Former Governor Shows No Remorse
Former Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak (D) recently said he has “no regrets” about his COVID-19 policies. But many Nevadans are still dealing with the damage those decisions caused.
“I wouldn’t change anything that we did,” Sisolak told reporters. “I wouldn’t trade having been re-elected to lose one more life.”
But critics say this misses the point. Sisolak’s top-down approach stripped Nevadans of their freedoms and ignored the real harms of lockdowns.
Constitutional Questions and Executive Authority
Many legal scholars and citizens raised concerns about how Sisolak used his emergency powers. While governors do have authority during crises, the extended duration and scope of his actions prompted legitimate debates about constitutional limits.
Sisolak’s emergency declaration lasted far longer than many expected. What began as “15 days to slow the spread” stretched into months, then years of restrictions with little legislative oversight.
Among the most controversial decisions:
- Religious services faced strict attendance limits while casinos were eventually allowed to operate
- Business closures continued long after initial emergency conditions subsided
- Mask mandates remained in place for young children despite conflicting scientific evidence on effectiveness
- Public funds were used for vaccine incentives including the “Vax Nevada Days” lottery
While calling a special legislative session was within his constitutional authority, the session itself raised concerns about democratic process. During the session that passed Assembly Bill 4 changing election laws, only Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D) was permitted to introduce amendments. This restriction effectively silenced many lawmakers and prevented full debate on major election changes.
Following California’s Lead
When COVID hit in 2020, Sisolak quickly followed California Governor Newsom’s (D) playbook. He declared a state of emergency on March 12, 2020. Days later, he ordered schools and businesses to close.
In April 2020, Sisolak formally joined the Western States Pact with California, Oregon, Washington, and later Colorado. This alliance meant Nevada’s COVID policies would closely mirror California’s approach.
Many felt Nevada lost its independence. Instead of crafting policies that fit our state’s unique needs, Sisolak copied what blue state governors were doing.
Unemployment System Collapse
When Nevadans needed help most, the state’s systems failed them. The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation was completely overwhelmed by unemployment claims.
Even Sisolak himself admitted the failure. “Our unemployment system wasn’t set up to handle as many people,” he told reporters. “We never anticipated there would be that much demand for unemployment at one time.”
The irony of this statement wasn’t lost on Nevadans. Sisolak himself created this unprecedented unemployment crisis through his own executive orders that forcibly closed private businesses and classified workers as either “essential” or effectively unemployable. He manufactured the very crisis his administration couldn’t handle.
Many legal experts noted this was a prime example of executive overreach. Executive orders are, by definition, meant to direct government agencies and officials – not dictate whether private businesses can operate or which private citizens can work. For months, desperate Nevadans couldn’t access benefits they had paid into. Many went without income for weeks or months while bills piled up.
Businesses Forever Changed
The economic toll on Nevada businesses was devastating. Tourism disappeared. Small shops closed forever. Construction slowed while housing prices soared.
According to state data, Nevada had the nation’s highest unemployment rate during the pandemic at 28.2%. Many of those jobs never returned.
The housing market exploded in all the wrong ways. Home prices in Las Vegas rose approximately 30% during 2020-2021. Cash buyers from California, fleeing their own strict lockdowns, outbid local Nevada residents who were struggling with unemployment. Many Nevadans found themselves priced out of their own communities.
In schools, learning loss was dramatic. Test scores plummeted. Children lost critical developmental years that can never be replaced.
The Human Cost Behind the Statistics
The damage from lockdowns went far beyond economics. Nevada, which already struggled with mental health issues, saw these problems worsen dramatically.
Clark County School District reported significant increases in student mental health crises. Nationally, the CDC found emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts among adolescents increased by 31% during the pandemic.
Domestic violence calls to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spiked during lockdown periods. Local shelters reported being pushed beyond capacity as families in crisis had nowhere to turn.
The Vaccine Push and Questionable Incentives
Sisolak didn’t stop at lockdowns and masks. His administration pushed vaccines through questionable incentives that many saw as coercive.
In 2021, the Raiders coordinated with Sisolak’s Administration and implemented a policy requiring vaccination to attend games at Allegiant Stadium. Fans could get vaccinated right before games in the parking lot and immediately enter – a policy that many questioned as being more about compliance than health.
The governor also launched “Vax Nevada Days,” a lottery giving away $5 million in prizes to vaccinated residents. Many taxpayers questioned using public funds this way.
Nevadans Deliver Their Verdict
Five years later, as Sisolak maintains he would “change nothing” about his response, Nevada voters have already delivered their verdict.
In November 2022, Nevada was the only state in the nation to flip a governor’s seat from blue to red when Joe Lombardo defeated Sisolak. The election results couldn’t have been clearer – a direct rejection of Sisolak’s heavy-handed approach to governance.
For a state that values independence and personal liberty, the 2022 election wasn’t just about changing parties – it was a referendum on government overreach. The message from voters was unmistakable: never again should one person’s decisions cause so much damage to so many lives with so little accountability.
Sisolak might have no regrets, but Nevada voters certainly did – and they made sure he knew it at the ballot box.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
