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Nevada’s Right to Contraception Act Passes with Bipartisan Supermajority
At a time when so much of our politics is focused on division and what a politician is against, Nevada’s Right to Contraception Act shows what is possible when leaders work together.
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Republican and Democratic leadership in the state legislature co-sponsored a simple bill to protect a basic freedom overwhelmingly supported by Nevada voters but increasingly being threatened by extreme groups around the country.
The bill protects the right to basic contraception—the pill, IUDs, condoms—and generated strong grassroots support from parents, pastors, military, and men and women alike. The result was a bill that passed with a bipartisan, veto-proof majority.
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9-in-10 Nevada families rely on contraception to plan their families in their lifetime.
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Contraception allows parents to wait to have children until they are ready—emotionally and financially. It means military families can plan pregnancies around deployments. And it ensures more children are raised by married parents who bring them into the world at a time when they can provide the most nurturing care.
Why Nevada Needs to Guarantee the Right the Contraception
The right to contraception has been a freedom Americans have enjoyed for generations. Nearly all adults will use contraception at some point in their life, and it’s become a necessary and popular part of everyday family life.
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Despite this reality, extreme politicians and a few activist judges have begun introducing bills and rulings targeted at basic contraception. Legislation has been introduced at the federal level and in 10 states to take basic contraception away, and activist judges have specifically targeted the right to contraception as a new legal battleground post-Roe.
But unfortunately, Nevadans need look no farther than our own Governor’s mansion for proof of the threat. Despite the bill’s co-sponsorship by Republican Leadership and the supermajority support—Governor Lombardo vetoed the bill.
Lombardo knew that the bill had the overwhelming support of Nevada citizens, passed with a veto-proof majority, and that his veto will be overridden. His veto came in the final hour, on a Friday night with no explanation (and as a surprise to his Republican colleagues and even his staff).
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Whether his veto was because he did not understand the bill or was just an effort to pander to an extreme minority, his effort to take away the right to contraception shows why this bill is so important.
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The right to contraception has been a freedom Americans have enjoyed for generations. Nearly all adults will use contraception at some point in their life, and it’s become a necessary and popular part of everyday family life.
What Comes Next in Nevada
Because of Nevada’s legislative calendar, it will be a number of months before the legislature reconvenes for a regular session when bipartisan supermajority will vote to override Governor Lombardo's veto. The Governor has the power to allow a vote on this bill during a special session he calls. But even if he drags things out, the Right to Contraception will become law.
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The best option is for the Governor to soften his heart. He should at least meet with faith leaders and his own Republican leadership who sponsored the Right to Contraception Act and can explain what it does.
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Evangelical and Mormon men and women played a key role in ensuring this bill passed with bipartisan support. And they have a prayer petition expressing their hope that Gov. Lombardo will seek understanding instead of division on this issue.
What’s In the “Right to Contraception Act”
Unlike a lot of complicated bills, this one is simple and focuses on what we agree on. That is why state Republican leaders joined Democrats in sponsoring and voting for it.
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The bill is focused only on contraception, and guarantees a right no one ever thought we'd need to defend. This is basic healthcare that most Nevada families use and many women use for health reasons not related to pregnancy prevention.
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On March 22, 2023, Nevada State Legislators Torres, Peters, Gorelow, and Gonzalez introduced AB383, also known as the Right to Contraception Act.
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The bill’s plain language guarantees every Nevadan’s right to basic contraception that prevents pregnancy and prenatal care that reduces the chance of complications in pregnancy. This common-sense guarantee protects the freedoms Nevadans have enjoyed for generations—including access to birth control pills, condoms, screenings, ultrasounds. However, this bill does not give the right to abortion.