Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Nevada criminal justice bill clears Assembly committee

CARSON CITY — A sprawling criminal justice reform bill that seeks to curb Nevada's expanding prison population cleared its first legislative hurdle.

The omnibus legislation passed out of the Assembly Judiciary committee in a party-line vote Tuesday.

The committee approved an amended bill that in part rolls back an effort in the original bill to lessen jail time for certain crimes. The amended bill, for example, would lower the monetary threshold for filing a felony theft charge from $2,000 to $1,200.

Democratic Assemblyman Steve Yeager chairs the committee and says the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the state Attorney General's office are neutral on the legislation.

All five Republican lawmakers on the Assembly committee voted against moving the measure forward.