The state canceled the SMART 21 project despite employees believing key parts were months away from completion. Now the project will restart, and the state has spent more than $160 million for that effort.

Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office is looking to allocate $25 million to fund a program requiring state government agencies develop “language access plans” that explain state services and functions to non-English speakers. 

The proposal could lower the amount of money that will need to be funded by institutions and potentially averting — at least in part — a crisis higher education officials have warned could necessitate higher student fees or risk budget cuts.

The shortfall would leave the state unable to fund compensation claims for crime victims, legislative fiscal staff told lawmakers, adding that it could even mean the state is unable to qualify for additional federal funding used to support victims.

“I have major concerns that we're going to have to send money back, and that's just unacceptable,” Monroe-Moreno said.

In 2023, in spite of Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo’s fierce criticism of the Steve Sisolak administration on the campaign trail, he kept even more. Ten out of the 17 cabinet appointments announced by Lombardo Friday were Sisolak holdovers