2018 Ballot Questions

Summary

The Washoe County Central Committee voted on positions for Ballot Questions 3 and 5.
The Washoe County Executive Board discussed and voted on positions for Ballot Questions 1, 2, 4, and 6.

Statewide Question 1:

Marsy’s Law. The DPWC Executive Board has no position on this question.

Statewide Question 2:  

Exemption of Feminine Hygiene Products from Sales Tax – The DPWC Executive Board votes: Yes on question 2.

Statewide Question 3:

The Energy Choice Initiative. This is included in the DPWC 2018 Platform. The DPWC Executive Board votes: No on question 3.

Statewide Question 4:

Medical Patient Tax Relief Act – The DPWC Executive Board votes: Yes on question 4.

Statewide Question 5:

The Automatic Voter Registration Initiative – The DPWC Executive Board votes: Yes on question 5.

Statewide Question 6:

The Renewable Energy Promotion Initiative. This is included in the DPWC 2018 Platform. The DPWC Executive Board votes: Yes on question 6.

Washoe County 1:

Truckee River Flood Management Authority Funding Question. The DPWC Executive Board has no position on this question.

City of Sparks 1:

Spark Advisory Question regarding the office of the Sparks City Attorney. The DPWC Executive Board votes: No on Sparks Advisory Question 1.

Information:

Detailed information from the Nevada Secretary of State about all statewide ballot questions can be found here:

https://www.washoecounty.us/voters/files/18_election_files/18_ballot_questions_public_book.pdf

Information about Washoe County ballot initiatives can be found here:

https://www.washoecounty.us/voters/2018electioninformation/generalballotquestions.php

Both state, county and city of Sparks initiatives information are available in the following document:

https://www.washoecounty.us/large_files/ballots/general/Questions.pdf

Democratic Party of Washoe County Positions

The Democratic Party of Washoe County Executive Board has no position on Question 1. We urge you to read the information from opponents and proponents of the measure. 

Yes on Question 1 – https://www.yeson1nv.com/

No on Question 1 –  ACLU flier

The DPWC Executive Board supports Yes on 2, the Exemption of Feminine Hygiene Products from Sales Tax, because this tax is discriminatory.

There is no equivalent medical product that is used only by one sex every month for decades. These sales and use taxes are especially unjust for low-income women who struggle to pay for basic necessities each month. Feminine hygiene products need to be more accessible, and eliminating these taxes on sanitary napkins and tampons will make them more affordable.

The Democratic Party of Washoe County Central Committee voted at our 2018 County Convention to put No on 3 in our party platform and to have statements regarding our reasoning included in the platform. 

Extract from the Washoe County Democratic Party 2018 platform:

We oppose Question 3 for the following reasons:

  • Required statutory levels of renewable energy portfolios will likely be unenforceable upon out-of-state providers.
  • The Stranded Asset Recovery costs for NV Energy will be passed on to ratepayers.
  • NV has lower rates than any deregulated state.
  • If the energy industry is enshrined in the NV constitution, it will become nearly impossible to remove or change.
  • NV Energy will no longer buy natural gas in large bulk and pass on savings to customers.
  • The absence of a “provider of last resort” will harm the most vulnerable: the sick, elderly, disabled veterans, and low-income families needing assistance.
  • Thanks to publicly regulated approach, Nevadans enjoy some of the lowest energy rates in the western United States, while supporting good-paying union jobs.
  • Energy deregulation in other states across the country has resulted in higher rates, predatory practices, and opportunities for bad actors like ENRON.

The DPWC Executive Board supports Yes on 4, the Medical Patient Tax Relief Act because this would help sick, injured, and dying patients and their families. It stops the Department of Taxation from imposing unnecessary sales taxes on medical equipment prescribed by physicians, such as wheelchairs, infant apnea monitors, and oxygen delivery devices. It will bring Nevada in line with the vast majority of states that do not tax this type of equipment for home use.

The DPWC Central Committee voted to have Automatic Voter Registration in our 2018 Platform and supports Yes on 5. Voting is our fundamental right. It is our most important way to guarantee our rights and freedoms, and it’s a responsibility to be taken seriously by both the people and the government. Yet our outdated voter registration process makes it unnecessarily difficult for eligible Nevada citizens to have their voices heard and leaves our registration system vulnerable to errors. Question 5 will modernize voter registration, clean the voter rolls, and make it more convenient for eligible Nevadans to register, including military members, rural residents, and those who have moved recently. It will reduce the risk of fraud and lower costs.

The DPWC Executive Board supports Yes on 6 because this would require electricity providers to get at least 50 percent of Nevada’s electricity from renewable sources like solar, wind, and geothermal by the year 2030. Nevada is one of America’s sunniest states, yet we get only 20 percent of our power from clean, renewable sources like solar. Instead, we spend $700 million a year to import dirty fossil fuels from other states.