The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 15, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Fair Maps Nevada had its ballot questions written and vetted by the secretary of state to put a citizen-run independent redistricting commission on November’s ballot. But May 10th, the Nevada Supreme Court threw them out, and may have damaged Nevada’s direct democracy in the process.
Nevada’s legislative redistricting maps are currently created by the legislature. The Fair Maps proposal would have created a seven-member citizen commission to create the redistricting maps instead.
Two lawsuits challenged the two ballot questions for creating a state agency without constitutionally establishing the funding for it, and for not fully explaining the commission’s timeline. Fair Maps Nevada argued that the costs of the independent commission would be offset by the legislature’s budgeted redistricting funding. The Nevada Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision that the ballot questions were unconstitutional unfunded mandates.
Sondra Cosgrove, organizer of Fair Maps Nevada and a professor at College of Southern Nevada, told the Nevada Independent that she was disappointed in the ruling, and that the decision could have far-reaching consequences.
“I think we’ve lost the ability to run constitutional amendment ballot questions with this ruling. Everyone who wants to run a constitutional amendment is now subject to a legal challenge that says [if] they want to spend $1, they have to raise a tax to spend that dollar,” Cosgrove told the Independent.
Find more on the ballot questions and the decision at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Nevada Independent – Nevada Supreme Court strikes down independent redistricting commission ballot questions
Democracy Docket – Nevada Supreme Court Keeps Redistricting Ballot Initiative Off 2024 Ballot
Nevada Secretary of State – 2024 Petitions & General Election Ballot Questions
Supreme Court of Nevada – Opinion in FAIR MAPS NEVADA v. ERIC JENG
Groups Taking Action:
Fair Maps Nevada, Common Cause, League of Women Voters
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #IndependentRedistricting #NevadaNews #NevadaPolitics