Vote Nevada supporters,
Today, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that the two ballot initiatives proposing an independent redistricting commission are legally deficient and cannot move forward. The ruling affirmed the 2022 Reid case that reinterpreted the Nevada constitution to require constitutional amendment ballot initiatives to include a funding mechanism. Before 2022, it was assumed that constitutional amendments would become mandates requiring the legislature to provide funding. But now, this has completely changed.
Beyond addressing redistricting to remove gerrymandering from our maps, we need to discuss how to address the loss of direct democracy in Nevada. By affirming the 2022 ruling, the Court has opened the door to every constitutional amendment ballot question being successfully challenged due to an unfunded mandate.
Ballot question opponents would need only claim that an amendment would require at least $1 in administrative services, and the amendment’s sponsor would be forced to either withdraw their ballot question or add tax policy to their constitutional amendment.
If the sponsor adds a tax, that tax will go into the Nevada constitution alongside the mining tax, and we all know the problems associated with the mining tax being in the constitution. Or the sponsor could increase a statutory tax (a tax that is a law) to pay for the amendment, but then the legislature could just remove the tax from the law to nullify the amendment’s purpose.
None of these options are acceptable. We need to fight back to keep our constitutional right to direct democracy.
This is why Katie Fahey is coming to Nevada this weekend. Please attend in person or via Zoom. We have options, but we need to start planning now.
You can RSVP for tomorrow’s virtual option here: t.ly/Cnh4M
Sondra
Vote Nevada 