*Pre-recorded Interview Here (No credit needed)*
** INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST **
Carson City, NV.- The 82nd Nevada Legislative Session made history by having a record-breaking number of bills related to Environmental Justice. However, not all of these bills made it out of the session, leaving hard-working Nevadans with a sour taste in their mouth.
During the session, the NEJC worked alongside legislators, community leaders, stakeholders, and concerned citizens to advocate for the passage of several bills that tackled multiple issues like worker’s health conditions, air pollution, the heat island effect, and more.
In a disappointing turn of events, only one environmental bill, AB 131, was signed by the Governor, Joe Lombardo. This bill revises provisions governing urban and community forestry in Nevada.
Moreover, other crucial environmental bills either did not make it out of the state legislature or were vetoed by Governor Lombardo. Among those are:
- SB169 (Vetoed by the Governor): This bill would have required Clark and Washoe counties to include heat mitigation plans in their long-term development strategy. The Governor’s decision to veto this bill is disheartening and raises questions about his commitment to addressing climate change. Nevada’s heat poses severe consequences for the health and well-being of vulnerable communities.
- SB 427 (Failed to Meet Deadlines): Known as the Outdoor Workers Protection Bill, would have established parameters to protect workers from the effects of extreme heat and unsatisfactory air quality in the workplace. The death of this bill brings concerns that if we don’t work quickly in future legislations we risk the health of many workers in Nevada.
- AB 312 (Failed to Meet Deadlines): This bill was looking to create an Environmental Justice Advisory Council where community members could voice their concerns related to Environmental Justice and the Council would advise the Legislation to address these concerns. The death of this bill
The NEJC recognizes the victories and progress made thus far and reinforces their commitment to bring to future Legislative sessions the issues that affect and hurt our communities, in many cases disproportionately affecting communities of color, in relation to Environmental Justice.
“The Coalition has been successful in changing the narrative around environmental policy […] we have been successful at putting a face and human stories around the need to address climate change,” said Cinthia Moore, coordinator of the NEJC.
Moving forward, we urge the Governor and the State Legislature to recognize the urgency of environmental justice and work towards comprehensive solutions to protect the safety and well-being of all Nevadans.
###
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.
