CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced he no longer plans to keep lawmakers in the state capital for a second special legislative session to address criminal justice and coronavirus-related concerns of business and worker groups legal liability and worker protections.
In a statement Sunday afternoon, the governor said he originally intended to call a special session after lawmakers wrap up proceedings on the state budget to address issues he believes “cannot and should not wait.” He has since reconsidered, he said, due to the continued spread of the virus and the length of the special session underway to address the state’s budget shortfall.
“I have serious reservations about having our lawmakers convene again for a similar – or longer – period of time in the midst of this spike in our State,” he said.
State health officials reported Saturday that 35,765 people have tested positive for the virus and at least 647 have died. The Legislative Counsel Bureau announced last week that one person participating in the special session had tested positive.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority recover.
Sisolak said he planned to convene a second special session at an unspecified date before the Legislature reconvenes in 2021 and outlined its agenda, which will include: criminal justice reform, election management amid the pandemic, protections for businesses and workers, and problems with the Nevada’s unemployment insurance system.
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