The Racial Equity Report Card examines legislation introduced in the 75th session of the Nevada Legislature of 2009 that would have directly impacted Nevada’s communities of color. It also grades each chamber of the state legislature separately, as well as the Governor, on their responses to these bills.

Download this report (2.0 MB)

About this report

The report card evaluates four major areas of legislation: education equity, economic equity, civil rights, and health equity. Additionally, the last major section, institutional racism, reviews legislation that would have increased or exacerbated existing racial disparities. Each area of the report card provides background information, context, and data that details Nevada’s current reality, as well as discussing information about how the proposed legislation would have addressed persistent racial inequities.

Legislators’ grades are made up of two primary components: leadership and legislative votes. Ninety percent of legislators’ score came from their votes on legislation, with votes for racial equity legislation increasing their score and votes against decreasing their score. The last ten percent of the score comes from legislator’s leadership in sponsoring racial equity legislation. The Governor’s grade is determined by whether he signed racial equity legislation that crossed his desk or if he vetoed it.

Key sections of this report

Overall, the Assembly earned an “A+” for 100 percent support for racial equity bills, while the Senate received a “D+” for 67 percent support for racial equity bills. The Assembly passed ten of ten racial equity bills. The Senate passed six of nine racial equity bills, but also passed on bill that would have increased institutional racism in Nevada.

The Governor received an “F-” for signing only 43 percent of racial equity bills. The Governor vetoed five of seven racial equity bills that passed both chambers. While the legislature was able to override three of the five vetoes, the Governor’s decision to veto nearly two-thirds of the racial equity bills in this report card is the basis of his low grade on racial equity. Racial equity is a critical piece of our states welfare, yet was not reflected among the Governor’s priorities this session.

A total of six pieces of racial equity legislation became law. One bill in education equity, two bills in economic equity, and three bills in civil rights became law by the end of the session through a combination of gubernatorial signature, veto overrides, and inclusion in the budget.