LOOKING IN ON: CITY HALL

Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006 | 7:28 a.m.

Las Vegas' assertion that labor unions may picket on Fremont Street despite new ordinances governing the pedestrian mall could come back to haunt the city if the ordinance is challenged in court.

Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said a previous ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the Fremont Street Experience is a public forum entitles all citizens to the same privileges.

"That is black-letter law," Peck said. "Even in a nonpublic forum, you can't regulate that way, except under special circumstances." Peck contends that by stating that labor unions could picket, City Attorney Brad Jerbic was essentially granting it privileges not afforded other groups under the ordinance. That, Peck said, is unconstitutional.

The new ordinances deal with solicitation and related matters at the Fremont Street venue, which the city describes as a pedestrian mall.

Richard Williams of the Nevada Carpenters Union raised the question at a committee meeting that preceded the council's vote. Williams was concerned that if the union engaged in a labor action, such as picketing, they would violate the new law.

Jerbic told Williams that federal labor laws protect unions' rights.

More than 200 seniors and families from the Las Vegas Housing Authority received Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings courtesy of Councilman Lawrence Weekly and Wal-Mart.

The dinners were handed out Friday in a parking lot on Stewart Street.

"Thanks to our community partners we are able to offer a wonderful Thanksgiving meal to families in need," Weekly said. The families were selected by the Housing Authority.

Several homeless people watched the food giveaway only feet away from the park at Frank Wright Plaza. At the time of last week's holiday dinner giveaway, it was illegal to feed the homeless and the indigent in city parks.

This week, however, the homeless, got a reason to celebrate Thanksgiving when a U.S. District Court judge ruled that city ordinance unconstitutional.

Mark Hansel can be reached at 259-4085 or at hansel@lasvegassun.com.