Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) ended the previous administration’s coronavirus-era mandates and called on state leaders to address the state workforce vacancies in his first two executive orders issued on Friday.
Lombardo’s first executive order was “Executive Order 2023 – 001: Order Rescinding All COVID-19 Era Declarations, Executive Orders and Emergency Directives.”
Today, I signed my first 2 executive orders.
1. I repealed and rescinded the COVID mandates from the previous administration.
2. I called on state leadership to address state workforce vacancies and get state workers back to in person, normal office operations by July 1. pic.twitter.com/eAPeY5HH2f
— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) January 7, 2023
As Lombardo’s office explained:
The number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are significantly down from their peaks, vaccinations and treatments are widely available, and many Nevadans have built up natural immunity.
Therefore, this executive order repeals and rescinds any remaining COVID-19 era declarations, executive orders and emergency directives.
For his second executive action, Lombardo issued an order that “called on state leadership to address state workforce vacancies and get state workers back to in person, normal office operations by July 1,” he explained.
Lombardo’s second executive order was titled:
Executive Order 2023 – 002: Order directing the Department of Administration to review and make recommendations with respect to hiring, retention and promotional rules and procedures related to state employment and to work with executive branch agencies to transition the state workforce to pre-pandemic, normal and customary office operations by July 1, 2023.
The workforce vacancy executive order comes amid a reported 24 percent workforce vacancy rate in the Nevada state government, according to Lombardo’s office.
Further, many state agencies have not returned to the office since the pandemic, which inhibits the state’s ability “to serve Nevadans efficiently and effectively,” Lombardo’s office explained.
The second executive order also “calls on the Department of Administration to immediately begin working with all state agencies to develop a plan to ensure that the state workers return to pre-pandemic, normal and customary office operations by July 1, 2023.”
Lombardo was sworn into office earlier this week in Carson City after defeating former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) in the November election.
