental justice to Nevada and the millions that call our state home.
Budget tensions have already begun to boil to the surface following the announcement of where the funds would be going according to the Governor’s office. They propose the budget will immediately be applied to programs such as school choice and SB431, leaving no room for other top priorities Nevada needs such as support of cleaner air, and safer environmental conditions.
The NEJC encourages a revision of the existing budget allocations to include more funding toward the following priority bills:
- AB71 Enviro Justice Study- Directs the state to study to identify the areas of severe environmental burden to be addressed and remedied.
- AB312 Enviro Justice Advisory Council- Create a council dedicated to evaluating environmental justice across the entire state and provide recommendations.
- AB313 Mining Pit Lakes- Revises provisions relating to mining reclamation.
- SB 450– This piece of legislation aims to address the unique problems faced by residents of Windsor Park in North Las Vegas due to the sinking ground beneath their homes. The bill establishes a relocation program for the affected residents whose homes have been damaged by the sinking ground.
###
ABOUT Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition: The Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition is a network of organizations committed to ensuring that equity, justice, and sustainability are brought into governmental decision-making in the face of climate change. We implement this by discussing the impacts of a disrupted climate, sharing information, and coordinating strategies and tactics to create meaningful solutions to the challenges we face. Our goal is to encourage equitable growth, improved corporate business models, and responsible planning at all levels and to address climate change and apply an intersectional approach to addressing the challenges and finding meaningful solutions. The Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition is conformed of the following organizations: Center for Biological Diversity, Boyd Law Environmental Law Society, Chispa NV, Faith in Action, Great Basin Resource Watch, Las Vegas Democratic Socialists of America, Nevada Plants, Make It Work Nevada, Make the Road Nevada, Native Voters Alliance of Nevada, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter, Somos, and Sunrise Movement Las Vegas.
