Attorney General Aaron Ford took to social media yet again to slam Governor Joe Lombardo. Ford painted a picture of Lombardo as a governor more interested in office furniture than schoolkids.
It’s all just politics as usual.
The $25 Million “Furniture First” Attack
Ford’s headline charge was that Lombardo “prioritized $25 million for new office furniture” over Nevada students.
Here’s the truth: that $25 million wasn’t a standalone item. It was part of a much larger budget amendment package Lombardo submitted in May 2023.
That package also included $6 million for job training, $3.3 million for school choice, and other funding for key social services. The furniture piece was about replacing outdated, inefficient equipment in state offices; the kinds of things that keeps government running smoothly.
By pulling out just one line item and ignoring the rest, Ford made it look like Lombardo was out shopping at Ikea instead of working for Nevadans. That’s spin, not the full story.
The School Lunch Veto
Ford also hit Lombardo for vetoing a bill (AB319) that would have guaranteed free school meals for all students. Democrats framed the veto as proof Lombardo is “out of touch with hardworking families.”
But here’s what really happened: Lombardo’s veto was about fiscal responsibility and waste, not about turning kids away from lunch. He cited a 2022 USDA study showing that nearly 73% of school lunch food may be wasted.
That’s not pennies we’re talking about – the National School Lunch Program cost $17.7 billion for 4.8 billion lunches in 2024.
The universal free lunch plan would have extended benefits to wealthy families who don’t need government assistance. Before the pandemic, about 57% of Nevada students already qualified for free or reduced lunches.
Lombardo’s argument was simple: keep helping the kids who truly need it, but don’t waste tax dollars feeding the children of high-income households.
Democrats tried to brand this as “starving students.” In reality, targeted meal programs remain fully in place, and Nevada schools continue serving millions of lunches every month.
“Feed Our Students” – or Just Campaign Talk?
Ford promised that when he’s governor, he’ll “feed our students.” It’s a catchy line, but short on details.
How would he pay for it? Would he raise taxes? Would he cut other programs?
The fact is, no one in Nevada is being denied meals because of Lombardo’s veto. The state still participates in the National School Lunch Program.
In 2024 alone, that program served about 6.5 million meals each month to nearly half a million students. The idea that kids are going hungry because Lombardo said no to a bloated bill is pure political theater.
Blaming Lombardo for a Cyberattack?
Some Democrats even tried to tie Lombardo’s leadership to the recent ransomware cyberattack on Nevada’s state government. Actually, the attack, discovered August 24, 2025, forced offices to shut down while teams worked around the clock to recover.
There’s no evidence the governor mishandled the situation. In fact, the state said there’s no sign of stolen data so far.
Cyberattacks like this are carried out by foreign hackers and crime syndicates, not by state leaders making budget calls. Suggesting otherwise is more about politics than reality.
What’s Really Behind The Curtain
This isn’t about furniture or school lunches. It’s about Democrats like Aaron Ford trying to frame every Lombardo decision as heartless or careless, while pushing their own big-spending agenda.
Republicans see Lombardo’s actions as the opposite: careful budgeting, stopping waste, and keeping government focused on what matters.
Yes, it means saying “no” sometimes. But fiscal discipline today prevents higher taxes and bigger crises tomorrow.
Democrats love to use emotion – starving kids, broken offices, scary crises – to push for more spending and more government programs.
Conservatives push back with facts: targeted help for those who need it, efficient government operations, and leadership that responds to real emergencies without wasting your money.
Ford’s post might fire up his political base, but when you dig into the numbers, it’s a house of cards.
Lombardo’s budget was balanced, his veto was rooted in facts about waste, and his leadership during the cyberattack was steady.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
