Despite past concerns of Nevada governor Joe Lombardo and Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association executive director Timothy Jackson regarding regulation of high school lacrosse in the state, it appears the sport is on its way to becoming sanctioned.
As reported by CBS affiliate KTVN in Reno, Senate Bill 305 passed unanimously out of both the senate and assembly floors.
Despite past concerns of Nevada governor Joe Lombardo and Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association executive director Timothy Jackson regarding regulation of high school lacrosse in the state, it appears the sport is on its way to becoming sanctioned.
As reported by CBS affiliate KTVN in Reno, Senate Bill 305 passed unanimously out of both the senate and assembly floors.
Lombardo said he supports sanctioning the sport, but the decision to veto the legislation came down to policy concerns.
"Unfortunately, despite the broad support and good intentions behind SB 305, I cannot support the bill in its final form," Lombardo said in a veto statement. "After the bill had already been heard in committee twice and was being prepared for a floor vote, a last-minute amendment introduced Section 2.7, creating a new subcommittee with broad and controversial oversight powers."
Specifically those portions he didn't like included:
- Section 2.7(3) authorizes the subcommittee to “review interscholastic activities and events and competitions in this State to ensure compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.”
- Section 2.7(7) permits the subcommittee to advise the Attorney General if it believes any rule or policy “encroaches on the sovereignty” of the state with regard to interscholastic activities.Back in March, during the bill's first hearing in the Senate Committee on Education, the NIAA opposed the legislation.
In March, during the bill's first hearing in the Senate Committee on Education, the the NIAA opposed the legislation.
Jackson said in an opposition letter, "Ceding this authority to legislative bodies would set a dangerous precedent that could undermine the stability and effectiveness of high school athletics in Nevada."
Jackson said in the letter that he feels the responsibility for sanctioning a sport should fall on the NIAA since it knows the time and effort it takes to properly do soSanctioning lacrosse would require the NIAA to create rules and regulations for the sport to be played at high schools.
Right now, lacrosse is a club sport.
State Senator Fabian Doñate (D - Las Vegas), one of the bill's sponsors, says he feels the popularity and demand for the legislation is what made the NIAA ultimately sanction the sport after the bill was vetoed.
"We still see this as s win because obviously from the very beginning we heard from many voices that were left behind and forgotten and so, as part of the political process we wanted to ensure that family and children get heard and fortunately we were able to achieve that," he said. "Whether SB305 was signed or not we still believe that we were successful and we are looking forward to ensuring that students can participate in Lacrosse."
The NIAA says it will hold an emergency board of control meeting in August to seek approval.
