Days after legislative Democrats released their biennial list of policy priorities called the Nevada Blueprint, Assembly Republicans unveiled their answer to the document — a seven-page booklet called “Battle Born Priorities.”

Assembly Republicans are in a particularly difficult position this session as members of a superminority (13 out of 42) without the leverage to stop even bills that require a two-thirds majority. At a press conference on Thursday, they acknowledged their political disadvantage but noted caucus members represent close to 1 million Nevadans and said they want to ensure their voices are heard.

“We saw a blueprint rolled out the other day and I think when you look at the headings … we all want the same thing,” said Assembly Republican Leader Jim Wheeler. “We want a prosperous Nevada. How we get there is a difference. So it's going to take some negotiations. It's going to take actually talking about things. It's going to take looking back and seeing what's worked, especially since the recession.”

Caucus members noted they have 115 bills this session, including 26 under the umbrella of the “government efficiency and accountability” priority, 20 on “education opportunity and workforce development,” 19 on “mental health and public health” and 34 in the “public safety” category.

Individual lawmakers highlighted a few of the initiatives, including a measure to remove the statute of limitations on sexual assault, a bill that requires all public schools provide education on America’s foundations — including the Bill of Rights and the Federalist Papers — and allowing concealed carry weapons permit holders to bring their weapons on college campuses in certain cases.

Wheeler also spoke out against policies that he said would “take us in the wrong direction,” such as Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak’s proposal to extend collective bargaining to state employees.

“I'm sure every single state employee, for instance, would rather have the money we're going to spend on collective bargaining, go into their paychecks than to the union,” he said.

Asked whether Democrats who control the Legislature have been working with Republicans even though their supermajority means they don’t have to, Wheeler said it was too early in the session to really tell.

“I'm not going to say there's no cooperation cause there's nothing to cooperate on yet. And I'm not going to say there is great cooperation because there's nothing to elaborate on, or very little,” he said. “The discussions we've had with the other side, they tell us that they want to be a little more nonpartisan this year. They want to get our input on things. I'm sure they don't want to send everything over to the governor's strictly on a party line vote.”

Nevada Assembly Republican Priorities 2019 by Michelle Rindels on Scribd