Property tax relief on the ballot

Can Sharron Angle finally claim a victory?

The former assemblywoman on Tuesday lost a close GOP primary in her bid to unseat longtime incumbent Bill Raggio, majority leader of the state Senate.

Two years ago, she barely failed in her effort to knock off Dean Heller in a Republican congressional primary.

In addition, over the past few years she has twice failed to get an initiative on the ballot that would cap property taxes.

But is her losing streak finally over?

On Thursday, Secretary of State Ross Miller rejected a teachers union challenge to Ms. Angle's latest property tax petition, sending it to the November ballot. The constitutional amendment would limit annual property tax increases to 2 percent each year on all property.

The state teachers union argued that some of the signatures gathered to qualify the measure for the November ballot were invalid because petition circulators submitted improper affidavits required to prevent fraud.

But Deputy Secretary of State Matt Griffin found the affidavits complied with the law.

In certifying the petition, Mr. Miller found the Angle effort had collected more than 64,000 legitimate signatures. It needed 58,628 -- with certain minimal numbers from each of Nevada's 17 counties -- to get on the ballot.

To become part of the Nevada Constitution, Ms. Angle's proposal will have to be approved twice by voters -- once in November and then again in November 2010.

Ms. Angle is no doubt smiling this morning. Polls show the property tax limitation is immensely popular and likely to pass.

But she shouldn't celebrate too soon. The teachers union could still press the issue in court. Union officials have not said whether they'll contest Mr. Miller's decision, but if history is any indication, it's likely they'll use every available avenue to keep this issue from voters.

Ms. Angle has won a battle, but the war still rages.