One Year Ago Today, Governor Lombardo Ripped Paid Family Leave Away from Nearly One Million Nevadans

NEVADA - One year ago today, Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed Assembly Bill 388, stripping nearly one million Nevada workers of the right to paid family and medical leave. The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch, would have guaranteed 12 weeks of paid leave to workers at companies with 50 or more employees, covering the birth of a child, a serious illness, or the need to flee domestic violence. While the legislature passed it, Nevada wanted it, but Lombardo vetoed it.

In his veto message, Lombardo claimed the mandate would “severely disrupt the economic stability of business across Nevada,” prioritizing corporate interests over the nearly one million workers who would have been protected. The veto came as Lombardo broke the Nevada record for most vetoes in a single legislative session.

No Nevadan should be forced to choose between their paycheck and caring for a newborn, a sick family member, or their own health. One year later, and many still are.

Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch issued the following statement:

“My goal in bringing Assembly Bill 388 was to support the working families of Nevada. Paid family medical leave is not controversial, not complicated, and absolutely essential. It is a policy that the majority of Americans support, and that has been shown to improve outcomes for businesses and workers alike. No one should have to choose between caring for a newborn and keeping a roof over their head, or between getting medical treatment and buying food. AB 388 would have solved that dilemma for nearly 1 million Nevadans.

Governor Lombardo's veto of the bill was cruel and proves without a shadow of a doubt that we will always favor his corporate donors over the people of Nevada.

Lucky, teachers are nothing if not persistent, which is why this bill will keep coming back until the workers of Nevada have the Paid Family Medical Leave system they need to thrive.” 

Shelbie Swartz, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:

“When Governor Lombardo vetoed AB388, he made a choice, and it wasn’t for Nevada families. While working parents scramble to afford childcare, recover from childbirth, or care for a parent, Lombardo handed a win to corporate lobbyists and called it fiscal responsibility. He vetoed the dignity and economic security of nearly one million Nevada workers who deserved better. We are determined to bring back legislation that supports families and workers who need leave to care for themselves or their loved ones. Nevada families are resilient, but resilience shouldn’t be a substitute for policy.” 

Erika Washington, Executive Director of Make it Work Nevada, issued the following statement:

“One year ago, Governor Lombardo selfishly vetoed AB388, a bill intended to help all Nevada families in every community. In a state where families are already forced to travel out of state to access many of their healthcare needs, is it asking too much that workers don't lose their entire income when a medical crisis strikes? Nevada's broken healthcare infrastructure, combined with a $12 minimum wage that hasn't kept pace with skyrocketing costs for housing, groceries, and everyday necessities, leaves nearly all of us one health emergency away from financial collapse. Paid leave is not a luxury; it is the connective tissue between a broken healthcare system and the economic security every Nevada family deserves.”

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