State Watch: Governors Sign Bills in Alabama and Nevada

Two separate state-level legislative actions occurred in different states and time periods. In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey signed special election bills on or before May 8, 2026, according to her office, as a contingency measure in case courts lift injunctions currently blocking previously enacted congressional and state senate maps. In Nevada, Gov. Joe Lombardo signed 13 bills into law following a special legislative session, as reported by the Las Vegas Sun on December 2, 2025. In Alabama, the bills were designed to prepare the state for a scenario in which court injunctions against the 2023 congressional map and 2021 state senate map are lifted, which would allow those Legislature-drawn maps to take effect again. Regardless of the outcome of the redistricting litigation, the state's May 19, 2026 primary election was set to proceed on schedule. In Nevada, one of the 13 signed measures, Assembly Bill 4—called the 'Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act'—increases criminal penalties for smash-and-grab robberies, assault and battery against hospitality workers, and DUIs resulting in death, and revives a specialized court program for handling criminal cases on the Las Vegas Strip. The Nevada bills collectively addressed public safety, health care access, cybersecurity, and school zone safety. The two reports describe distinct, unrelated actions in different states with no shared timeline or subject matter. In Alabama, the outcome of the redistricting court cases—and whether the injunctions will be lifted—remained unresolved at the time of reporting. In Nevada, no further legislative action was indicated beyond the governor's signing of the 13 bills; implementation timelines for the new penalties and programs were not detailed in available reporting.