Roman historian Tacitus is quoted as saying, “The more numerous the laws, the more corrupt the government.”
Well, Nevada’s law book is thick. Real thick.
Not because Nevadans love rules. But because once government creates something, it almost never goes away.
Laws pile up. Boards multiply. Regulations linger long after the problem they were supposed to fix is gone.
That’s how you end up with a statute book full of rules nobody follows, nobody enforces, and nobody remembers passing.
So here’s a simple idea worth talking about: For every new law legislators want to pass, repeal two old ones first.
Not complicated. Not radical. Just responsible.
If lawmakers had to clean up old messes before making new ones, we’d get better laws and less government. Below are some obvious places to start.
Laws That Have Outlived Their Purpose
We still have pieces of Nevada law written for a world that doesn’t exist anymore.
There are remnants of old “blue laws” that tried to tell people when they could sell things on Sundays. Nevada moved on. The statutes didn’t.
There are rules for horse-drawn vehicles buried in state law. That made sense when wagons were on Main Street. Not so much now.
Some statutes still reference fax machines, microfilm, and paper-only filings, even though nearly everything else in state government is digital.
That’s not nostalgia. That’s clutter.
Boards, Committees, and Reports That Do Nothing
Nevada loves boards. And committees. And task forces.
Some exist only on paper. They don’t meet. They don’t regulate. They don’t enforce anything. But they still cost money to track, staff, and legally maintain.
The same goes for reporting requirements that force agencies to file multiple versions of the same report to different offices. That’s not transparency. That’s bureaucracy for bureaucracy’s sake.
If a board has no real authority and no measurable outcomes, it shouldn’t be permanent.
Criminal Laws That Shouldn’t Be Crimes
There are still minor, technical violations in Nevada law that carry criminal penalties.
Paperwork mistakes. Missed filings. Regulatory slip-ups.
Those shouldn’t put someone at risk of a criminal record. Civil fines exist for a reason. Criminal law should be reserved for real harm, not red tape.
Emergency Powers That Never Ended
Some emergency authorities created decades ago are still on the books with no expiration date.
Emergencies are supposed to be temporary. Permanent emergency powers are the opposite of limited government.
If lawmakers want to keep them, they should have to justify them. If not, they should sunset.
Duplicate Rules That Serve No One
Nevada sometimes copies federal regulations word for word, then enforces them separately.
That means more inspectors, more paperwork, and more confusion, without improving safety or outcomes.
If the federal government already handles it, Nevada doesn’t need a shadow version just to say it exists.
One-Time Laws That Never Went Away
Some statutes were passed for very specific situations. A program. A pilot project. A one-off event.
The event ended. The statute stayed.
That’s how government grows quietly. Not through big votes. Through neglect.
Why This Matters to Regular Nevadans
Every outdated law makes the system harder to understand. Every unnecessary regulation makes it easier for government to trip people up.
And every useless statute makes it harder to spot the laws that actually protect public safety and freedom.
A “two out, one in” rule forces lawmakers to slow down and think. Do we really need this? What can we clean up first?
That’s not anti-government. That’s responsible government.
Nevadans deserve laws that make sense, reflect reality, and respect the people who have to live under them. It’s time to start cleaning house.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
