LVRJ: Coalitions’ tax fight turns on ‘single’ law

(Steve Sebelius, Las Vegas Review-Journal) – So it’s the We Decide Coalition versus the Coalition for Nevada’s Future, then.

The We Decide Coalition, led by conservative activist Chuck Muth, is trying to get a referendum on the November 2016 ballot to let voters either reject or affirm the tax package approved by the 2015 Legislature.

The Coalition for Nevada’s Future, represented by former Deputy Secretary of State Matt Griffin, is fighting repeal efforts.

And even though nobody has signed a single petition yet, the coalitions are already trading lawsuits.

First, the We Decide Coalition is asking a judge to declare that its petition — which would repeal the entire tax package found in Senate Bill 483 — doesn’t violate Nevada’s single-subject rule. That’s a state law that says citizen initiatives can only address one topic, to prevent confusion at the polls and the fraud of mixing a popular measure with an unpopular one, known as “logrolling.”

But that motion calls for an improper advisory opinion, and it would foreclose the rights of other voters to challenge the petition in court. It’s not likely to succeed.

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Steve Sebelius is a Las Vegas Review-Journal political columnist. He covers the Legislature, as well as local politics and policy and the activities of Nevada’s congressional delegation. His column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday in Opinion. He also writes the daily blog Slash Politics.