The Opposition Never Tried to Win the Argument — They Just Ran Out the Clock.
It was a win that somehow turned into a loss.
On Thursday, June 18, the Nevada Supreme Court voted 6-0 to uphold the Protect Girls' Sports ballot initiative. The legal path was finally clear. The signature deadline was the following Wednesday, June 24. And then, one day later, Governor Joe Lombardo announced the whole thing was done.
No signatures submitted. No vote in November.
In a statement posted to X, Lombardo wrote:
“Nevadans overwhelmingly support protecting girls' sports and ensuring fair competition for female athletes. Unfortunately, the legal delays and uncertainty surrounding this case have made it impossible to complete the initiative process in time for the 2026 ballot.”
This fight is not over. pic.twitter.com/3oECYEP565
— Joe Lombardo (@JoeLombardoNV) June 19, 2026
He added:
“This fight is not over. Nevada's girls deserve a level playing field, and I will make sure they get it.”
A Timeline of Deliberate Delay
The Protect Girls' Sports PAC filed its petition with the Nevada Secretary of State in early January 2026. The goal was simple: gather at least 148,788 valid signatures across the state by June 24, put it before voters in November, and enshrine fairness in Nevada's constitution.
The opposition moved immediately.
On January 29, Sue Burtch, executive director of the Nevada chapter of the National Organization for Women, filed a lawsuit claiming the initiative's description was:
“deceptive, misleading, and fails to explain the ramifications of the proposed amendment.”
A Carson City District Court hearing was held on February 20.
Judge Jason Woodbury largely dismissed the challenge but ordered revised petition language — explicitly noting the measure would create an exemption to Nevada's 2022 Equal Rights Amendment.
No signatures had been collected yet at that point, according to Lombardo's campaign.
Opponents then appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court. With the petition language in legal limbo for months and the Supreme Court not ruling until June 18, organizers faced an impossible window.
That ruling came just six days before the deadline to submit nearly 150,000 signatures, with at least 37,197 required from each of Nevada's four congressional districts.
Do the math. Six days. Four congressional districts. Nearly 150,000 verified signatures. No amount of money fixes that calendar.
Answering the Critics on the Right
Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Victor Joecks, one of the most consistent conservative voices on this issue, posted on X that Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony and Republican activist Sarah Johnson:
“have had more success protecting Nevada's female athletes than @JosephMLombardo, despite the governor's power.”
He called it “odd” that Lombardo would propose the initiative, “but not ensure it made the ballot.” And he added that he doesn't find the “legal delays” excuse convincing.
With respect, those arguments don't hold up.
Start with “odd.” Legal challenges to ballot initiatives aren't odd. They're expected. They happen with virtually every significant initiative in Nevada, and beyond. The opposition files suit, the courts chew up the calendar, and organizers scramble. That's the playbook — not a surprise.
As for the “legal delays” excuse being unconvincing, what exactly was Lombardo supposed to do?
He has zero authority over the Nevada Supreme Court. He can't order judges to rule faster. He can't stop the opposition from filing lawsuits. The court didn't issue its ruling until six days before the signature deadline.
That's not an excuse. That's arithmetic.
Joecks seems simultaneously worried that Lombardo is vulnerable in November and willing to pile on him over this. That's a tough needle to thread. If the concern is conservative turnout, taking shots at the governor over something no governor could control isn't the way to generate it.
What the Left Is Saying
Attorney General Aaron Ford said Lombardo “lost what he called his ‘vote getter'” and that the governor's “abysmal first term” would cost him re-election.”
Ford is crowing about a legal strategy, not a policy argument. He's not saying the voters would have rejected this. He's saying they never got the chance to vote. That's not a victory for democracy — it's a confession.
Opposition attorney Bradley Schrager was even more candid, calling it “a cruel and absurd proposal” and claiming Lombardo “never had any intention of gathering signatures.“
One prominent left-leaning Nevada political commentator went further, declaring the whole episode proved Lombardo's re-election campaign was collapsing.
Don't hold your breath waiting for that same voice to criticize using lawsuits to prevent Nevadans from ever casting a vote.
What Comes Next
Lombardo isn't done.
He stated plainly:
“I plan to ask the Legislature to take up this issue next February, as it has broad bipartisan support. Female athletes deserve a permanent solution that protects female athletics. If lawmakers refuse to do the right thing, we will take the court-approved language directly to the voters in 2028.”
He would face steep opposition in a Democrat-controlled Legislature. But every Democrat who votes no goes on record. And those votes will matter in 2028.
If conservatives want to win this one, they need to start earlier. File the initiative. Hire the signature gatherers before the first lawsuit lands. Build a legal war chest that funds both the court fight and the petition drive simultaneously. Don't let the process be the poison.
Nevada's girls are still waiting for that level playing field. The fight isn't over. But the next campaign needs to move faster than the last one.
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.
