Gov. Brian Sandoval has vetoed seven bills approved by the 2017 Legislature including two that reversed policies enacted by the 2015 session and one designed to get old and sick inmates out of the prison system.
He vetoed both Assembly Bill 154 and AB271 saying they reverse bipartisan compromises reached during the 2015 Legislature.
AB154 would’ve required contractors building new schools to pay the full prevailing wage to workers. That reversed the 2015 law cutting school construction to 90 percent of prevailing wage. Sandoval said that compromise was intended to help stretch “scarce school construction dollars as far as possible while making sure that taxpayers were protected from above market construction costs.”
“There is no superseding change today that justifies the rollback of this compromise,” he wrote.
AB271, Sandoval said, reverses 2015 legislation that has “overwhelming bipartisan support” and enacted reasonable reforms to public sector collective bargaining.
Senate Bill 140 was approved to expand the number and types of inmates who can be released to residential confinement. It was aimed at getting old and infirm inmates who are no longer considered a risk to society out of the prisons and into much cheaper confinement in the community.
But Sandoval wrote while that’s a noble goal, “it poses risks that are not justified.”
He wrote age alone isn’t a compelling reason to release inmates. He said those decisions should be made by the Pardons Board.
He also vetoed AB438, a measure reducing the sentences of certain persons convicted of drug crimes saying the bill would increase the likelihood of reduced or suspended sentences for drug offenders who sell or manufacture drugs including heroin, LSD and ecstasy. He said the bill would also decrease penalties for those who possess, sell or make “date rape” drugs.
Also vetoed was AB445, which made changes to transportation network companies. Specifically, he objected to reducing the $1.5 million insurance policy now required for companies such as Uber and Lyft to $1 million.