Titus Says Democrats Caused “Constitutional Crisis”
Nevada Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus issued a strong statement this week condemning last-minute actions by Democrats that she says violated constitutional deadlines and disrupted legislative procedure.
“It really was about principle and representation,” Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus, R-Wellington, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal early Tuesday morning. The Wellington family doctor and longtime legislator accused Democrats of undermining what should have been a collaborative close to the 2025 legislative session.
Nevada Senate Republicans held up proceedings in the final minutes of the session after they learned they’d have unequal representation in the legislative commission, a committee that exercises general policy-making and supervising authority over the operations of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.
The Legislative Commission oversees the Legislative Counsel Bureau, which helps lawmakers write bills, research issues, and run the legislature between sessions. Titus argues that fair representation on this commission is crucial because it affects how the entire legislative process works.
Why This Matters Now
This bureau helps lawmakers write bills, research issues, and run the legislature.
According to Titus’s statement, Democrats pushed through changes to reduce Republican membership on the Legislative Commission from a balanced 3-3 split to a 4-2 majority in their favor. The resolution was voted on at 12:18 AM, 18 minutes past the constitutionally mandated midnight deadline.
“These actions weren’t just political, they were procedural violations with real consequences,” said Senator Titus in her statement.
She announced that while Senate Republicans believe there is a strong legal case to invalidate the resolution, they plan to bring their case “directly to the public” rather than filing a lawsuit.
Breaking: Republicans Won’t Sue But Will Take Case to Voters
In her statement, Titus revealed that Senate Republicans have decided against pursuing legal action despite what they view as clear constitutional violations. Instead, they’re choosing a different strategy.
Titus said in her announcement.
“We will not let this go unanswered. Voters deserve to know, and we will shine a light on these actions ahead of the next election—particularly for high-information nonpartisan voters who value fairness and transparency,”
The Midnight Ambush
Here’s how it went down. Sen. Ira Hansen, R-Sparks, stalled by calling for procedural recounts of votes and speaking for about 10 minutes to run out the clock. After it hit midnight, Titus and others argued that constitutionally no other business could occur.
The Republicans were trying to use every legal tool available to stop what they saw as an unfair power grab. They weren’t being obstructionists. They were defending basic principles of representation.
The eight GOP senators attempted to delay proceedings through several parliamentary motions until the constitutionally mandated end of session at midnight. Still, the changes to the commission were adopted.
What Critics Are Saying
Some Democrats actually agreed with the Republicans. Giunchigliani and Magnus, both Democrats, understood why Republicans were mad about the unequal representation in the legislative commission. Giunchigliani said it shouldn’t have been an issue. “You don’t bar their voices. What’s the purpose of that?” she said.
Even some on the Democratic side knew this was wrong. “So I can’t blame the Rs for arguing against that change. … Don’t be sneaky if you don’t have to,” said Chris Giunchigliani, a former Democratic assemblywoman.
The Bigger Picture
This fits a troubling pattern. Thirty percent of the active voters in Nevada are registered as Democrat while 29 percent are registered as Republican and yet 65 percent of Nevada lawmakers represent the Democratic Party.
How does a one-percent voter registration advantage turn into such a huge difference in representation? Republicans blame gerrymandering.
Republican Assemblyman Gregory Hafen said:
“The State of Nevada got an F, an F! Right now the demographics is a 3 percent voter registration advantage to Democrats. Three percent means you should have one or two or maybe three more Democrats in elected office in the Assembly, but right now we have a supermajority and that is all due to the way the redistricting lines were Gerrymandered,”
What Happened to Other Bills
The midnight drama killed several important bills. Republicans’ actions prevented the Senate from getting to discussions on Assembly Bill 238, a proposal that would have helped create the Summerlin Studios film campus by using tax incentives.
The 2025 Nevada Legislature wraps with drama, death of major bills. Three of Governor Joe Lombardo’s five signature bills also died because of the chaos.
But Republicans weren’t trying to kill good legislation. They were making a stand for fair representation. Sometimes you have to take a stand, even when it costs you.
What Conservatives Can Do
First, pay attention to your state legislature. Most people ignore state politics, but that’s where a lot of important decisions get made. Nevada shows what happens when one party gets too much power.
Second, support election reforms. Voter ID, fair redistricting, and transparent processes matter. Lombardo, a Republican, has once again called for requiring mail ballots to be received by Election Day in order to be counted, not up to four days after Election Day.
Third, vote in every election. The Democrats didn’t win through some massive popular uprising. They won through careful map-drawing and voter apathy. Despite receiving only 37.4% of the vote, far less than the 48.5% won by the Republican Party, Democrats won a majority of Nevada’s districts in the 2024 congressional elections.
Looking Ahead
Titus said she did not want the governor to call a special session, even though some good bills were not able to make it through. “Special sessions, in my mind, are for an emergency process,” she said in the early hours of Tuesday morning. “It costs the taxpayers money. It costs us all time.”
The Republicans showed they won’t roll over when their voices are being silenced. That’s exactly what we need more of in politics today. Sometimes standing up for principles means accepting short-term losses for long-term gains.
What happened in Nevada is a warning. When one party controls everything, they’ll use every trick to grab more power. The only way to stop it is to stay engaged, vote consistently, and support leaders who believe in fair play and limited government.
The midnight power grab in Carson City shows why we can never take our freedoms for granted. Democracy works best when both sides have a voice. Nevada Democrats forgot that lesson, but the Republicans made sure everyone noticed.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
