A new bill moving through the Nevada Legislature should have every taxpayer and voter concerned — no matter your politics.
Assembly Bill 420 (AB420) sounds harmless at first glance. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a dangerous mix of government overreach and unchecked power.
Let’s break it down.
Part One: Policing Schools and Political Timing
The first part of the bill requires Clark County school police to file reports whenever they use a stun gun or chemical spray (like pepper spray) on a student.
Those reports then trigger an investigation by the school board. The results must be posted online at least 30 days before a general election.
That might sound like a good idea at first — who doesn’t want transparency?
But here’s the issue: why is this tied to the election calendar? Why does the public need to see these investigations specifically before voters go to the polls?
It’s not hard to imagine how this could be misused.
A single high-profile school incident, posted just in time for the election, could be used to stir emotions and shift public opinion. This opens the door to politicizing school safety and using kids’ worst moments for political gain.
And let’s not forget — this only applies to Clark County, the most populous and politically important county in Nevada. That’s no coincidence.
But as questionable as that section is, the second part of the bill is even worse.
Part Two: A Blank Check for the Secretary of State
AB420 also creates something called the “Voter Access Grant Program.” Sounds nice, right?
But what this really does is give the Secretary of State the power to hand out election-related money to local governments — with virtually no guardrails.
According to the bill, these grants can be used for almost anything:
- Buying or maintaining election equipment
- Paying staff who run elections
- “Voter education and outreach”
- Or — and here’s the kicker — “any other project, program or expense that the Secretary of State determines to be eligible”
That last part is the real problem.
This bill gives one person — the Secretary of State — the authority to decide who gets money and how much.
There’s no independent board. No outside review. No real limits on how the funds can be used. No public hearing or vote.
And the Secretary of State can even accept donations from private groups to fund the program.
That means big-money special interests — even ones from out of state — could fund “voter access” grants that just happen to support their favorite causes or candidates.
It’s a political slush fund, plain and simple.
Who Benefits?
You don’t have to look far to see how this could go off the rails.
Nevada is full of left-leaning nonprofit groups that do “voter education and outreach” — but only to certain neighborhoods and with clear political leanings.
Imagine this: a progressive nonprofit that registers voters and “educates” them about “voter suppression” and “threats to democracy” gets a big grant.
Meanwhile, rural counties or conservative-leaning communities get passed over.
There’s no transparency built into the process. No requirement to balance funding across political lines. No rule that keeps the Secretary of State from picking winners and losers based on their politics.
What Critics Are Saying
Supporters of AB420 claim the bill is about safety and access. They say it will help prevent excessive force in schools and make voting easier for everyone.
But critics aren’t buying it.
“This bill is a perfect setup for government waste, fraud, and abuse,” said one opponent. “There’s no check on the Secretary of State’s decisions. There’s no oversight. This is ripe for corruption.”
They’re right.
We’ve already seen how private funding of election offices — like the infamous “Zuckerbucks” in 2020 — created major controversy in other states. This is the same playbook, just with a local twist.
The Bottom Line
AB420 isn’t about transparency. It’s about control.
It hands power to the Secretary of State with no strings attached. It opens the door for politically motivated spending in our elections. And it does it all under the friendly label of “access.”
Nevadans deserve better. We need election rules that are fair, neutral, and accountable — not political games disguised as reform.
Tell your legislators: Vote NO on AB420.
Sources:
Nevada Legislature – AB420 Text
Nevada Revised Statutes Chapters 225 & 391
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
