The "Christmas Tree" Bills: $110 Million to Political Insiders
In the final hours of the 2023 legislative session, Nevada lawmakers passed bills directing $110 million to nonprofits and groups—some with direct connections to the legislators who voted for them.
In the final hours of Nevada's 2023 legislative session, lawmakers passed what critics call "Christmas tree" bills—legislation loaded with funding for nonprofits and community groups. The total: $110 million. Some recipients had direct connections to the legislators who cast votes.
What Happened
As the 2023 session wound down, last-minute amendments were added to bills, directing millions in taxpayer money to various organizations:
- $110 million total in the package
- Recipients included nonprofits, community groups, and other organizations
- Some recipients had connections to sitting legislators
- Amendments were added with little public scrutiny
The phrase "Christmas tree bill" comes from the practice of hanging ornaments (funding earmarks) on legislation like decorations on a tree.
The Controversy
Campaign attacks leading up to the 2024 election centered on a "culture of corruption" in Carson City. A pro-Governor Lombardo PAC popularized the phrase, citing:
- The Christmas tree bills
- Lack of transparency in the amendment process
- The Legislature's exemption from open meeting and public records laws
- Self-dealing by individual legislators
How It Works
The process that enabled these appropriations:
- A bill moves through the legislative process
- In the final hours before adjournment, amendments are added
- These amendments direct funding to specific organizations
- The full legislature votes, often with minimal review time
- Money flows to recipients, some connected to legislators
Because the amendments come so late, public scrutiny is limited. Media and watchdog groups have little time to analyze the recipients or their connections.
The Missing Transparency
Nevada's Legislature operates with less transparency than most government bodies:
- Exempt from Nevada's open meeting law
- Exempt from public records requirements
- Debates often happen "behind the bar" in closed-door meetings
- No requirement for bill language to be available 72 hours before votes
This means legislators can negotiate funding deals in private, add them to bills at the last minute, and vote before anyone knows what happened.
Reform Attempts Failed
In the 2025 legislative session, a resolution was introduced that would have:
- Subjected the Legislature to Nevada's open meeting law
- Required bill language available 72 hours before votes
- Created an enforcement commission for ethics violations
The resolution died without receiving a hearing.
The Pattern
Christmas tree bills aren't new in Nevada or elsewhere. But the 2023 session's $110 million package—and the subsequent scandals involving individual legislators—brought renewed attention to a system that operates in the shadows.