Las Vegas Sun
he Nevada Supreme Court on Monday ruled that six citizens who filed three ballot initiative petitions in 2010 cannot be sued by Boulder City, which challenged the validity of the issues.
The court ruled that the citizens are protected by law and sent the case back to District Court to determine how much Boulder City must pay for legal costs incurred by the petitioners.
They had gathered signatures to place on the 2010 ballot initiative petitions to require the City Council to get voter approval before going into debt of $1 million or more; limit the terms of members of city commissions and committees to 12 years; and limit the city to one municipal golf course.
A District Court lawsuit has been filed by groups aimed at stopping an anti-abortion petition from appearing on the election ballot.
“We hope the court will do the right thing and reject the latest attempt to insert the government into personal, private medical decisions Nevada women and families make every day,” said Elisa Cafferata, president and chief executive officer of Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood Affiliates.
The lawsuit was filed in Carson City on Tuesday by the Planned Parenthood Federation and the American Civil Liberties Union.
As early voting began today, the negative back-and-forth continued in the special recall election for the Ward 6 spot on the Las Vegas City Council, featuring incumbent Steve Ross and his challenger, Byron Goynes.
Two early voting centers have been operating today for the special election, which Ross claims is being spurred by car dealer Joe Scala, who was denied a waiver to continue operating a dealership in Centennial Hills, which is in Ross’ ward.
A District Court judge has indicated there may be enough valid signatures on an ballot initiative petition seeking a special tax for a $500 million sports-entertainment arena on the Las Vegas Strip. Proceeds from the tax would finance bonds to build the 27,000-seat arena. Judge Todd Russell ordered attorneys to submit closing briefs to determine if there are too many defects with the petition to disqualify the question from being placed on the 2012 Nevada election ballot.
Bubbling tension over Boulder City’s decision to sue the petitioners of several ballot questions on November’s ballot inspired about 30 residents to march on the front steps of City Hall on Tuesday. The demonstrators held neon-colored signs that expressed their frustration. Some examples: “R.I.P. First Amendment Rights,” “Don’t Silence the People” and “Don’t Sue Me.”
Liberal activists and labor leaders have spent the early days of the legislative session warning lawmakers they would pursue a ballot initiative to raise taxes if the Legislature fails to act on its own. But conservative activists aren’t standing idly by in the face of those threats. “We can’t let Danny Thompson have the ballet to himself,” Republican operative Robert Uithoven said of the Nevada AFL-CIO boss who has talked about using a ballot initiative for an end run around the Legislature. Conservatives are looking to revive the measure that would require a two-thirds vote of the people to pass any initiative petition to raise taxes. Uithoven helped organize a similar effort in 2008.
Boulder City’s lawsuit against five citizens who circulated a petition for a ballot question for November’s election will move forward after District Court Judge Jerome Tao ruled Thursday the defendants weren’t immune from the city’s litigation. The city sued the petitioners Nov. 24 to challenge the legality of the ordinance, which requires the city to receive approval from voters before going into debt $1 million or more. It passed with 58 percent of the vote on Nov. 2.
The Boulder City Council this week approved four ballot questions for the next municipal election and rejected three others in a meeting that sparked heated debate over how ballot initiatives are handled. A question to revise the city’s charter to reduce the minimum residency requirement for candidates running for City Council passed unanimously. The requirement would be reduced from two years, set when the charter was established in 1960, to 30 days, the minimum required by state law.
A proposal to build an arena on the Las Vegas Strip might be headed for the 2011 Nevada Legislature, but first it will face a legal challenge. The secretary of state’s office says it has verified more than enough voter signatures to move the initiative petition along. Matt Griffin, deputy secretary of state in charge of elections, said Monday that 157,778 signatures were certified as registered voters on the petition. It needed 97,002.
Boulder City officials have filed a complaint in Clark County District Court alleging that three ballot initiatives violate state and local laws. The complaint, filed July 23 against eight defendants it says circulated petitions, seeks an injunction to prevent the initiatives from being placed on the November ballot because they involve administrative acts delegated to the city.
Signatures for three ballot initiatives petitioned by Boulder City residents regarding the city’s debt, ownership of an 18-hole golf course and term limits for committee members were approved Monday by the Secretary of State’s Office.
The questions being proposed are whether the city should take a vote from residents when going into debt of at least $1 million, if the city should own only one 18-hole golf course and an initiative that would limit a city committee member’s term to 12 years.
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Signatures for the last three ballot initiatives being petitioned by Boulder City residents for the upcoming general election were submitted to the city clerk Wednesday. The questions being proposed are whether the city should take a vote from residents when going into debt of $1 million or more, if the city should only own one 18-hole golf course, and an initiative that would limit a city committee member’s term to 12 years.
Boulder City residents petitioning for more ballot initiatives in the upcoming general election submitted a charter amendment question Thursday regarding the appointment of the city attorney. The amendment initiative asks whether the city attorney should be elected instead of appointed by the City Council. The ballot committee submitted the question along with 869 signatures and 195 notarized pages. To be placed on the ballot, an initiative must be accompanied by a petition signed by at least 640 registered voters, according to the city clerk’s office.
A liberal advocacy group will go after gold miners’ state tax deductions, in an effort to raise more than $200 million a year for state coffers. The board of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada voted last month to pursue a statutory initiative to eliminate most of the deductions that reduce the taxes paid by gold mining companies. Liberals have argued for years that mining does not pay its fair share in tax ”” an argument that has gained traction as gold prices have soared to record levels while the state’s general fund has faced massive budget shortfalls.
Four groups that for more than 30 years have fought for anti-abortion legislation say they are opposed to a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at banning abortions. Janine Hansen, president of Nevada Eagle Forum, says that while the backers of the initiative petition have good intentions it will not stop abortions.