Ballot plan advocates to appeal

CARSON CITY -- Advocates of two proposed ballot petitions to cap revenue for the Las Vegas tourism authority and a third plan to restrict tax-raising ballot questions say they'll file a court appeal following Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller's rejection of the plans.

Miller's decision followed challenges of the proposed ballot questions, all backed by Las Vegas Sands Corp. owner Sheldon Adelson, by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the state AFL-CIO.

Former state Treasurer Bob Seale, who pushed the revenue caps, and former state Controller Steve Martin, who promoted the ballot restriction plan, issued a statement saying Miller's actions Friday "either reflect ineptitude and incompetence, or a deliberate and careless decision to ignore the will of the people."

"Either way, we will appeal his decision and fight to protect the will of the voters of our great state," Seale and Martin said. An appeal would have to be filed in Carson City District Court.

The secretary of state sided with the critics' arguments that the affidavits of petition-circulators lacked a required statement of the number of signatures; and also lacked a required statement that each signer had a chance to read the full text of the plans before signing the petitions.

Each proposal needed a minimum of 58,836 signatures.