Nevada State Senate | |
General Information | |
Party control: | Democrat |
Session start:[1] | No regular legislative session |
Session end:[1] | No regular legislative session |
Term length: | 4 years |
Term limits: | 3 terms (12 years) |
Redistricting: | Legislature-dominant |
Salary: | $164.69/calendar day up to 60 days. Senators who are not up for re-election until 2022 receive $159.89/calendar day. + per diem |
Members | |
Total: | 21 |
Democrats: | 11 |
Republicans: | 9 |
Other: | 0 |
Vacancies: | 1 |
Leadership | |
President: | Lisa Cano (D) |
Maj. Leader: | Nicole Cannizzaro (D) |
Min. Leader: | James Settelmeyer (R) |
Elections | |
Last election: | November 3, 2020 |
Next election: | November 8, 2022 |
The Nevada State Senate is the upper chamber of the Nevada State Legislature. Alongside the Nevada State Assembly, it forms the legislative branch of the Nevada state government and works alongside the governor of Nevada to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Nevada State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.
The Nevada State Senate meets in the state capitol complex in Carson City, Nevada.
Governor Steve Sisolak (D) signed new legislative maps into law on November 16, 2021.[2] These maps take effect for Nevada's 2022 legislative elections. On November 14, 2021, the Nevada State Senate voted 12-9 to approve the Democratic congressional and legislative map proposals.[3] On November 16, the Nevada State Assembly voted 25-17 to approve the maps.[4] Click here for more information about redistricting after the 2020 census.
Nevada has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature. |
This page contains the following information on the Nevada State Senate.
The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Nevada State Senate as of October 2022:
Party | As of October 2022 | |
---|---|---|
Democratic Party | 11 | |
Republican Party | 9 | |
Other | 0 | |
Vacancies | 1 | |
Total | 21 |
The lieutenant governor serves as the president of the Senate but only votes in the case of a tie. If the lieutenant governor is not present, the president pro tempore presides and has the power to make commission and committee appointments. The president pro tempore is elected to the position by the majority party. The other leadership positions, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses to head their parties in the chamber.[5][6]
State legislators | |
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Salary | Per diem |
$164.69/calendar day up to 60 days. Senators who are not up for re-election until 2022 receive $159.89/calendar day. | $151/day; Legislators have a travel allowance of $10,000/session and leadership has an additional $900/session allowance. |
Nevada legislators assume office on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November (the day after election day).[7]
To be eligible to serve in the Nevada State Senate, a candidate must be:[8]
Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Nevada State Senate shifted from a Republican majority to a Democratic majority. Since the 2016 elections, Democrats have controlled the chamber. The table below shows the partisan history of the Nevada State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2020. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Nevada State Senate election results: 1992-2020
Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democrats | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 |
Republicans | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
Between 1992 and 2020, majority control of the state Senate changed three times. During that period, the Democratic and Republican parties both claimed relatively narrow majorities, the largest being from 1994 to 1996 when Republicans had a five-seat advantage. From 1992 to 2020, neither Democrats or Republicans held more than the 14 seats required to override a gubernatorial veto.
Republicans controlled the Senate from 1992 until the 2008 elections. In the 2008 elections, Democrats picked up two seats and held a 12-9 majority. That Democratic majority held until the 2014 elections, when Republicans gained an 11-10 majority. Republicans held the majority until the 2016 elections, when Democrats retook control of the chamber with their own 11-10 majority. Democrats held a 12-9 majority following the 2020 elections.
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2021, Nevada was under the following types of trifecta control:
Nevada Party Control: 1992-2022
Five years of Democratic trifectas • Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D |
Senate | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D |
House | D | D | D | S | S | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Nevada state senators serve staggered, four-year terms and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. Nevada holds elections for its legislature in even years.
Elections for the Nevada State Senate will take place in 2022. The general election is on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 14, 2022. The filing deadline was March 18, 2022.
Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 9, 2020. The filing deadline was March 13, 2020.
Heading into the 2020 general election, there were 13 Democrats and eight Republicans in the chamber. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them a 12-9 majority.
Nevada State Senate | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
Democratic Party | 13 | 12 | |
Republican Party | 8 | 9 | |
Total | 21 | 21 |
Elections for the Nevada State Senate took place in 2018. A closed primary election took place on June 12, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2018.[9]
In the 2018 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Nevada State Senate from 10-8 to 13-8.
Nevada State Senate | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
Democratic Party | 10 | 13 | |
Republican Party | 8 | 8 | |
Independent | 1 | 0 | |
Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
Total | 21 | 21 |
Elections for the Nevada State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 14, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 18, 2016. A total of 11 seats out of the 21 seats in the Nevada State Senate were up for election in 2016.
Heading into the election, Republicans held an 11-10 majority. Democrats won control of both the Nevada State Senate and the Nevada State Assembly in the general election. This broke the Republican trifecta previously held in the state. Democrats were able to flip one Senate seat, which was all that they needed to gain control of the chamber. Assembly Democrats were also able to win a majority, picking up 10 seats and moving to a 12-seat majority.
State Senator Patricia Farley said shortly after the election that she would change her party affiliation from Republican to nonpartisan with the intention of caucusing with Democrats.[10] The change in Farley's party affiliation gave the Democratic Caucus a three-seat majority.
Nevada State Senate | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
Democratic Party | 10 | 11 | |
Republican Party | 11 | 10 | |
Total | 21 | 21 |
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2014[edit]
Elections for the Nevada State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 10, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014. Heading into the election, Democrats held an 11-10 majority. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving Republicans an 11-10 majority.
2012[edit]
Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on June 12, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2012. A total of 12 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 10-9 majority with two vacancies. Democrats gained one seat in the election, giving them an 11-10 majority.
The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012.
2010[edit]
Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on June 8, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was March 12, 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 12-7 majority with two vacancies. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them an 11-10 majority.
In 2010, the candidates for state Senate raised a total of $4,320,019 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[11]
2008[edit]
Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 12, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total of contributions to Senate candidates was $4,764,881. The top 10 contributors were:[12]
2006[edit]
Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 15, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total of contributions to Senate candidates was $4,860,473. The top 10 contributors were:[13]
2004[edit]
Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 7, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total of contributions to Senate candidates was $4,652,079. The top 10 contributors were:[14]
2002[edit]
Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 3, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,878,156. The top 10 contributors were:[15]
2000[edit]
Elections for the office of Nevada State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 5, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,623,356. The top 10 contributors were:[16]
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The Nevada legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Nevada Term Limits Act in 1996. That initiative said that Nevada senators are subject to term limits of no more than three four-year terms, or a total of twelve years.[17]
The first year that the term limits enacted in 1996 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was 2010.
If there is a vacancy in the Nevada State Legislature, the board of county commissioners in the county representing the seat must decide on a replacement. The board of county commissioners must select a person from the same political party that last held the seat when making its decision. If the vacancy happens before the next legislative session and an election for county officers is scheduled, no replacement is named.[18]
See sources: Nevada Const. Art. 4, Sec. 12
The state of Nevada has 63 legislative districts. Each district elects one representative. The state Senate has 21 districts and the state House has 42 districts.
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
The map below shows this district's current boundaries, not those enacted as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle.
In Nevada, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. The lines are subject to veto by the governor.[19]
Under a state law enacted in 2019, state prison inmates are counted as residents of their home addresses for redistricting purposes.[20]
Governor Steve Sisolak (D) signed new legislative maps into law on November 16, 2021.[2] These maps take effect for Nevada's 2022 legislative elections. On November 14, 2021, the Nevada State Senate voted 12-9 to approve the Democratic congressional and legislative map proposals.[3] On November 16, the Nevada State Assembly voted 25-17 to approve the maps.[4]
Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Nevada received its local Census data on February 24, 2011. At a 35.1 percent rate of growth, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the United States from 2000 to 2010. The state's five most populous cities grew as follows: Las Vegas grew by 22.0 percent, Henderson grew by 47.0 percent, Reno grew by 24.8 percent, North Las Vegas grew by 87.9 percent, and Sparks grew by 36.1 percent.[21]
Democrats controlled the Legislature, while Governor Brian Sandoval was a Republican. The Legislature failed to finish new maps and a court-appointed panel of three special masters took over. New maps were finalized on December 8, 2011, and no challenges were made.[22]
The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Nevada State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.
In 2022, the legislature will not hold a regular session.
In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on February 1, 2021, and adjourn on June 1, 2021.
In 2020, the legislature did not hold a regular session.
In 2019, the legislature was in session from February 4, 2019, through June 3, 2019.
In 2018, the legislature did not hold a regular session.
Click [show] for past years' session dates. |
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2017[edit]
In 2017, the legislature was in session from February 6, 2017, through June 5, 2017. 2016[edit]
In 2016, the Legislature did not hold a regular session. 2015[edit]
In 2015, the legislature was in session from February 2 through June 1. The legislature held a four-day special session from December 16 to December 19 on tax abatements and tax credits.[23] Major issues in 2015[edit]Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included business licensing fees, construction defect reform, organized labor reform, education reform, Voter ID, legalizing recreational marijuana, and economic development.[24] 2014[edit]
In 2014, the Legislature did not hold a regular session. 2013[edit]
In 2013, the legislature was in session from February 4 to June 3. Major issues in 2013[edit]Major issues in the 2013 legislative session included taxes, state's tax structure, spending, medicare, and gun control.[25] 2012[edit]
In 2012, the Legislature did not hold a regular session. 2011[edit]In 2011, the legislature was in session from February 7 through June 6.[26] 2010[edit]In 2010, the Legislature was not in regular session. However, the Legislature did meet in 2010 for a special session, which lasted from February 23rd to March 1st.[27] |
The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[28] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.
When the Nevada Constitution was adopted, its fourth article established when the Nevada State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, was to be in session. However, Section 29 of Article 4, the section that dealt with legislative sessions, was repealed by vote of the people in the 1958 general election. The session dates for the Nevada Legislature are no longer limited by the Nevada Constitution.
Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, term limits, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Nevada are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers
Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 28 of the 42 members in the Nevada State Assembly and 14 of the 21 members in the Nevada State Senate. Nevada is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?
Vetoes can be overridden in a special session or when the next regular session convenes.[29] Two-thirds of members in both chambers must agree to call for a special session.[30] |
Authority: Article 4, Section 35 of the Nevada Constitution
"Every bill which may have passed the Legislature, shall, before it becomes a law be presented to the Governor. If he approve it, he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it with his objections, to the House in which it originated, which House shall cause such objections to be entered upon its journal, and proceed to reconsider it; If after such reconsideration it again pass both Houses by yeas and nays, by a vote of two thirds of the members elected to each House it shall become a law notwithstanding the Governors objections." |
Nevada on |
The state operates on an biennial budget cycle that starts July 1 of each biennium. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[31]
In Nevada, the governor has no veto authority over the budget.[31]
The governor is required by statute to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget.[31]
Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.
Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Nevada State Senate has 10 standing committees:
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods in which the Nevada Constitution can be amended:
Nevada Constitution |
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Articles |
Preliminary Action • Ordinance • Preamble • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • XVIII • 19 • Election Ordinance |
The Nevada Constitution can be amended via three different paths: a constitutional convention, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment or an initiated constitutional amendment.
2023 measures:
Certified:
No measures to list
2022 measures:
Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2022 ballot by the legislature.
Certified:
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State of Nevada Carson City (capital) | |
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