Nevada lawmakers just took an action never before seen in state history. For the first time since Nevada became a state in 1864, members of the Legislature invoked the constitutional petition power in Article 4, Section 2A to convene a special session.
They reached the required two-thirds support, and a petition was transmitted to the Secretary of State stating that the Legislature “does hereby convene a special session” to begin “on or after November 13, 2025.”
That date — November 13 — is the same day Gov. Joe Lombardo’s special session began.
What Lawmakers Added: A Corporate Housing Bill
The petition specifies that lawmakers are adding new business to deal with what they describe as “matters relating to real property.” That includes proposed legislation to restrict large corporate entities from purchasing too many residential homes in a single year, require registration of corporate homebuyers, and block the recording of deeds unless corporations prove they are properly registered.
This topic was not included in Lombardo’s proclamation.
It is entirely new business, added through the petition.
Supporters argue corporate housing ownership has distorted Nevada’s market and harmed ordinary families. But the method they used to advance this bill is legally untested.
The Hansens Made It Possible
Democrats alone could not meet the two-thirds threshold required to invoke Article 4, Section 2A. They needed two Republicans to make history.
Those two signatures came from Sen. Ira Hansen and Assemblywoman Alexis Hansen, a husband-and-wife pair representing Sparks. Their support pushed the petition over the constitutional line and formally triggered the process.
With their signatures, this is now the first legislative-initiated special session in state history… or something.
A Retroactive Session? That’s Where the Trouble Starts
While the petition is real and the signatures valid, the way lawmakers deployed the power is raising eyebrows among constitutional experts. Nevada’s Constitution says lawmakers may call their own special session, and it must set a date on or before which the Legislature “is to convene.”
But nothing in the Constitution allows lawmakers to:
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call a session retroactively,
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declare that it began in the past,
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or attach new business to an existing gubernatorial special session.
Yet the petition claims the Legislature’s independently convened special session began on November 13, the same day Lombardo’s session opened — meaning, according to the document, it began last week.
This forces the Secretary of State to issue a notice informing lawmakers and the Governor that a session is convening… in the past. That alone makes the process legally awkward.
Why the Backdating May Not Hold Up
Nevada’s constitutional structure draws a bright line:
The Governor calls a special session. Or the Legislature calls one. Not both on the same day. And not in the past.
Article 4, Section 2A does not authorize lawmakers to expand a Governor-called session or merge separate special sessions by manipulating dates. A legislative-initiated special session is supposed to be independent and prospective, not retroactively attached like a rider.
Because the petition attempts to backdate its own convening date, any bill advanced under that session — including the corporate housing restrictions — may face legal challenges the moment lawmakers try to move it.
The petition uses constitutional language correctly, but the execution does not match the plain meaning of the Constitution’s timing and notice requirements.
Where This Leaves Lombardo
This episode comes at a politically sensitive moment. Lombardo has spent the last year emphasizing that his administration — not former Attorney General Aaron Ford — restored Nevada’s credibility with federal partners and avoided sanctuary-style policy fights. Now, Democratic leadership, with the help of two Republicans, is attempting to shoehorn new policy into a session Lombardo did not authorize.
If courts strike down the petition, the added legislation collapses.
If the petition stands, Nevada will have created a precedent that blurs the separation of powers every special session relies on.
Either way, the Governor did not create this situation.
But he will almost certainly have to respond to it.
Read the full petition: petition-of-the-members-of-the-legislature-to-convene-a-special-session-111825 (2)
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.
