Labor answers GOP union petition with its own

Friday, Feb. 20, 1998 | 10:29 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Organized labor stepped up its fight today against Republican leaders by filing a proposed constitutional amendment that mixes campaign reform with the right of union members to continue to make contributions to candidates without roadblocks.

This petition counters the one filed by GOP officials requiring union members to give annual written consent before part of their dues collected from their paychecks could be used for political activities.

"Our petition is to keep the status quo," said Danny Thompson, political director for the Nevada State AFL-CIO. "And we want true political reform."

The labor plan would require the disclosure of all campaign contributors -- the 1997 law requires only identification of those who give $100 or more. Under the labor plan, contributions from foreign interests would be banned and people would be prohibited from making contributions in the name of another individual in an effort to hide the identity of the donor.

To qualify for the November ballot, 46,764 signatures of registered voters would have to be gathered on the petition by June 16. And in 13 of the 17 counties, 10 percent of the registered voters who cast ballots in the last election must sign the initiative.

The Republican petition has a head start since it was filed Feb. 4 and the party has already hired a firm to start gathering signatures. Although the petitions are opposing, each would appear on the ballot this November and, if passed, again in 2000.

The one with the highest number of votes would become the constitutional amendment.

Chuck Muth, the Republican spokesman for the party's petition, could not be reached for comment.

"The Nevada Legislature began the job of campaign reform when they passed SB215 in 1997," Blackie Evans, executive secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, said. The 'Full Disclosure' initiative will finish the job by preventing corruption and preserving the integrity of the political process."

But at the heart of the petition is the provision to allow the continuation of dues being deducted from union workers' paychecks to be used for political purposes without workers written approval.

Evans said the Republican initiative would impose "unfair restrictions" on unions receiving campaign donations.

Thompson said that written approval is not required in other organizations that make political donations. "We want to continue a level playing field," he said.

"The proponents of the anti-employee initiative have never supported issues important to the working men and women in our state," Evans said. "They want to cripple the unions and other organizations by silencing their voice on public policy issues."