A bill that would require local governments to cope with extreme heat is back on the governor’s desk after being vetoed last session.
When Republican Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed proposed legislation requiring cities to adopt heat mitigation plans two years ago, he rejected the scientific consensus linking rising temperatures to development.
This time, Jackie Spicer with the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition is hoping he’ll reconsider.
“Considering that, last year alone, over 500 people died in Clark County from heat-related causes, it's not acceptable to claim that you can deny the science around this issue,” said Spicer.
Extreme heat and deteriorating air quality pushed Nevada’s heat-related deaths to 526 in 2024 — a 78% rise from the year before.
Assembly Bill 96 would require Clark and Washoe counties to create formal heat plans that include public cooling centers, access to drinking water, shaded infrastructure, and heat-resilient building strategies.
Spicer, a lifelong Nevadan, pushed back on the notion that residents should simply accept dangerous heat as a given.
“When I hear people say, ‘It’s Las Vegas — if you’re going to live here, you should’ve expected the heat,’ that’s just not the reality,” she said.
Spicer added that long-term planning is critical to ensuring Nevada remains livable.
“We want to make sure that Nevada stays a home for all of us in the long term, and in order to do that, we have to plan ahead. This bill will help us do that,” she said.
