Skip to content

Monday, Sep 14, 2026

Did Gov. Joe Lombardo write a ‘blank check’ to data centers?

Tabitha Mueller, The Nevada Independent
no

Nevada’s government provided more than $240 million in sales and use tax breaks for data centers under Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) and his predecessor, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D), in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. 

But Lombardo did not establish the data center tax break program, which passed in 2015 and was supported by Democrats and Republicans, including Attorney General Aaron Ford (D), who co-sponsored the legislation when he was Senate majority leader.

Those tax breaks also specifically refer to foregone tax revenue via abatements, not cash handed over by the government, making a “blank check” metaphor politically resonant but false. 

The 2015 legislation gave data centers tax breaks, meaning the state could theoretically receive less tax revenue than it otherwise would have, but it did not pay data centers directly.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.

See all fact briefs

The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.

Learn More

Latest Fact Briefs

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.