Nevada Republican Governor Signs Bill Shielding Out-of-State Abortionists

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, signed into law a bill on Tuesday which protects abortion seekers and abortionists in Nevada from prosecution “regardless” of the policies of other states.

The report states that “Lombardo has signed the bill, marking the first time he’s taken a significant position on abortion access since his abortion views shifted during the election cycle.” Lombardo previously indicated he would only sign the bill if it was a “clean bill” that did not allow state agencies to cooperate with other states who wanted to prosecute anyone for receiving reproductive health care in Nevada.

Nicole Cannizzaro, Democrat Senate majority leader, introduced SB131. This codifies the executive order of former Democrat Governor Steve Sisolak. Steve Sisolak, following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs.

Cannizzaro sent a thank you tweet to Lombardo for “following through on his promise to ensure that Nevada will not participate in prosecutions against women who come to Nevada to exercise their reproductive right.”

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Elizabeth Ray, a spokesperson for Lombardo, told the publication the Republican governor “had made a campaign promise to sign a bill ensuring that Nevada wouldn’t participate in prosecuting anyone seeking legal medical treatment in the state.”

Nevadans codified abortions up to 24 weeks through a ballot initiative in 1990. This meant that it could only have been overturned with a direct vote of the people.