Legislature strikes special session deal, advances last budget bill

A bipartisan group of lawmakers voted late June 6 to approve the last of the state’s five budget bills in an emergency special session, sending the measure to Gov. Joe Lombardo as the final piece in a budget deal that crumbled at the 11th hour of the regular session. After Senate Republicans blocked passage of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) bill Monday night, a termed-out Sen. Scott Hammond (R-Las Vegas) reversed course Tuesday, supporting the measure across the legislative finish line and sending it to Lombardo’s desk less than one day after the regular session ended. The special session Tuesday lasted less than two hours.