WEEKLY EDITORIAL RECAP

THURSDAY

SPECIAL ELECTION

On Monday, Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, a Democrat, opened the special 2nd Congressional District election to all comers, denying the major parties an opportunity to identify official nominees on the ballot.

The Sept. 13 vote will fill the seat of Republican Rep. Dean Heller, who was appointed by Gov. Brian Sandoval to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Republican John Ensign. Mr. Ensign stepped down Tuesday in the wake of an ethics scandal resulting from an extramarital affair.

The state Republican Party is expected to challenge Mr. Miller's decision in court, as they should. While the law specifically bars a primary election as a means for the two major parties to select their candidates, it is a matter of interpretation as to whether they should be sent to the sidelines, forced to sanction anyone who decides to call himself a Republican or Democrat and collects the required signatures.

There's nothing to stop either party from designating an "official" nominee and advising their members to vote only for the designee, no matter how many names they see on the ballot. Whether they command enough discipline among their members for such instructions to succeed is not Mr. Miller's concern.

At any rate, this issue is headed to the Nevada Supreme Court, which must settle the matter by July so Mr. Miller has enough time to mail out overseas ballots. The justices must be prepared to expedite this case.

WEDNESDAY

SELLING PARK NAMES

Among the most important parts of the legislative process is the consideration of unintended consequences. The Legislature should remember this when thinking through Senate Bill 384. The bill, which would allow local governments and school districts to sell the names of parks and buildings, was sent to the Assembly after passing the Senate 21-0.

The goal of this bill is pretty clear: more money. But it could very well cost governments plenty of money, too.

Politicians are known for playing politics with everything that comes before them. If Senate Bill 384 becomes law and local governments decide to develop procedures for selling naming rights, elected boards will become gatekeepers of commercial speech. And it won't be long before a naming proposal offends the sensibilities or politics of some School Board or city council member.

The first time an elected body rejects a naming bid for any reason ... it's a lawsuit waiting to happen. We're all for government making more productive use of the public's assets. We're all for innovative, free-market ways to increase revenues, especially if they don't involve compulsory taxes. But we're also wary of unintended consequences. If lawmakers and local governments aren't prepared to embrace names that might make them uncomfortable, they'll need to be careful with this one. It could cost them.