Sisolak to talk recovery in off-year state-of-state speech

CARSON CITY — Gov. Steve Sisolak plans to deliver an off-year state of the state address next week, laying out a roadmap for Nevada’s much-anticipated full recovery from the COVID pandemic and providing more details on how the state will spend billions in federal pandemic assistance.

The governor will deliver remarks in a livestream-only address in Las Vegas Wednesday, communications director Meghin Delaney said. Sisolak, a Democrat facing re-election this year, will “lay out his vision for the year ahead” and announce additional investments of the $2.7 billion in general aid the state received last year under the federal American Rescue Plan, she said.

Governors are required under the state Constitution to “communicate by message to the Legislature” ahead of each regular session, which come in odd years. That message has come to be known as the state of the state address. Nothing prevents the governor from making a similar speech at other times.

The governor “felt compelled” to give the speech now, Delaney said, as the state “continues to recover from the pandemic” and moves ahead with investing the federal funds. The governor also wants to “set the stage” for the proposed two-year state budget he will submit prior to 2023 legislative session, she said.

The governor will submit a proposed budget regardless of the election outcome in November, though his possible successor could modify it if he loses his bid for re-election.

Nevada has received a total of $6.7 billion in pandemic relief assistance.

The state in December allocated $30 million in American Rescue Funds to nonprofits throughout the state, announcing first recipients and approving millions more last week. The state’s Nevada Recovers website has details.