For Immediate release: November 19, 2025
Contact: Hector Fong Jr.| hfong@planevada.org
Lombardo and the Legislature Fail to Handout Billions to Hollywood but Pass Regressive Crime Bill
Las Vegas, NV –– The 36th Nevada Special Legislative session has come to an end with the passage of Governor Joe Lombardo’s Fear and Spending bill (Assembly Bill 4), failure of the Film Tax Credit (Assembly Bill 5), and the failure of the corporate cap on home buying (Senate Bill 10).
Laura Martin, Executive Director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada released the following statement:
“Six months after the end of a regular Legislative session, Governor Lombardo called for a special session, not to address the housing crisis, or how to support federal workers during the government shut down, he called the special session to give nearly $2 billion to Hollywood studios, and also to undo all of the smart on crime measures passed in 2019 that lowered Nevada’s crime rate and saved the state money.
Despite what Nevadans are up against, they wanted to have their voices heard during this special session; but they were shut out by Assembly leadership. Lack of telephonic testimony meant rural, working class, differently abled, and Nevadans without transportation could not participate in live hearings. Additionally, with hearings called with such short notice, non-English speaking Nevadans were shut out due to lack of legislative translators. It’s the same old story for the working families of Nevada: corporations get the red carpet treatment, and everyday Nevadans get the shaft. Billions can be found for car companies, stadiums, and studios, but direct investment in improving the lives of Nevadans–even something as simple as free lunch for our students–is too expensive; so we’re expected to be content with crumbs.
The Legislative Counsel Bureau’s own projections show that the film tax credit would have led our state to a fiscal cliff. And we know from the 2008 economic housing crisis and the 2020 pandemic, it would lead to the legislature cutting vital services, and to cut the pay and benefits for hard working state employees. To be clear: receiving 22 cents back from every $1 invested, is not a good deal.
The budget shortfall will be deepened by Lombardo’s dumb on crime bill, which is just investing tax dollars into privatizing police and the criminal legal system for the gaming industry, and coming up with new ways to imprison Nevadans in our state’s prisons that are already over budget and understaffed.
Nevadans deserve better than movie studios and stadiums while families are forced to skip meals and life sustaining healthcare. Our state’s leadership sent a clear message with the intent of this non-emergency special session: that low-income Nevadans aren’t nearly as important or worthy of their time as billion dollar movie studios are. We thank the legislators who stood up to address the ongoing housing crisis that finds Nevada families priced out of the communities they call home. We commend the leadership of Senator Dina Neal, who never gave up on her constituents, be it Windsor Park or the thousands of Nevadans competing with corporations when buying a home.
Our legislature must change the way it does business. It is our hope that with the current leadership leaving office, new leadership will be more responsive to the needs of working class Nevadans, and will prioritize policies that directly invest in Nevadans and the services and institutions that support the opportunity to thrive, not just survive.”
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The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada was founded in 1994 by Nevada activists to build a more fair and just Nevada that puts people and planet first. We organize with front line communities and directly impacted leaders for policy changes and community investments that improve the lives of Nevadans