Is Gov. Joe Lombardo seeking to change Nevada’s public school restorative justice law?

The Nevada Legislature in 2019 passed AB168, referred to as the public school restorative justice law; it passed with only one “no” vote in both houses. In his State of the State address, Lombardo proposed that lawmakers "repeal the most onerous sections of the law" and replace them.

Before AB168, a student would have been expelled or suspended after committing bodily injury to a school employee or distributing controlled substances, and could have been for habitual disciplinary problems. Under AB168, before expelling a student, schools are required to provide a plan of action based on restorative justice, which focuses on mediation and agreement rather than punishment. The law also requires school board review for all student suspensions and expulsions.

Nevada’s largest teachers’ union raised concerns about the law before passage and has urged amending it.