Nevada members: Let Gov. Lombardo know he should sign rail safety bill!

SMART-TD’s State Legislative Director (SLD) in Nevada, Jason Doering has done his part for the freight rail members in his state, and now is the time that all of us need to get in the fight with him to get AB 456 across the finish line!

Nevada is a state with more than its fair share of freight rail traffic and is home to UP rail lines. If everything goes as planned, they will also soon have high-speed rail in the mix as steps are being taken by the Brightline Railroad to start a direct line from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

That being said, rail is an important and ever-growing part of the Nevada economy. Just like other portions of the US, PSR’s long trains, habitually blocked crossings and “Safety 4th” mentality are putting Nevada’s communities at more risk of becoming the next East Palestine, Ohio, every day.

Luckily for SMART members and Nevadans alike, Brother Doering has been successful in his fight to push back against the railroad’s corporate greed in his state. Not only has Brother Doering and his legislative board succeeded in getting two-person crew legislation passed in Carson City in 2019, but now legislators have passed legislation known as Assembly Bill 456, which aims to limit train length to 7,500 feet, regulate the use, standards, and adherence to wayside defect detectors on all the rail lines in the state, and also dictate the railroad’s behavior surrounding blocked crossings that inhibit access to communities for EMS workers.

The legislation that SLD Doering has pushed through Nevada’s Legislature stands to revolutionize the rail industry in the state and make operations safer for the public. AB 456 has one step left between Nevadans’ increased safety and reality: the signature of Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo.

This is where our membership needs to play a role. We need all SMART members to let their voices be heard in the halls of the capitol by letting Gov. Lombardo know where you stand on rail safety. It is SMART’s belief and that of Nevadans that rail safety is not and should not be a partisan issue. We need the governor to hear from us.

As AB 456 awaits Lombardo’s signature in Carson City, SMART needs our members to speak our truth — that public safety and common sense absolutely need to outweigh everything else.

Brother Doering and Nevada Assemblyman Max Carter (Dist. 12) the bill’s sponsor, have done amazingly well pushing this historic bill through the legislative process. We CANNOT afford for this effort to be wasted and time is of the essence!

Please use the SMART Legislative Action Center to urge Gov. Lombardo to put the safety of Nevadans FIRST, and sign AB 456 into law.