Nevada property tax petition revived

A Nevada version of California’s Proposition 13 property tax cap got a much-needed boost Wednesday as the state Supreme Court ruled election officials improperly rejected thousands of signatures from supporters who want the plan on the November ballot.

The high court’s order favors We the People, a group headed by state Senate candidate Sharron Angle who failed in 2004 and 2006 to get enough signatures for similar tax-cap plans.
<read entire article>

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Order Granting Writ

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Nevada Supreme Court Hands Sharron Angle a key win

One of the things going for Bill Raggio in his primary fight with Sharron Angle is that many in the district have a perception of her as the person who has repeatedly failed to get a property tax initiative on the ballot. To be sure, Angle's got her core group of supporters who are drawn to her ardent conservative anti-tax message. But her detractors say she can point to no actual accomplishments.

Today, the Nevada Supreme Court may have just handed her one.
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SUPREME COURT: More time for tax cap petitions
Clerks ordered to check signatures

By SEAN WHALEY
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- An initiative petition pushed by state Senate candidate Sharron Angle to cap property taxes was given new life Wednesday by the Nevada Supreme Court. The court granted a petition requesting more time to gather signatures for the constitutional amendment styled after California's Proposition 13, ordering county clerks to accept signatures turned in late in Clark County on May 20 and others turned in on June 17 in Washoe and Clark counties. <read entire article>

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Nevada Property Tax Reform Initiative Signatures Filed  

Former State Legislators, Sharron Angle and Don Gustavson, and Dr. Tom Morris, treasurer for We the People Nevada continue to fight for stable, predictable property taxes.

After being met with strong opposition from the AFL-CIO in a lawsuit contesting the Description of Effect, a 200 word summary attached to the petition.    We the People Nevada's Attorney, Joel Hansen, addressed the union complaints, made the suggested changes, and offered an amended initiative to the union attorneys for their legitimate changes. The union responded with another lawsuit against the amended version of the initiative on December 18, 2007. 

Judge Todd Russell, First District Court, ordered the AFL-CIO to submit agreeable language regarding the "Description of Effect".    Judge Russell signed the order on February 22^nd and the subsequent initiative was filed at 1:00pm.   The union stipulated that they would not file another lawsuit .   "After minor changes to a summary, the essence of the petition remains unchanged - stable, predictable, property taxes." said Sharron Angle, Chair of We the People Nevada. The group has until May 20 to collect 58,621 signatures statewide.   "It is ambitious but not impossible," said Ms. Angle.   

On May 20 We the People Nevada submitted the signatures in all 17 counties in Nevada.   In Clark County signature gatherers worked frantically throughout the day to meet the 5pm deadline and the minimum 40,000 signatures.   Caught in traffic, the courier called ahead to the registrar to advise them that he might be late.  The courier arrived at the Clark County Registrar at 5:02 pm.   After discussion with County officials the courier was told at 5:20 pm to bring the petitions in the following morning for filing.    When the courier arrived with We the People Nevada’s attorney, the petitions were counted and some verification duplicates were removed leaving a total of over 32,000 signatures.   That was not enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

We the People Nevada’s Attorney, Joel Hansen, now had a “ripe” case giving us standing in court against the unconstitutional May 20^th deadline.   Because the deadline was too early according to the provisions of the Nevada Constitution, we had failed to gather enough signatures.   A Writ of Mandamus was submitted to the Nevada Supreme Court requesting that the unconstitutional deadline be struck down and We the People Nevada be given a constitutional deadline to submit more signatures.   The Nevada Supreme Court issued an order, requested more briefs and set a hearing date for July 1.   We the People Nevada continued to collect signatures.

On June 13 all parties met with the Nevada Supreme Court for a prehearing.   The parties agreed that June 17 (the lawful and constitutional date that had been in effect before the statutory change in 2007) would be a suitable date.   We the People Nevada turned in the final signatures for a total of 82,012, more that enough to qualify for the ballot on June 17.   We are waiting for the court’s final decision.

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(Audio Only) Nevada's Prop 13 - Download - Sharron Angle and Don Gustavson

(Video on YouTube) Nevada Property Tax Restraint Initiative - Election 2008

(Video on YouTube) Sharron Angle on Anti-tax Initiative Appeal - Election 2008

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COUNTY	SIGNATURES NEEDED	SIGNATURES GATHERED
Carson	1,525	2,037
Churchill	704	961
Clark	40,364	53,783
Douglas	1,211	1,735
Elko	1,329	1,731
Esmeralda	29	48
Eureka	49	80
Humboldt	473	630
Lander	170	305
Lincoln	123	304
Lyon	1,013	1,796
Mineral	149	278
Nye	954	1,220
Pershing	197	333
Storey	100	185
Washoe	9,961	16146
White Pine	270	440
Goal for the State	58,621	82,012

I need your help to fight the AFL-CIO and the teacher’s union.   They are opposed to the First Amendment right of we the people to petition our government.   I believe this is a frivolous lawsuit, motivated by greedy self-interest designed to waste our money and time and defeat the initiative process.  
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REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL NOTICE IN SUPPORT OF COMPLAINTS FOR
DECLARATION AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF COMPLAINT FOR
DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

AFFIDAVIT OF JESSICA PRUNTY IN SUPPORT OF COMPLAINT
FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

AFFIDAVIT OF PAUL L. MORE IN SUPPORT OF COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

AFFIRMATION

AMENDED ORDER TO SET FOR HEARING

AMENDED STIPULATION

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I have always had a desire to have stable and predictable property taxes protected by the Constitution from whimsical governmental increases. Now that the Legislative session is over, it is time to focus our energy on making that a reality. This website will be updated regularly with news about the Property Tax Restraint Initiative. Please read the July 31,2007 article in the Las Vegas Review Journal http://www.lvrj.com/news/8825152.html

Please join others who share our desire for lower taxes, less government, secure borders as well as stable and predictable property taxes. We are starting now to get information out to an army of the silent majority. Please go to the donation page and help us meet our $400,000 goal.
With sincere appreciation for all of your support,

Sharron Angle, Chair We the People Nevada
Former Nevada State Assemblywoman
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YES! Please send us/me an Official State Voters' Petition to sign and circulate among friends and family. We/I want to help put the Nevada Property Tax Reform Initiative on the ballot for a vote of the people.

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EDITORIAL: Property taxes
Group wants to qualify another ballot initiative

The business-page headlines bray that home resale prices in Southern Nevada are plummeting. And defaults by "sub-prime" mortgage holders could depress things even more.
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Mockery of Justice by Les Barta, Law Research

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WIFM (What’s in it for me)  COMPUTE YOUR OWN TAX COMPARISON

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Good Old Bill’s testimony
I came to Reno 50 years ago.
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NEVADA STYLE PROP 13 REVIVAL

$200,000 DONATION

Howard Jarvis tried and failed several times before Prop 13 was finally passed in California.   We have had two very close but unsuccessful tries here in Nevada, and each time our failure has hinged upon lack of funding.   Experience has taught us that it will take significant funding ($400,000) for a comprehensive campaign to be successful.  This will include the paying of signature gatherers who will collect  the required 56,000 signatures for ballot qualification, the legal defense for any court challenges, and the funding of a media campaign for the gaining of public support   (I have prepared a prospectus for the 2008 campaign and it is enclosed in this letter) .

 There is more good news.   I am extremely pleased to report that a private donor has written a check to “We the People Nevada” in the amount of $200,000!  That means we are halfway to our goal!!

SCORECARD SURVEY1

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