On June 26th, Clark County District Judge William Kephart granted a restraining order and preliminary injunction against those supporting e non-smoking ballot initiative. Arguably the Judge felt that the petition was too vague and not focused enough.
In the Judge’s opinion, those signing the petition may not have fully understood its impact. That order, if upheld, invalids the signatures on the petition.
Therefore, no 2018 vote on the issue. Recent efforts by Mesquite, NV. casino moguls and elected city officials to block a 2018 vote to ban smoking in casinos and other smoking establishments have backfired. Fair enough.
As recently reported, The City of Mesquite staff presented to the City Council their “Description of Anticipated Financial Effects of Approval of Mesquite Clean Air Initiative Petition on Fees and Taxes Collected by the City of Mesquite.”
City staff reported that the initiative could result in a maximum loss of $(3,675,116) or a maximum gain of $3,675,116. That is consistent with the assertion that nobody knows the financial impact of the Mesquite Clean Air Initiative on city revenue.
Thanks to those who filed the lawsuit and the Judge’s ruling, the citizens for a smoke-free community can prepare a tighter petition for the 2020 election year. Thanks to the neutral financial impact statement the Collation is free of any negative cost impact statements biasing the 2020 smoke free ballot initiative.
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