Lombardo unveils second-term agenda targeting housing, education and crime

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo unveiled his second‑term agenda on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, outlining initiatives in housing, education, the economy and crime under the banner “Nevadans Working Together.” The Republican’s plan is organized into five categories: healthcare, housing, education, system and crime. On housing, Lombardo intends to expand down‑payment assistance provided through the Nevada Housing Access and Attainability Act, which was enacted in 2025 via Assembly Bill 540. The law directed $133 million toward housing development, including $18 million for down‑payment assistance that offers qualifying buyers up to $20,000. It also broadened the definition of affordable housing to cover essential workers earning as much as 150 percent of the state median income and earmarked additional support for rural and low‑income households. Lombardo said he will make more federal land available for attainable housing, noting that most land in Nevada is federally managed. The agenda stresses keeping Nevada families from competing with out‑of‑state investors or corporate buyers, although Lombardo vetoed a 2023 bill that would have capped corporate ownership of residential property. Regarding education, Lombardo proposes raising per‑pupil funding—currently $15,362, roughly $3,600 below the national average—expanding school‑choice options and attracting high‑quality teachers with “competitive” pay. The average teacher salary in Nevada in 2025 was $58,000. On the economy, Lombardo reiterated his “no caller taxes” pledge from his first term and called for an annual income‑tax holiday during back‑to‑school shopping. The Tax Foundation has found that such holidays tend to reduce state tax collections with little to no economic benefit. He also said residents would not see power outages or rate increases linked to data‑center development, and that revenue generated from data centers would be directed toward K‑12 education. His opponent, Attorney General Aaron Ford, criticized the approach as a reversal of Lombardo’s earlier position, noting that the governor had awarded $240 million in tax incentives to data‑center developers during his first term. Ford remarked in a statement, “After penning ‘blank checks’ to data centers virtually his full term in office, he now claims no more ‘blank checks’.” On crime, Lombardo said he would lower the threshold for fentanyl and other hard drugs. The low‑level fentanyl trafficking threshold had previously been reduced from 100 to 28 grams in 2023. He also pledged to crack down on human and drug trafficking, impose stricter sentences for violent and repeat offenders, and ensure training, resources and support for law‑enforcement agencies. Ford released an economic plan in June that centers on affordability and economic diversification through labor‑union‑backed initiatives and clean‑energy development. He supports pausing tax abatements for data centers, expanding the Nevada Promise and Silver State Opportunity grants to cover four‑year universities and capping rental security deposits at one month’s rent.