Published: Jun. 3, 2025 at 8:04 PM PDT|Updated: Jun. 4, 2025 at 10:44 AM PDT
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – When temperatures hit the triple digits, the heat isn’t just uncomfortable – it’s dangerous.
Especially in places like East Las Vegas, where tree cover is low, pavement is everywhere and shaded public spaces are hard to come by.
Las Vegas construction worker, Luis Medina, said he knows the impacts of heat well.
“But during these summer months like June, July and August, these are the most intense where you feel the heat,” Medina said. “So it’s very, it’s very hot outside, you know everything you touch, whether it’s metal or something.”
Luis installs floors at job sites across the Valley. He explained staying hydrated and finding shade is critical especially in a city where the sun can feel relentless.
“I’ve felt very dizzy, and you know, I just go inside where it’s air conditioned, cool, where there’s some shade for a few minutes, and then regain my conscience,” Medina said. “You just reset and just go back at it again.”
A.B. 96 requires Clark and Washoe counties to include heat mitigation in their master plans. Jackie Spicer with the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition said this effort is more than about comfort.
“We know that over 500 people die from heat related causes in Clark County last year alone, and so we need to be doing everything we can to save lives,” said Jackie Spicer, coordinator with the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition.
The bill encourages strategies like cooling centers, shade structures, tree canopies and access to public water.
“Being able to slow down and prevent extreme heat and rising temperatures will help us all in the long run,” Spicer added.
Luis explained for workers like him and the next generation something needed to change
“It’s a step forward, a step that isn’t very necessary for not only Latino construction workers, but for everyone.”
If Governor Joe Lombardo signs A.B. 96, it would take effect July 1, 2026– giving local governments time to turn planning into protection.
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https://www.fox5vegas.com/2025/06/04/new-law-aims-protect-nevadans-extreme-heat
