Outside group touts Q9 with $1.275 million

Friday, Nov. 1, 2002 | 9:49 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A Washington-based organization has poured $1.275 million into the campaign to support legalization of marijuana in Nevada, far outspending the opponents of the election ballot question.

Three major Strip gaming companies financed the opposition.

The Marijuana Policy Project of Washington made four contributions to back the campaign supporting Question 9, which would legalize up to three ounces of marijuana for adults. The contributions went to Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, which reported spending $1,140,865.

Fighting to defeat the marijuana petition were the Venetian, which gave $71,000; Park Place Entertainment and Boyd Gaming, which both chipped in $25,000; and Sunbelt Communications, which contributed $10,000.

Those contributions went to the Committee to Keep Nevada Respectable, which collected $143,800 and spent $128,265. Of the expenses, $107,000 went to FFG Advertising and $20,000 went to Rogich Communications for consulting.

A group called Nevadans Against Legalized Marijuana collected $6,325 and spent $6,225. The major contributor to this group was Stop DUI, which gave more than $5,000. The organization also got a contribution of $500 from Bill Young, a candidate for Clark County Sheriff.

The Coalition for the Protection of Marriage, which is supporting a ban on gay marriages in Nevada, reported it collected $351,468 since the primary election in September. At that time it had a balance of $523,231. In its report filed Thursday, it said it spent $730,231 since the primary election.

The ballot issue would stipulate in the state constitution that only marriages between a man and a woman are legal in Nevada.

The numbers come from campaign finance reports which were filed earlier this week with the Nevada Secretary of State's office.

State Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, the Democratic candidate for governor, reported he collected $24,396 in his campaign and has spent $20,362.

Neal's campaign report shows he received $1,000 from the Nevada Senate Democrats, $2,000 from Sen. Harry Reid's Searchlight Leadership Fund and $1,000 from state Sen. Bob Coffin of Las Vegas.

Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, chairman of the state Democratic party, said it decided not to support Neal because he endorsed Republican Lynette Boggs McDonald, who is black, against Democratic incumbent Shelley Berkley in the 1st Congressional District Race.

Reports filed Thursday in the Secretary of State's Office show Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, collected $376,568 since the primary election. She had a balance before the primary election of $400,804. She reported her expenses since the primary at $729,505.

Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt reported receiving $270,515 since the last report filed shortly before the primary election. She said she had $53,699 left at that time. She spent $315,820 since late August on her campaign.

Assemblyman John Lee, D-Las Vegas, who is running for state controller, said he collected $59,876 during this reporting period that should be added to the balance of $45,965 that he had shortly before the primary election.

Lee reported he spent $46,576 and has $49,264 left.

One of his contributors is Vestin Mortgage Inc., operated by Michael Shustek, who is involved in a controversy for his donations to Democrat John Hunt, the candidate for attorney general.

The secretary of state's office is investigating a complaint that Shustek may have funneled money through others to the Hunt campaign. Shustek has denied the allegation lodged by Republican candidate Brian Sandoval.