Latest news with #AssemblyBill105
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Guns, voting: Lombardo rejects AB105, 6 other bills to bring total to 56 vetoes
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo on Monday vetoed a bill that would have outlawed carrying a gun at election sites. Assembly Bill 105 (AB105) was a second attempt to keep guns away from polling places, and it met the same fate as a bill (AB354) that Lombardo vetoed two years ago. Seven vetoes on Monday put Lombardo's total at 56, still 19 shy of the record he set in 2023 by rejecting 75 bills passed by the Nevada Legislature. Lombardo reasoned that there are already federal laws against intimidating, threatening or coercing others in ways that interfere with their right to vote. He also cited a state law making it a felony to interfere with the conduct an election. 'The provisions in AB 105 are therefore redundant and do not offer meaningful new protections. Instead, they simply create additional 'gun-free zones,' without clear justification,' Lombardo's veto message said. 16 new vetoes boost Lombardo total to 49; HOA limits, price fixing bill rejected Anti-gun groups criticized the veto and supported Democratic Assembly Majority Floor Leader Sandra Jauregui's efforts against guns. 'Free, fair, and safe elections are a cornerstone of our democracy. In vetoing a bill that bans guns from polling places, Gov. Lombardo puts Nevada communities and Nevada's elections in danger,' according to Kris Brown, president of Brady United. 'The presence of a firearm alone at voting booths can intimidate voters, especially in a country where so many people have experienced the devastating consequences of gun violence. Everyone deserves to safely cast their vote, and this veto will make it harder for Nevadans to exercise that right,' Brown said. Emily Persaud-Zamora, executive director of Silver State Voices, said, 'In our years of experience with conducting an election protection program, voters have repeatedly expressed that feeling safe at the polls is a crucial factor when casting their ballot. While this is unfortunate, this will not deter us from fighting for gun violence prevention and voting rights for Nevada voters.' Lombardo also rejected Senate Bill 156 (SB156), which would have set up a Special Counsel for the Prevention of Gun Violence under the Nevada Attorney General's Office. He argued it politicizes the issue of gun violence because the attorney general is an elected position. Another bill involving elections, SB100, was rejected as an overreach that imposed 'unnecessary state-level control' over local decisions. Democratic State Sen. Skip Daly sponsored the bill, which addressed a new wrinkle in the smooth operation of Nevada elections. Washoe County commissioners had refused to certify election results last year, prompting Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar and Attorney General Aaron Ford to file a petition with the Nevada Supreme Court to compel the commission to certify the vote. Daly's bill would have given that authority to the secretary of state. Two commissioners who were holding out eventually voted for certification. A third continued to refuse, but a 4-1 vote ended the matter on July 17. Lombardo's veto message emphasized the portion of SB100 that dealt with the selection of ballot-counting systems. He said local authorities should choose the vendors they use. Other bills vetoed on Monday: AB434, AB589, SB71 and SB428. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Democracy at gunpoint: Why Nevada needs Assembly Bill 105
(Photo: Ronda Churchill/Nevada Current) Imagine this: a scorching sun baking the dusty air as armed militia stand guard outside a polling station, rifles at the ready. Families lingering at the edges, wary of being turned away – or worse. The heat only intensifies the tension that crackles in the breeze, while the sight of people with guns near the voting booths imparts an unsettling sense of danger. Here's the thing: you don't have to rely on your imagination here. This scene isn't unfolding in a distant war-torn landscape; this was Phoenix, Arizona, during the 2022 midterm election, where armed Americans in tactical gear stood next to a ballot drop box. A similar scene unfolded in Las Vegas, Nevada, where two armed men paced outside of a ballot tabulation center. The presence of firearms in close proximity to voters has become a troubling reality here at home, a reality we often think only happens far from American soil. Such intimidation tactics can sow fear and deter citizens from exercising their most fundamental democratic right: the right to vote. Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui is addressing this problem in Nevada by introducing Assembly Bill 105. This legislation aims to ensure that Nevadans can cast their ballots without fear of violence or harassment. Specifically, this bill would: Prohibit the possession or presence of firearms within 100 yards of election sites, which include any polling place or central counting place. Create exceptions for law enforcement officers carrying out official duties, security personnel, firearms stored in cars, and people whose homes or businesses are within 100 yards of election sites. Establish a gross misdemeanor for individuals who violate this prohibition. Upgrade to a felony any knowing violation of the prohibition when it is done with the specific intent to disrupt, interfere with, or monitor the administration of the election, the counting of votes, or any person who is voting or attempting to vote. In 2023, Jauregui introduced similar legislation (AB 354), which passed along party lines and was subsequently sent to Gov. Joe Lombardo, who vetoed it as part of a trio of other common-sense gun laws. Assembly Bill 105 recognizes the simple truth: voting is safer when firearms are not present. In fact, many states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington – already regulate the carrying of firearms at polling places. Additionally, firearms are prohibited in courthouses and other sensitive government buildings, reinforcing the principle that certain environments necessitate stricter standards for public safety. By keeping polling places free from the intimidation factor that firearms can present, Nevadans will be able to vote with confidence, free from the looming threat of violence. After all, polling places are where Americans exercise their most powerful democratic privilege: the freedom to cast a ballot and have their voice heard. AB 105 is a measured, necessary step toward safeguarding that right for everyone.
