CARSON CITY, NV – Today, Governor Joe Lombardo proposed utilizing unallocated federal COVID relief funds to prevent hundreds of Nevada school children from being kicked off their Opportunity Scholarships.

“I have been fighting for these children since I took office,” said Governor Joe Lombardo. “The Democrats in the Legislature refused to fund these scholarships, and the result is that unless we take action now, these children will be forced out of their schools for the upcoming school year. It’s unacceptable to me to let that happen.”

The Governor’s Finance Office today submitted a 15-day, expeditious work program to the Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee to approve or reject, which would allow children on Opportunity Scholarships to remain in their schools by utilizing unallocated COVID relief funds to provide scholarship funding that Legislative Democrats refused to provide during the session.

“Utilizing these funds in this way is fully compliant with the final federal rules and is consistent with how these funds were allocated under the prior administration,” said Amy Stephenson, the Director of the Governor’s Finance Office.

Under the State Budget Act, when the Governor requests the submission of the 15-day, expedited work program, the Interim Finance Committee has 15 days to take action or it is deemed approved.