Kings of Nevada

UNLV guard

EJ Harkless (55) puts up a shot over UNR forward Nick Davidson during the second half of their game January 28 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Harkless battled through a tough shooting night to nish with a game-high 18 points, scoring several crucial baskets down the stretch and notching eight of his points in the nal six minutes of a 68-62 win. UNLV will host Fresno State February 3 at 8 p.m. (Steve Marcus/ Sta )

Should noncitizens protect and serve?

A proposal aimed at addressing personnel shortages among police departments in Nevada is poised to have an uphill battle, with Gov. Joe Lombardo signaling that he may be opposed to the proposal.

Assembly Bill 30 aims to remove the requirement that police o cers must be a U.S. citizen and would permit law enforcement agencies throughout Nevada to hire anyone legally authorized to work in the country.

The purpose of the bill is to address the “dire” need for cops after other recruiting methods failed to adequately remedy sta ng shortages plaguing departments nationwide, and would expand the hiring pool for new recruits significantly, said Jared Luke, government a airs and eco- nomic development director for North Las Vegas.

The city was responsible for submitting the draft to Carson City ahead of the February 6 legislative session.

Elizabeth Ray, communications director for Lombardo, said the former Clark County sheri isn’t supportive of the proposal but that could change once he reads the bill.

Whether the bill would pick up support in the Legislature is uncertain, too. Leonel Villalobos, the executive director for the Nevada Assembly Democratic Caucus, said leadership in his conference also has yet to see the bill and deferred comment on it until it’s referred to a committee.

–Casey Harrison

By The Numbers

That’s how far the point spread for this year’s Super Bowl swung in a matter of hours. The Kansas City Chiefs opened as 1.5-point favorites against the Philadelphia Eagles in several online sportsbooks before settling in as 1.5-point underdogs. The NFL will crown its champion February 12 in Glendale, Arizona.