What Happened at the Capitol
Picture this: you’re at a meeting where you’re supposed to be in charge, but right before it ends, the other people lock you out of the room. That’s exactly what happened to Nevada Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony on Monday night.
Anthony is the current lieutenant governor of Nevada and was sworn in in January 2023. Just moments before the Nevada Legislature wrapped up its 2025 session, Democratic senators locked Anthony out of the floor session where he serves as the presiding officer.
Anthony took to social media to call it “shameful, disgraceful behavior.” He thanked the Republican senators who objected to what happened.
Senator Carrie Ann Buck also weighed in, saying “Always so sneaky, those NV Dems.”
Shameful behavior to an otherwise cordial #nvleg session.@NVSenateDems pulled a below-the-belt procedural maneuver to deny Nevadans fair and equal representation on the Legislative Commission that oversees all regulations for the state.
What a disappointment. https://t.co/Dwcdcgv6g7
— Dr. Robin Titus (@drrobintitus) June 3, 2025
Democrats Started Without the Constitutional Presiding Officer
Here’s what actually happened during those final chaotic minutes. The legislature was in recess, and when they came back, someone familiar with the situation told NN&V it was “totally intentional.”
Senator Marilyn Dondero Loop, the President Pro Tempore, was acting in place of Lieutenant Governor Anthony and conducting business.
When Republican Senator Ira Hansen called a point of order and simply asked “Where is the lieutenant governor?” he continued by saying Anthony has a constitutional duty to serve as president of the Senate, asking the parliamentarian to make a ruling.
Dondero Loop started to respond:
“The lieutenant governor is…”
Hansen finished her sentence:
“is standing outside in the hall and we started without him.”
Loop replied:
“I, as President pro tem, took over so we could make use of the time. I am happy to let the Lieutenant Governor come in, but we were trying to make use of the time. It’s 11:38 and we don’t have much time.”
Then Anthony returned to the podium to resume his constitutional role.
The SCR 8 and SCR 9 Controversy: Hidden Amendments and Power Grabs
But the drama was far from over. Two separate but related resolutions would derail the hearing and the close of the 83rd session. SCR 8 and SCR 9 both dealt with the Legislative Commission, but in different ways that would shift power away from Republicans.
According to Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus, SCR 8 is:
“a below-the-belt procedural maneuver to deny Nevadans fair and equal representation on the Legislative Commission that oversees all regulations for the state.”
The Legislative Commission is typically split evenly between Democratic and Republican seats, but this resolution would have altered that traditional balance of power.
SCR 9 was about designating the actual members of the Legislative Commission. Together, these resolutions would have allowed Democrats to both change how the commission is structured and then stack it with their preferred appointments.
Here’s the most troubling part: the language of SCR 8 wasn’t even available on the Legislature’s website, even after the session ended. Republican senators received the amendment only 30 minutes before the vote, giving them virtually no time to review what they were voting on.
Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro “called the question” to block all debate from the beginning of the motion. In simple terms, she used a parliamentary trick to shut down discussion before it could even start.;
Senator Ira Hansen objected to the rush job, saying:
“If it’s such an honorable thing to do wouldn’t you want us to at least have two or three minutes to discuss it? No. Instead at the very last – literally the last 6 minutes of this session – we are trying to force something through, rush it over to the assembly and we’re not going to be allowed to discuss it at all.”
As Hansen pointed out during his objection, this affects every agency in Nevada that brings regulations to the Legislative Commission. Yet Democrats rammed both resolutions through in the final six minutes without allowing any meaningful discussion.
Ignoring the Constitutional Midnight Deadline
Here’s the constitutional bombshell: The Nevada Legislature must end its work at midnight Pacific Time 120 calendar days after it started. Any legislative action taken after midnight is “null and void” unless it happens during a special session called by the governor.
When the midnight deadline passed, Anthony declared “Sine Die” (the final adjournment). But Cannizzaro ignored Anthony’s ruling. She called for “points of order” and insisted they vote on the motion after midnight anyway. Legislative counsel came in, and they ended up voting after midnight, exactly what the constitution says is “null and void.”
The irony? It was the Democrats who insisted they continue past the constitutional deadline, after spending the final minutes trying to rush through business without proper debate.
Looking Ahead
This incident shows exactly why limited government folks should pay attention to what happens in state capitals. When one party controls both chambers of the legislature, they can use procedural tricks to grab more power.
Think about it this way: if you can ignore the constitutional presiding officer and violate the midnight deadline, what other rules might you bend? The lieutenant governor’s role as Senate president isn’t just tradition. It’s written into the state constitution as a check and balance.
For people who believe government should follow the rules and not grab extra power, this is a red flag. When politicians start ignoring constitutional roles, it sets a dangerous example.
Dondero Loop herself is an interesting figure in this drama. She represents Senate District 8 and is up for re-election in 2026. In her last race in 2022, she barely won by just 1.4 percentage points against Republican Joey Paulos, making her one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the state Senate.
The bottom line is simple: There’s no good reason to pass important legislation at midnight on the last day except to silence debate and rule with a heavy hand.
When constitutional officers get ignored and amendments are hidden until the last half hour, it’s time for voters to pay attention.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
