Teacher petition checked

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Friday, Sept. 8, 2000 | 10:33 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- A raw count on the initiative petition by a teachers union to impose a business profits tax shows that 86,840 people signed the document.

Voter registrars and county clerks reported the tally Thursday to the secretary of state's office. Susan Morandi, deputy secretary of state for elections, said she would start notifying the counties today to start verifying that the signatures are those of registered voters.

In those counties where there are more than 500 signatures on the petition, the clerk must take a sampling of 5 percent or 500 signatures -- whichever is more -- to check to see if they are signed up as voters. In counties with fewer than 500 signatures on the petition, all the signers must be checked.

The Nevada State Education Association needed 40,009 signatures, including 10 percent of the voters in 13 of the 17 counties, to qualify the petition.

The counties have nine working days starting Monday to complete the verification. If the petition qualifies, as expected, it will be presented to the 2001 Legislature, which must act within the first 40 days of the session.