Abortion-rights activists score wins at state level

In the 2024 U.S. election. abortion-rights ballot measures passed in seven of ten states, including five won by Trump/Vance.

Abortion protest, New York, May 2022. Photo by Legoktm. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Pro-Choice Abortion Initiatives Pass in Seven Out of Ten States | Reason | Elizabeth Nolan Brown:

November 6, 2024 - "Measures meant to protect abortion access were approved by voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York.... Until yesterday, the pro-choice position [has] prevailed in every state where abortion-related measures were on the ballot, including in red states such as Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio. That ... pattern is broken somewhat by results in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota.... 

• In Florida, 57 percent of voters supported Amendment 4, an Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion ... but it falls short of the 60 percent approval threshold required for constitutional amendments in Florida.
• In Nebraska, 48.7 percent of voters approved the state's Right to Abortion measure, (Initiative 439), which would have amended the constitution to declare that 'all persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability'.... [A] competing measure — Initiative 434 — passed 55.3 percent to 44.7 percent.... Initiative 434 ... allows for first trimester abortions but prohibits second and third trimester abortion unless 'necessitated by a medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest'....
• [I]n South Dakota — where it's currently criminal to perform an abortion or prescribe abortion medication unless a pregnant woman's life is at risk ... [v]oters rejected Amendment G — a citizen-led initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution— by almost 20 percentage points (with 87 percent of votes counted)..... 
• In Arizona, voters approved Proposition 139, a measure that enshrines a 'fundamental right' to abortion until fetal viability in the state's constitution. Abortion is currently legal in Arizona only until 15 weeks pregnancy. Voters rejected this status quo, with about 62 percent voting for Proposition 139 with 60 percent of votes tallied.
• In Missouri, where abortion is currently illegal except in medical emergencies, voters approved Amendment 3, a constitutional amendment declaring that 'the Government shall not deny or infringe upon a person's fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which is the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions'.... 
• In Maryland, where abortion is currently legal until fetal viability, voters overwhelmingly approved Question 1, also known as the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment. The tally was about 74 percent for and just 26 percent with three-quarters of votes counted. Initiated by state lawmakers, ... the amendment says 'the State may not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden, or abridge the right [to an abortion] unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.'
• In Montana, where abortion is currently legal until fetal viability, voters approved The Right to Abortion Initiative, also known as CI-128. The measure will amend the state constitution to say 'there is a right to make and carry out decisions about one's own pregnancy, including the right to abortion,' and 'this right shall not be denied or burdened unless justified by a compelling government interest achieved by the least restrictive means'....
• In Nevada, where abortion is now legal until 24 weeks pregnancy, voters approved Question 6.... The measure states that the right to an abortion 'shall not be denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest that is achieved by the least restrictive means.' With 84 percent of Nevada votes counted, it was up 63.3 percent to 36.7 percent. However, it must pass again in 2026 to be enacted.
• In Colorado, where abortion is currently legal throughout pregnancy, voters passed Amendment 79.... The measure repeals a 1984 amendment prohibiting the use of public funds for abortion and creates a new constitutional amendment stating that 'the right to abortion is hereby recognized. Government shall not deny, impede, or discriminate against the exercise of that right, including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion'....

"Trump won Florida, Missouri, and Montana and ... Arizona and Nevada ... yet a majority of voters in these states, too, opted to support legal abortion."

Read more: https://reason.com/2024/11/06/pro-choice-abortion-initiatives-pass-in-seven-out-of-ten-states/

New lockdowns in US; Border closings in Australia

Oregon, New Mexico order lockdowns, other states consider options | Fox News - Peter Aitken:

November 15 - "Oregon and New Mexico governors issued orders for tighter measures in the face of spiking coronavirus cases, including near-lockdown conditions.

"New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham closed statewide in-person services for non-essential activities starting Nov. 16. It will last for two weeks, although that may be extended.

"Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a similar order, called a 'Two-Week Freeze.' Starting Nov. 18., most indoor facilities, such as gyms and restaurants will close, and indoor capacity for essential services such as grocery stores and pharmacies will be limited. 'Since I announced a Two-Week Pause one week ago, we are seeing an alarming spike in both cases and hospitalizations,' said Brown. 'The virus is spreading in the community and, every day, it is infecting more and more Oregonians'.... 

"North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced a mask mandate that would take effect immediately and run through December.... Burgum ordered all bars and restaurants to limit capacity and suspend service between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo embraced the overnight curfew for dining services, a move the governor said aligns with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. 'We did that with New Jersey on bars and restaurants, with the closure of 10 p.m.,' Cuomo said during a Friday conference call with reporters.... Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak repeatedly argued that containing the virus is largely up to individuals." 

Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/us/oregon-new-mexico-order-lockdowns-other-states-consider-options

Australia back on COVID-19 alert as cases jump in southern state | Al Jazeera:

November 16, 2020 - "The Australian state of South Australia has reported 14 new coronavirus cases, a dramatic increase from the previous day, prompting other states to tighten internal borders amid concerns of a new virus hot spot. South Australia ended a months-long streak of no COVID-19 infections on Sunday, reporting three locally-acquired coronavirus cases after a worker from a quarantine hotel infected family members, the authorities said....

"Since the neighbouring state of Victoria came out of a lengthy lockdown earlier this month, Australia has had several days of no new coronavirus infections. The country has only recorded near 28,000 coronavirus infections and just over 900 deaths due to strict measures such as international and state border closures, lockdowns, mandatory social distancing and widespread testing and tracing....

"Western Australia, which borders South Australia, ordered new arrivals from the state to undertake mandatory tests and self-quarantine for 14 days; the island state of Tasmania ordered immediate self-quarantine for people who had arrived from South Australia in the past week and the Northern Territory ordered people arriving from the state to enter supervised quarantine. Local media reported passengers arriving from South Australia being in tears when told they would have to go into 14-day quarantine when touching down in Western Australia on Monday morning."

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/16/australia-back-on-covid-19-alert-as-cases-jump-in-southern-state

UPDATE: According to today's Guardian, the current South Australian outbreak was begun by a care worker who contacted the disease in a quarantine hotel and spread it in the community. Note that the other Australian states' response has been to start packing people, infected and non-infected indiscriminately, into their own quarantine hotels. Good luck with that strategy, Australia. - gd  

U.S. third parties marginalized in midterms

How Third Parties Are Getting Screwed This Election Season - Reason.com Matt Walsh & Alexis Garcia:

October 26, 2018 - "The 2018 midterms have been chock full of two-party shenanigans, all too often aided and abetted by journalists, pollsters, and the voters themselves.

"It all starts with ballot access. If a state government considers you a 'major party,' getting on the ballot is a snap. Worst-case scenario, you need to collect signatures from a tiny fraction of your own registered voter base. Best case, you just show up.

"Third-party and independent candidates, on the other hand, have to collect tens of thousands of signatures in some states – 15,000 to run for governor in New York, for example, including at least 100 in each congressional district. Arizona Republicans ... changed the law to say that Libertarians need to collect signatures not just from their own members but from registered independents as well. And by the way, the Green Party is subject to a less stringent set of rules.... Some states push their filing deadlines all the way back to a year before the election....

"New Hampshire this year herded all third parties under the same ballot line, confusingly titled 'Libertarians and Other Candidates.' New Mexico tried — and thankfully failed — to institute a 'straight party' ballot, meaning voters in this 3:2 Democratic state could automatically vote for all the candidates in one party by checking off just one box....

"Getting your name on the ballot doesn't mean it will be included in the polls. The Nevada race for U.S. Senate is universally rated a tossup, and yet the first three independent polls released this October failed to include Libertarian Tim Hagan...

"How about debates? Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dale Kerns was assured of a spot on stage, then uninvited. Texas gubernatorial candidate Mark Tippets was told he didn't have enough qualifying press, in part because his coverage in the Spanish-language media didn't count.... Iowa governor candidate Jake Porter, who's polling higher than any other L.P. statehouse contender, says his debate invitations were rescinded, in part because he refused to buy commercials.

"'The freer and more general the competition,' Adam Smith wrote in 1776, the more 'advantageous' it will be to the public. Competitors, he warned, will 'always' try 'to widen the market and to narrow the competition.' For too long we have allowed our system of government, that other glorious achievement from 1776, to be controlled by the market-rigging forces Smith warned us about. It's about time to make American politics competitive again."

Read more: https://reason.com/reasontv/2018/10/26/how-third-parties-being-screwed-this-ele
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Nevada LP keeps ballot access via registrations

Nevada becomes fourth Libertarian state affiliate to exceed 1% of voter registration | Libertarian Party - Bob Johnston:

September 9, 2018 - "For the first time in party history, the number of Nevadans registered to vote as Libertarians exceeds 1 percent of the state’s total voter registration. [*]

"Therefore, the Libertarian Party (LP) of Nevada will retain ballot access as long as it maintains its share of at least 1 percent of the registered voters, in which case it will not have to rely on any specific election results in order to retain its party status.

"Thanks to Richard Winger for bringing this news to our attention. (See his Sept. 5 coverage at the Ballot Access News website.)

"Nevada is the fourth LP state affiliate to have garnered at least 1 percent of a state’s registered voters. Alaska, Colorado, and Nebraska can also claim a share of over one percent.

"This November, ten Nevada Libertarians are seeking the votes of those registered Libertarians and their fellow voters in races for federal, state, and local office.... Learn about the 2018 Nevada Libertarian candidates at the LP Nevada website: LPNevada.org/candidates.

"The Nevada slate is part of the approximately 800 Libertarians running for office at all levels of government this November. Learn about them at LP.org/2018-candidates.

"As of Sept. 5, the LP has ballot access in 48 states plus the District of Columbia."

Read more: https://www.lp.org/nevada-lp-becomes-fourth-affiliate-exceed-1-voter-registration/
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According to the Nevada Secretary of State's report for August 2018, there were 14,955 registered Libertarians in the state.  https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/home/showdocument?id=5752

Registered Libertarians in Nevada grow to 14K

Growing number of Nevada voters eschews 2-party system | Brookville Times - Caroline Biscotti:

July 15, 2018 - "Tens of thousands more voters were registered as neither Democrat or Republican this midterm election compared with 2014, with most of that growth coming from Libertarians....

"A slew of ideological differences separate candidates and voters outside the two-party system, but in the November general election, those ballots could tip the scales for Republican or Democratic candidates....

"Members of the Libertarian Party of Nevada make up roughly 1 percent of active registered voters and only slightly outnumber the nearly 14,000 active voters identified as 'other' in Nevada as of May, but have seen consistent growth in all four of Nevada’s congressional districts since 2014.

"The Libertarian party does not hold a primary to determine its November candidates. They held local and state conventions earlier in the year when dues-paying members voted on the names that will appear on the general election ballot ... said party spokesman Sam Toll.... Toll, who joined the party in 2016, said he would be in favor of opening the voting up. He also said the state’s primary system should be open to nonpartisan voters.

"New Libertarians are generally younger and more diverse, Toll said, with some growth coming from voters who are increasingly turned off by Republicans and Democrats.

"'We’re going to take advantage of this opportunity that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump dropped in our laps in the 2016 election,' he said. 'We’re really focusing on being inclusive.'

"Libertarians have been working to create a party infrastructure to help candidates and nominate people who talk about relatable issues like health care, said Steve Brown, Clark County Libertarian Party chairman and 3rd Congressional District candidate. He said 2016 Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson broke the party’s vote record.

"Brown and Toll said the party is moving away from candidates who focus on niche debates that most voters don’t identify with and toward people who focus on kitchen-table issues.

"''The difference between 2016 and 2018 is the difference between night and day,' Brown said. 'We are so far ahead of where we were as a party two years ago.'"

Read more: https://brookvilletimes.com/growing-number-of-nevada-voters-eschews-2-party-system/
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Cannabis goes on sale in Nevada

Nevada marijuana dispensaries off to smokin' hot start - Jenny Kane, Reno Gazette-Journal:

 July 7, 2017 - "The four Reno dispensaries licensed to sell recreational marijuana each raked in 'hundreds of thousands of dollars' in the past four days from the state's first legal recreational marijuana sales, according to Will Adler, executive director of the Sierra Cannabis Coalition....

"Nevada Dispensary Association Executive Director Riana Durrett 'very roughly' estimated that Nevada made $1 million from taxes between Saturday and Tuesday, and dispensaries as much as $3 million.

"'Naturally, it will drop off because the first day was a novelty,' Durrett said. "I think (sales) will stay healthy because this market exists now, and I think people will be relieved to come out of the shadows;....

"Oregon dispensaries made $3.2 million on the state's first day of sales and more than $11 million in their first week, according to a 2015 article in Time. Colorado dispensaries made more than $5 million in their first week, although Washington dispensaries didn't make $2 million until four weeks in, the same article said....

"'(Customers) were a part of history — prohibition is over,' said Mikel Alvarez, spokesman for Blum, a company which has one dispensary location in Reno and three in Las Vegas.

"The Reno location served 1,000 customers and made $100,000 in sales during the first 24 hours, starting at midnight Saturday. The company's three Las Vegas locations brought in $90,000 in their first 24-hour stretch.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/07/07/nevada-marijuana-dispensaries-off-smokin-hot-start/458107001/
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California, Massachusetts, & Nevada cannabis legalization initiatives pass

Voters Legalize Marijuana in Three States - The New York Times - Thomas Fuller:

November 9, 2016. - "Voters in California, Massachusetts and Nevada legalized marijuana on Tuesday in what advocates said was a reflection of the country’s changing attitude toward the drug.

"A similar measure in Maine led by less than a point with 98 percent of precincts reporting. Voters in Arizona defeated a legalization measure.

"Leading up to the election, recreational marijuana use was legal in four states: Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, along with the District of Columbia.

"With the addition of California, Massachusetts and Nevada, the percentage of Americans living in states where marijuana use is legal for adults rose above 20 percent, from 5 percent.

"A Gallup poll in October found nationwide support for legalization at 60 percent, the highest level in the 47 years the organization has tracked the issue. Support is rising even though some public health experts warn that there have been insufficient studies of the drug’s effects, and that law enforcement agencies lack reliable tests and protocols to determine whether a driver is impaired by marijuana.

"Supporters in California portrayed legalization as both a social justice and a criminal justice issue, saying the measure would help redress the disproportionate numbers of arrests and convictions among minorities for drug crimes.

"A bill to legalize marijuana in Vermont, supported by Gov. Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, failed this year. But in Massachusetts, public support for legalization rose during the fall, even with bipartisan opposition from the state’s top elected officials and an organized anti-legalization campaign.

"In addition to Tuesday’s votes on recreational marijuana, Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota all passed medical marijuana initiatives."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/us/politics/election-ballot.html?_r=0
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Cruz: give Nevada federal land to state (video)

Cruz hits Nevada airwaves with a libertarian land-rights pitch - Washington Post - David Weigel:

February 18, 2015 -"Sen. Ted Cruz is gearing up for the sleepy, overshadowed Nevada caucuses with a campaign tour and a new TV spot — one that demonstrates how he's trying to own the 'liberty lane' of the primaries now that Sen. Rand Paul is out of the Republican presidential race.

"In 'Nevada Land,' Cruz (R-Tex.) pledges to give 'full control' of Nevada land to the state, putting him in league with hard-line conservatives and libertarians from the grass roots to the American Legislative Exchange Council.

"'Eighty-five percent of Nevada is owned and regulated by the federal government,' Cruz says in the ad. "And Donald Trump wants to keep big government in charge. That's ridiculous'....

"Pulling back land rights from Washington has been a cause for Western Republicans for a generation, epitomized by the high-profile crusades of the Bundy family to claim land rights over territory claimed by the feds. Cruz and Paul (R-Ky.) suggested that Cliven Bundy's 2014 standoff with federal agents came from a legitimate anger....

"Cruz's endorsers in Nevada include Republican state Rep. Michele Fiore, an ally of the Bundys who became a mediator when Ammon Bundy led a temporary takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge. And the movement to give lands back to the states is supported by some of the most powerful and deep-pocketed libertarian donors in America.

"It's unclear whether that can boost Cruz in Nevada. A CNN-ORC poll this week found Trump 28 points ahead of Cruz in that state. Local Republicans say that the Texan and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) are much better organized than Trump in the state, with local offices and a canvassing team trying to turn out voters for the easily forgotten caucuses. A Cruz surprise might depend on the sort of rural libertarian voters who gave GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul strong finishes in 2008 and 2012."

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/02/18/cruz-hits-nevada-airwaves-with-a-libertarian-land-rights-pitch/
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Nevada state legislator joins Libertarian Party

Nevada Assemblyman John Moore joins Libertarian Party | Independent Political Report - LPNV press release:

"January 8, 2016 - "The Libertarian Party of Nevada (LPNevada), the fastest growing political party, providing common sense solutions to major issues announces Nevada State Assemblyman John Moore has joined the Libertarian Party of Nevada.... Moore represents the 8th Assembly District of Nevada and is currently serving his first term in the Nevada State Assembly.... Moore will represent the Libertarian Party of Nevada in the State Legislature.

"'The Libertarian Party of Nevada is proud to welcome Assemblyman John Moore to our Party and we fully support him,' said Libertarian Party of Nevada Chairman Brett H. Pojunis. 'Everyone in the party is excited to have him on board and this is the first time in over 15 years the Libertarian Party has had an elected official at the state level. We have been working hard to build a viable option for voters in Nevada and this will help us to continue our exponential growth.'

"'I first met some of the leaders of the Party during the last legislation session and I was really impressed,' said Assemblyman John Moore. 'We started working together and before I decided to join the Libertarian Party they provided a lot of support for me. Since we started working together under the Libertarian Party banner I have received so much support and I am really looking forward to our future together.'"

Read more: http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/01/nevada-assemblyman-john-moore-joins-libertarian-party/
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Rand Paul channels inner libertarian on western tour

Rand Paul 2016: Libertarian politics and his campaign - POLITICO - Matt Dixon:

July 1, 2015 - "Rand Paul’s raising money with the marijuana industry in Colorado. He’s holding private meetings with anti-government ranchers in Nevada. Ask him about same-sex marriage, and he’ll say the feds shouldn’t be in the marriage business anyway — it should be left for states to sort out.

"The Kentucky senator has always held libertarian views. But he’s leaning pretty hard into his anti-government cred during a campaign swing out West, championing states’ rights and excoriating Washington and federal overreach at every turn....

"The return to Rand Paul 1.0 comes after weeks of trying to break out of a crowded GOP pack. His poll numbers aren’t terrible — the Real Clear Politics average of national polls puts Paul at sixth place among 15 Republican contenders for the nomination, enough to put him on stage at the first GOP debate in August — but show a worrisome lack of upward momentum. In both Iowa and New Hampshire, he’s stuck in fourth place.

"Paul’s move back into his comfort zone also underscores a key priority for his presidential campaign: Lay the groundwork for a strong showing in caucus states where strong organization can pay off and where the live-and-let-live mentality thrives. An early state like Nevada is a plum target for any Republican in the field but holds special appeal for Paul, whose father won the second-most delegates in the past two Republican presidential caucuses there.

"A win there or even a strong showing would help Paul distinguish himself among a large Republican primary field that is clamoring to dominate in Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina....

"'Nevada is a very important state for Rand Paul’s campaign. The state has a very prevalent libertarian streak,' a Paul campaign official said. 'As far as the other Western states, Sen. Paul has made it a priority to reach out to nontraditional Republican voters. His goal is to turn purple states red by expanding the Republican Party.'

"And thus Paul’s Western swing. On Tuesday, Paul’s campaign was slated to meet privately with donors during the annual Cannabis Business Summit in Denver. A day earlier, Paul granted a private audience to Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, the anti-government activist who clashed last year with federal officials and briefly became a celebrated figure on the right.... (The campaign denies that: 'There were no scheduled meetings at Sen. Paul’s stop in Mesquite. He spoke to many people who came to this public event, none for 45 minutes and none planned,' Paul spokesman Sergio Gor said.)

"Paul told the crowd, 'I think almost all land-use issues and animal issues, endangered species issues, ought to be handled at the state level.

'I think that the government shouldn’t interfere with state decisions, so if a state decides to have medical marijuana or something like that, it should be respected as a state decision,” he added.

"That came days after Paul, after initially staying silent, finally issued a statement on the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling. Paul, like the rest of the GOP field, made sure to note he considers marriage to be between a man and a woman but directed most of his fire at the federal government weighing in on the institution of marriage at all.

"'Since government has been involved in marriage, they have done what they always do — taxed it, regulated it, and now redefined it,' Paul wrote in an op-ed published on Time magazine’s website. 'It is hard to argue that government’s involvement in marriage has made it better, a fact also not surprising to those who believe government does little right.'"

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/rand-paul-2016-libertarian-platform-119619.html
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Background on the standoff in Nevada (video)

Bundy supporters rally and kick federal agents off public land | The Libertarian Republic - Faith Braverman:

April 10, 2014 - "Cliven Bundy in Nevada is at war with the federal government for not abiding by their laws. Now, people are flocking to the 600,000-acre spot called Gold Butte, where federal [Bureau of Land Management (BLM)] agents are currently seizing Bundy’s cows for grazing 'illegally'.

"There’s been little media coverage of this astounding act of patriotism. Supporters include neighbors, friends, and even some militia groups from other states. Bundy’s plight has rallied those who value liberty and freedom, and the video below reveals their frustration with the federal government’s involvement in Bundy’s case....

"The government is continuing to round up Bundy’s cows, and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval is not pleased.

"'No cow justifies the atmosphere of intimidation which currently exists nor the limitation of constitutional rights that are sacred to all Nevadans,' Sandoval said in a Tuesday statement. 'The BLM needs to reconsider its approach to this matter and act accordingly'....

"[April 9], the federal agents appeared to step up its game, and tasered Bundy Ranch supporters, as well as throwing a woman with cancer to the ground. So far, the increased force has only rallied Bundy’s supporters more, and thus far the agents have turned tail when met with these very vocal protestors."

Read more: http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/bundy-supporters-rally-kick-federal-agents-public-land/
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Libertarian film festival founder Jo Ann Skousen interviewed by Las Vegas Weekly

Film festival draws Libertarian filmmakers and fans to Las Vegas - Las Vegas Weekly - Andrea Domaneck:

July 12, 2013 - "The third-annual Anthem Libertarian Film Festival returns to Las Vegas, part of the Freedom Fest conference, a gathering of several thousand libertarian thinkers self-described as the world’s largest gathering of free minds.

"Contrary to its name, the film festival does not take place in Anthem, but rather at Planet Hollywood in Sin City Theater and The Studio. The festival opened Thursday night with a keynote address from former Mayor Oscar Goodman and continues through Saturday. One highlight: A speech from Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

"Festival founder Jo Ann Skousen discusses the festival’s roots, what makes a film Libertarian and what’s in store for the weekend."

Read more: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2013/jul/12/libertarian-film-festival-freedomfest-vegas-anthem/
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Organic farmers, Tea Party libertarians make common cause

Tea Party Libertarians and Small Organic Farmers Make Strange Political Bedfellows - US News and World Report:

January 24, 2013 - "In October 2011 [Laura Bledsoe] and her husband Monte decided they wanted to host what they called a "farm to fork" event in their ... farm 50 miles outside of Las Vegas. 'We advertised it as a zero mile footprint," she recalls.... 'we were advertising the fact that this was, for the most part, food prepared directly on our farm'....

"Trouble began two days before the event was to take place. They received a call from the Southern Nevada Health District Office, who wanted to know if the farmers had secured a health permit for the event.... Monte immediately dropped what he was doing and traveled 40 miles to Mesquite to apply for a permit. It was here he learned the process required an inspection to take place the day of the event....

"The health inspector arrived simultaneously with several of the event's guests.... "She literally came in and started looking for things she could find fault with,' Laura recalls. 'That just became apparent in her attitude and demeanor with how she handled things.'

"The health inspector raised several concerns, but chief among them was the meat the Bledsoes were preparing to serve. Because the event was advertised as a 'zero mile footprint,' the meat hadn't been sent through a USDA processing plant, as is required for any meat purchased at a grocery store or restaurant, so the inspector deemed it illegal to serve.

"'She immediately demanded that we send our guests home and cease the event, and if we didn't she would call the police and have them personally escorted off the property'.... In addition to being ordered to send their guests home, the farmers were also told they needed to pour bleach over all the meat to ensure it would never be served."

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/01/24/tea-party-libertarians-and-small-organic-farmers-make-strange-political-bedfellows
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Whatever happened to libertarian Nevada? - Opinion

Whatever happened to libertarian Nevada? - Opinion - ReviewJournal.com - Steve Sebelius::

November 30, 2012 - "And you thought Nevada was a pioneer state.

"We made our bones as the country's only home to legal gambling, but now casinos are everywhere and gambling is legal in nearly every single state.... We started the whole quickie divorce thing, with a six-week residency requirement to get un-hitched. Now divorce is simple in most states....

"Nevada has lost its mojo. We're no longer on the cutting edge of libertarian social trends. Now we're watching other states pull ahead."

Read more:
http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/whatever-happened-to-libertarian-nevada-181513341.html
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In Nevada, Johnson pulling votes from Obama

In Nevada, Johnson Is Pulling Voters From Obama Camp - IVN.us - Terri Harel:

October 13, 2012 - "Politico recently reported that Governor Gary Johnson could actually be drawing a statistically significant amount of support from the major parties.... [In] at least one state, Nevada, Johnson is pulling voters from the Obama camp.  Other news sources, such as CNN’s PoliticalTicker are saying that he hurts the GOP more than the Democrats, overall."

"[Politico] adds this discrepancy in influence could come from geographic location: 'It’s plausible that Johnson could lower support for Obama — especially out west. For example, Johnson — the only pro-pot candidate on the ballot — is running along side as a marijuana legalization initiative in libertarian-leaning Colorado — a state that is definitely in play.' The Tucson Citizen echos this concern, citing Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico as states that could see effects at the polls.

"Gary Johnson recently put out a new [advertisment] calling on 'everyone with a vote and an axe to grind,' including Tea Partiers, Constitutionalists, Greens, Democrats, and Republicans, to 'end the two party system.'"

Read more: https://ivn.us/2012/10/13/in-nevada-johnson-is-pulling-voters-from-obama-camp/
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Romney facing Ron Paul's revenge in battleground Nevada - World - CBC News

Romney facing Ron Paul's revenge in battleground Nevada - World - CBC News - Megan Fitzpatrick:

October 1, 2012 - "A disaster. A train wreck. A mess. These are how people in Reno are describing the Republican party in Nevada, a state that used to be solidly red but has turned into a true swing state in recent years.

"Nevada's Republican party is in such disarray, thanks to the divisive primary battles, that Mitt Romney had to bring in his own people — known here as Team Nevada or sometimes Team Romney — to provide the campaign heft that the state party would normally give....

"But, at the moment anyway, Romney is facing an uphill battle in a battleground state that has six electoral college votes up for grabs. And the lack of tactical support from his own party has put him at a noticeable disadvantage."


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/09/28/f-america-votes-battleground-nevada.html?cmp=rss
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Nevada's 'none' voting option not dead yet - Yahoo! News

Nevada's 'none' voting option not dead yet - Yahoo! News - Sandra Chereb, Associated Press::

"Nevada's "none of the above" voting option will be on the November ballot following an emergency stay sought by the secretary of state's office.... A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco blocked the injunction Tuesday and had strong words for U.S. District Judge Robert Jones, who last month declared the voting option unconstitutional and struck it from the ballot.

"One appellate judge accused Jones, chief judge in Nevada, of deliberate foot-dragging by delaying hearings in the case and not issuing a written order in time for state lawyers to appeal before ballots must be printed.

"'His dilatory tactics appear to serve no purpose other than to seek to prevent the state from taking an appeal of his decision before it must print the ballots,. 9th Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote.... 'Such arrogance and assumption of power by one individual is not acceptable in our judicial system.'"

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/nevadas-none-voting-option-not-dead-yet-172633526--election.html
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Nevada to appeal over 'none of above' voting choice | HeraldNet.com - Nation/World

Nevada to appeal over 'none of above' voting choice | HeraldNet.com - Nation/World - Associated Press:

August 25, 2012 - "CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada has given official notice that it will appeal a ruling that struck down the state's decades-old voting option of 'none of the above.'

"The notice filed late Friday by the attorney general's office says the state will appeal the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco once a written order is issued by U.S. District Judge Robert Jones. Jones struck down the ballot choice Wednesday....

"The Republican National Committee financed the lawsuit out of fears that votes for "none" could influence the outcomes of what are expected to be close presidential and U.S. Senate races in Nevada."
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http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120825/NEWS02/708259953
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Romney And GOP Strike Deal With Ron Paul Loyalists Before Convention : It's All Politics : NPR

Romney And GOP Strike Deal With Ron Paul Loyalists Before Convention : It's All Politics : NPR - Liz Halloran::

August 22, 2012 — "GOP officials and the Mitt Romney campaign have cut a deal with Texas Rep. Ron Paul's campaign to allow some — though not all — of Paul's delegates from Louisiana and Massachusetts to be seated at the Republican National Convention. The status of Maine's delegates remains unsettled ... but negotiations were continuing.

"Pro-Paul delegations from Iowa, Nevada and Minnesota have already been credentialed, without challenge, for the convention.

"Romney and the RNC had been pursuing a legal strategy that appeared designed to prevent Paul from coming into the convention with 'the support of a plurality of the delegates from each of five or more states'.... Reaching that threshold, according to the party rulebook, would allow Paul delegates to place the longtime congressman's name into nomination during the convention and the candidate to make a speech. Paul has not sought to be nominated from the floor.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/08/21/159594780/romney-and-gop-strike-deal-with-ron-paul-loyalists-before-convention
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Mohave Daily News > Ron Paul nabs Nevada delegates from Romney

Mohave Daily News > News > State > Ron Paul nabs Nevada delegates from Romney:

May 7, 2012 - "SPARKS, Nev. (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul trumped presumptive nominee Mitt Romney in Nevada’s national delegate count Sunday, but he will only be able to parlay those supporters into votes for his longshot bid at the national GOP convention if Romney fails to win the nomination in the first round.

"Of Nevada’s 25 delegates elected Sunday to go to the national convention, 22 openly support Paul and three back Romney. The state’s three other delegates are state party officials.... Paul supporters were successful not only in winning the lion’s share of national delegates but in outing the state’s national committeeman and committeewoman and replacing them with supporters of the Texas congressman....

"Under party rules adopted last fall, Romney was to get 20 of Nevada’s 28 delegates for the national convention, and Paul was to get eight.... Paul loyalists and state convention officials said Nevada’s national delegates will abide by that allocation in the first round of balloting in August at the national convention in Tampa."

Read more: http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2012/05/07/news/state/doc4fa787d406c45960947181.txt
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