Grandma always said, “Get out of the kitchen if you can’t stand the heat.” But what happens when the whole state’s turned into a roaring oven and there ain’t no door to run through?
That’s the question Nevada lawmakers are wrestling with as they take a gander at Assembly Bill 96—which would require the two most populous counties in the state to start planning for extreme heat before the sun bakes folks like yesterday’s cornbread.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of strolling through Las Vegas or Reno in the summer, you know it ain’t a cool mountain breeze. These cities are heating up faster than a two-dollar skillet on a campfire, and last year alone, Clark County saw 526 heat-related deaths—a mighty jump from the 294 recorded in 2023.
More folks are keeling over from the heat than from traffic accidents. That got lawmakers thinking–if we throw millions at keeping folks from crashing into each other, maybe we ought to spare a nickel to keep them from dropping dead on the sidewalk.
The bill, backed by Assemblymember Venise Karris, would make Clark and Washoe counties include “heat mitigation” plans in their development blueprints. That means more shady spots, cooling stations, and less asphalt that soaks up heat like a blacksmith’s anvil. Other cities in the Southwest, like Phoenix, already have fancy offices dedicated to keeping people from frying like eggs on Main Street.
Of course, not everyone is keen on the idea. Governor Joe Lombardo put the kibosh on a similar bill in 2023, claiming there wasn’t enough evidence that all this development was to blame for the rising temperatures.
Never mind the U.S. Geological Survey, which found nearly half of Las Vegas covered in heat-absorbing roads, buildings, and sidewalks, or the study that showed trees—yes, trees—can cool the air by nearly 45 degrees in certain parts of town.
Despite the evidence, the bill still has a few hills to climb before it sees daylight.
The Old Blog in the Desert 