Last week’s decision by Judge Patrick Flanagan allowing Reno lawyer Jason Guinasso to continue his Nevada Assembly candidacy raised an important issue — albeit barely related to Guinasso’s disputed residency in the southwest Reno/Incline district.
In the late 1990s, northeastern Nevada State Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, got tired of beating the same opponent twice each cycle. Only Republicans usually file in Elko County where Democrats are shot on sight.
Rhoads got the law changed so single-party elections could be settled in primaries.
Maddeningly, the most liberal Democrat became the first beneficiary. Sen. Joe Neal not only had the temerity to run against the casino slate for governor in 1998, but also tried to (gasp!) raise the world’s lowest gambling industry tax.
North Las Vegas is a Democratic stronghold so only Neal and two other Ds filed in 2000. Thanks to Rhoads, Neal was re-elected in the primary with a majority of six — count ‘em — SIX whole votes.
Last year, Republican Sen. James Settelmeyer, R-Minden, further narrowed the playing field with bi-partisan support. Now, if just two candidates file, the June primary winner is automatically installed without facing non-partisans and other pesky low-life voters in November.
Guinasso vs. Lisa Krasner and three other races are affected this year.
Top-gun lawyers have questioned the law’s constitutionality.
WE DON’T NEED NO VOTER REGISTRATION. Former Tribunite Dennis Myers published a killer cover story in the April 7 Reno News & Review (linked to the expanded Barbwire at NevadaLabor.com/).
Myers noted voter registration was originally a subterfuge to keep blacks from voting in the south and European immigrants from voting in the north. That means my Italian family, dammit!
He quoted former Nixon aide John Ehrlichman’s admission that the war on drugs was a Nixon invention to harass and jail his worst enemies – war protestors and blacks.
Myers concludes that voter apathy is an imaginary problem which explains why increasing voter registration doesn’t affect turnout when the disenfranchised are factored in.
Largely due to felony drug convictions, the blacklist has grown from two percent to 10 percent of the voting age public since 1972.
Myers will discuss this on Sam Shad’s Nevada Newsmakers at noon, Thursday April 21 on KRNV TV-4. Get the statewide-run schedule at NevadaLabor.com/
AULD FRIENDS. All Nevada labor mourns the loss of longtime labor leader Kenny Groves, 51, who died April 11. The veteran letter carrier was formerly president of the Sparks-based Northern Nevada Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24, at Walton’s/Ross-Burke, 2155 Kietzke Lane in Reno with potluck to follow.
Former University Regent Nancy Price advises that her husband, ex-Assemblymember Bob Price, D-North Las Vegas, can not only receive visitors but also flowers. The longtime Sparks resident has been hospitalized since November with maladies picked up in the hospital.
He was recently transferred to Tahoe Pacific South Meadows, located in Renown South Meadows at 10101 Double-R Blvd. (89521) Call him at (775) 326-6148.
Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno.
Andrew Barbano is a 47-year Nevadan and editor of NevadaLabor.com. E-mail <barbano@frontpage.reno.nv.us> Barbwire by Barbano has originated in the Tribune since 1988.
Leave a Reply