One race in the upcoming 2024 elections, for Nevada State Senate District 15, could be pivotal in bringing about new gun regulations in the state, as it could lead to a Democratic supermajority.
Former Washoe County School District Board of Trustees and current Assemblywoman for District 27 in Reno, Democrat Angie Taylor is running for the State Senate in District 15. Her opponent is Republican Mike Ginsburg, who has worked at NV Energy for the past 39 years and previously chaired the City of Reno Parks and Recreation Commission.
Democrats currently hold 13 out of 21 Senate seats — one shy of a two-thirds supermajority, and need to flip just one seat to get to that. District 15 was previously held by Republican State Senator Heidi Seevers Gansert who opted not to run for re-election, in a district which has been redrawn in a way which is now favoring Democrats.
The District 15 map.
With a supermajority, Democrats would have enough votes to override any veto by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, dramatically changing the dynamics in Carson City.
Gov. Lombardo vetoed many Democratic sponsored bills in the last legislative session including bill AB355, favored by Taylor, which sought to raise the legal age of possession of certain firearms from 18 to 21.
Bill AB355 would have made it a gross misdemeanor for a person under 21 to possess or control a semiautomatic shotgun. It would have also revised provisions related to the storage of firearms, requiring that rifles and shotguns be unloaded and stored in a securely locked container when not in use.
During the session, Gov. Lombardo also vetoed Senate Bill 171 which would have prohibited people convicted of hate crimes from possessing a firearm, and Assembly Bill 354 which would have prohibited bringing a gun to a voting place.
Efforts to boost legislation concerning guns is a deeply divisive issue in the Silver State.
Tony Danza, a student at Truckee Meadows Community College believes that gun restrictions should be made and chosen by gun owners themselves.
“If you could go die for your country [then] why can’t you protect your country in the states?” he asked when interviewed.
Glenn Fant, originally from Texas, and a Nevada resident for the past year, believes that current gun regulations shouldn’t be changed unless necessary.
He doesn’t support gun restrictions at polling locations because he says he believes it would create a problem that’s not already there.
“If you can walk into Walmart and have a gun you should be able to go anywhere with a gun, concealed and not in your hand,” he said.
Jennifer Decastro is a 35-year-old undergrad psychology major at University of Nevada, Reno with mixed feelings on gun legislation. She’s had a concealed carry permit the entire time she has been a Nevada resident, and carries it with her everywhere because she believes it makes her feel safer as a trans woman. Still, she believes attempts to reduce school shootings should be looked into.
“I think that there’s something that needs to be done about gun violence and I think that specific law would be pretty effective in fighting a lot of school shootings, which is obviously terrible and everyone wants to stop,” she said.
In an interview with NevadaVote, Angie Taylor defended her previous support for AB355 saying it could prevent more school shootings.
“I think all those things can help in being a deterrent,” she said. “If you can’t get a hold of an assault rifle, for example, then you can’t show up at a school with one, right?”
When asked for a comment, Mike Ginsburg’s team declined to make one, but in a previous media statement the Republican candidate said he supports Gov. Lombardo’s decision to veto that bill, now very much back in play.