Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 10:07 AM
Subject: Grandma Arrested in Reno for Gathering Signatures
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Just when you thought it was safe to practice democracy, the government gets in the way.
Stories abound about Nevadans for Sound Government (NSG) signature gatherers being
harassed and thrown off of public property by government employees and security guards.
But to this point the government had stopped short of arresting any NSG personnel.
That changed last night when NSG northern Nevada Director Janine Hansen and her son
Zack were hauled off to the Reno jail for gathering signatures at Reno's Regional
Transportation Center. Building officials told Ms. Hansen last evening that she must leave
the building or they threatened her with arrest for trespassing. Hansen provided the
officials with a letter from Secretary of State Dean Heller indicating that petition
signatures may be gathered at public facilities without giving notice. Hansen also
provided a letter from the transportation center acknowledging that she would be gathering
signatures on the premises last evening.
These building officials would have none of it, and called the Reno police. No doubt,
Reno's finest were careful as they approached the 55-year old Ms. Hansen who was armed to
the teeth with.two clipboards with petitions and a couple of ball-point pens.
Ms. Hansen is as strong-willed and passionate as anyone you are likely to encounter,
but should the sight of her toting a couple clipboards give building managers cause for
concern for the safety of other patrons of this public facility? Of course not.
Ms. Hansen's arrest comes on the heels of a complaint filed Monday against unidentified
state and local government workers accused of preventing circulators of petitions from
collecting signatures. Hansen's brother, Christopher Hansen, filed the complaints with Las
Vegas police and Secretary of State Dean Heller.
In his complaints, Mr. Hansen asked Metro and the Secretary of State to charge the
government workers with gross misdemeanor crimes and to fine them $20,000 as allowed by
sections of Nevada law. The complaints were filed against two Nevada Highway Patrol
officers, several Department of Motor Vehicles employees, officials with UNLV and others.
Ms. Hansen's other brother, Attorney Joel Hansen is asking the Supreme Court for a 60-day
extension to complete signature gathering.
NSG is falling short of collecting enough signatures due to the constant harassment by
government workers. Secretary of State Heller told the R-J Monday, "he has not
reviewed the complaint, but he called it bogus."
Bogus, really? Government officials will blatantly disregard documentation provided by
Heller's own office and have a 55-year old woman arrested and held for hours in jail--but
Hansen's complaint is bogus?
According to the Governor's office nobody is standing in the way of NSG gathering
signatures. "Nobody is going to do anything to interfere with George's efforts,"
Greg Bortolin, Governor Guinn's spokesman told the Review-Journal last week referring to
NSG chairman George Harris. "He has every right to do what he is doing."
Mr. Bortolin should tell that to the building officials who had Ms. Hansen and her son
locked up until one in the morning sharing a community cell with some of Reno's more
colorful characters.
The Review-Journal reported last week that Tom Jacobs, a spokesman for the state
Department of Motor Vehicles, admitted that a DMV supervisor in Reno mistakenly prevented
NSG gatherers from collecting tax repeal signatures.
The DMV supervisor was unaware of an attorney general's ruling last fall that the
petitions can be collected at DMV offices without notice, according to Jacobs. Jacobs told
the R-J's Ed Vogel that the agency again has told all supervisors that people may gather
petition signatures.
Interestingly, the unnamed DMV supervisor did not mistakenly eject signature gathers for
the education initiative.
It seems unlikely that there are dozens of rouge government employees in various locations
throughout the state individually deciding to disregard the election laws and choosing to
risk $20,000 fines and being charged with gross misdemeanors for impeding the election
process. Government employees aren't exactly the risk-taking type. These building managers
must have orders to harass NSG gathers on sight.
But, what would be the motive? Perhaps it is because NSG's petitions call for a repeal of
$833 million in taxes and a ban on government employee legislators. State government is
circling its wagons to prevent Nevada voters from having a voice. It will stop at nothing,
including holding an innocent woman and her son in jail.
Doug French, Liberty Watch Nevada Columnist
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