"It's Over."

It always feels so good to be validated. But how are we supposed to feel when Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) validates us? Well, this is why we're feeling quite awkward this morning.

But hey, he said it: "It's over." And he's correct about this.

Yesterday, the US Supreme Court green-lighted marriage equality in Wisconsin, Virginia, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Utah by denying petitions for appeal in their respective marriage cases. And because the Court let these appellate court rulings stand, marriages may soon begin in even more states. Already, Colorado Attorney General John Suther (R) stood down and ordered all 64 Colorado county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses as soon as possible, so marriages are now even happening there.

Just a year ago, marriage equality in Utah was unimaginable. But now, it's reality.





And eventually, it will be reality here in Nevada. Just don't tell Nevada Republican luminaries Adam Laxalt & Cresent Hardy. For them, "segregation laws" always make great "political issues". And yes, they still have plenty of company in the Nevada Republican Party.

Oh, and don't tell the religious wrong. They're still condemning the US Supreme Court for striking down (back in 2003!) state laws that pushed police officers into people's bedrooms. And of course, they're condemning yesterday's Supreme (in)action as "unconstitutional". Clearly, they're still in need of "basic plumbing lessons" on Constitutional law... Along with a general reality check.



Apparently, they haven't received Scott Walker's memo yet. It's over. Yes, truly, it's over.

Well, OK, it's not completely over yet. It won't be until we have marriage equality nationwide. But in terms of the political "optics" (that certain media pundits love to talk about), it's over. Sorry, H8ers.

Justice... Just Fashionally Late

Finally, we must wait no more... At least when it comes to the US Supreme Court. The nation's highest court had several marriage equality cases awaiting action. And now, we know the Supreme Court has denied petitions (for appeal) in all those cases.

So what does this mean? In short, marriage equality is now the law of the land in at least 5 more states: Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Utah. By denying petitions of appeal, lower court rulings in favor of marriage will stand. This also means SCOTUS stays on those rulings expire today, and this is why marriages will likely begin today in Virginia and Wisconsin.

But wait, there's more. The Supreme Court essentially upheld these federal appellate court rulings de facto by dismissing the appeals. This will require lower federal courts within these appellate court circuits (4th, 7th, & 10th) to abide by these appellate court rulings. And this most likely opens the door to marriage bans being struck down quite soon in North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina (all 4th Circuit), Kansas, Wyoming, and Colorado (all 10th Circuit). (Maryland, Illinois, and New Mexico already have marriage equality.)

But wait, what about us? Well, that's the downside of today's ruling. Because the 9th Circuit hasn't yet issued a ruling on Sevcik v. Sandoval, we'll have to wait a little longer here in Nevada.

But then again, we may not have to wait that much longer. If the 9th overturns Nevada's marriage ban (as most legal observers expect), the Supreme Court may not decide to place a stay on that ruling should opponents appeal. After all, the Court just dismissed all these cases.

Nevada's LGBTQ families have been waiting 12 years for this. And sadly, they will have to wait just a little longer for justice to finally arrive. But now, we can feel more confident about justice arriving to The Silver State. Just pardon her for arriving fashionably late.

Still Waiting

We've been waiting all week for this. And now, we have our answer. And yes, it involves another week of waiting.

Earlier today, the US Supreme Court announced a slew of cases it will be taking up next session. None of those cases are marriage equality cases.

However, the nation's highest court may announce next week more cases it will be taking up in the next session. Might Justices be waiting for decisions from the Ninth Circuit? (Probably, along with decisions from the Sixth Circuit on Tennessee's, Kentucky's, Ohio's, and Michigan's respective marriage bans.)

One of the cases now at the Supreme Court is Kitchen v. Herbert. This is the suit challenging Utah's marriage ban. If the Court decides to reject this appeal, lower court rulings in favor of marriage equality will stand... And marriages will resume in Utah.

Marriage equality will also come to Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma by the end of the year if the Supreme Court rejects appeals in all those cases. But wait, aren't we missing a state?

Hold on. We haven't been forgotten. Actually, Sevcik v. Sandoval is still in San Francisco at the moment. Even though most legal observers have a good idea as to how the Ninth Circuit will rule on Nevada's marriage ban, we still don't have an actual ruling yet. And since the usual suspects will likely appeal if the judges rule against upholding the 2000/2002 marriage ban, Nevada may be included on the Supreme Court's 2015 docket should the Justices decide to take up some or all of the marriage cases.

But for now, we're still waiting.

When You Wish Upon... What?!

OK, kids. It's time to fire up the Wayback Machine. Let's travel back to January 2013. Remember the sordid tale of John Swallow & Jeremy Johnson?

Wait, who?!

Here's what we know so far. St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson wanted the legal equivalent of a magic wand to wave away a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into his internet marketing company, I Works. So he contacted then Deputy Utah Attorney General John Swallow (R), who then connected him with the late Check City (payday loan provider) owner Richard Rawle. 

Now here's where we descend into "he said, he said" territory. Johnson alleges that Swallow & Rawle struck a deal with him where he'd give them $600,000... For them to then bribe Senator [Harry] Reid [D] into making the FTC investigation of I Works go away. 

However, Swallow vehemently denies this allegation. Swallow's version of the story goes as this: He just thought (at the time that) Johnson was facing an unfair probe by the FTC. So he referred Johnson to his former employer Rawle. And he's even presented an affidavit from Rawle (prepared just before his death) stating Johnson paid Rawle $250,000 to hire federal lobbyists to make Johnson's case in DC.

At the very least, some sleazy wheeling-dealing was going on here. And now that John Swallow is Utah's Attorney General, he's facing the political scandal of his life. However, there's been nothing produced so far that confirms that Reid accepted any kind of bribe from Johnson, Swallow, and/or Rawle.

Yesterday, Former Utah Attorneys General John Swallow (R) & Mark Shurtleff (R) were indicted on 23 counts. They face up to 30 years in prison if convicted. And yes, this has to do with their alleged dealings with Jeremy Johnson and the late Richard Rawle.

Already, this is causing a huge political earthquake in Utah. And already, investigators are suggesting more indictments are on the way in the Swallow-Johnson corruption case.

However, some in Utah are disappointed that the federal Department of Justice declined to take this case. Even the lead investigators have suggested such. Could it possibly be...

Still, no. Even as certain figures whisper about Senator Harry Reid's potential involvement, no evidence has actually been found. We only have Jeremy Johnson's claims that Senator Reid is involved. And keep in mind that Jeremy Johnson had demanded a refund of the $250,000 he paid Richard Rawle because Senator Reid never made that pesky FTC investigation of I Works go away!

We get it. This is awful news for Utah Republicans. Many sense this case goes far deeper than some money Rawle, Shurtleff, and Swallow passed around. And certain media pundits are hungry for a big, splashy "SCANDAL!!!" involving Nevada's top elected leader.

But no matter how much certain pundits & politicians wish for a "Reid connection" here, they can't wish it into being true. Just as they couldn't turn a UNLV Foundation fundraiser into a giant "Hillary Clinton SCANDAL!!!", they can't just wish it into reality.

The 2014 Election Cycle isn't even over yet, and already some politicians & pundits are wishing for 2016 fireworks. And already, they're wishing for "SCANDALZZZ!!!" that only seem to be political mirages. Perhaps instead of wishing for that which will never materialize, they need to focus on what's actually here.

Who Could Have Guessed?

Who could have guessed? Who could have figured? Who could have possibly foreseen this?

In Seminole County, Florida, Mark Stanley claims he was legally justified in stealing copper wiring from a church... Because the law doesn't apply to him. A similar story has emerged in Lower Pottsgrove Township, Pennsylvania, where Ishaq Ibrahim claims "common law" allowed him and his cohorts to rob a bank. And just last week, Kevin Green was convicted of robbery in nearby Philadelphia despite Green's claim that the very court he was tried in is "unconstitutional".

But wait, there's more. In Oracle, Arizona, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu (R) encouraged local 21st Century Know Nothings to conduct a Murrieta style bus blockade to prevent #BorderChildren from reaching their promised shelter. And to make matters even worse, Paul Babeu and the anti-immigrant rabble rousers summoned the notorious Arizona State Militia to further intimidate the bus full of children.



Sound familiar yet? For one, all the above mentioned figures claim they can commit these crimes because they're "sovereign citizens". And in the Arizona case, the Arizona State Militia happens to be the ideological and organizational offspring of the Minuteman Project, the same outfit that spawned the likes of Shawna Forde and JT Ready.

Oh, and let's not forget this: the Arizona State Militia also rushed to fellow "sovereign citizen" Cliven Bundy's defense back in April. After all, they don't recognize the law. And #BundyRanch gave them the perfect opportunity to launch their ideal "Range War" against the federal government.

So they're all at it again. This time, Cliven Bundy is cheering from the sidelines while his "Patriot Movement" comrades take the "Range War" to a whole new level.

And speaking of whole new level, the Salt Lake City FBI recently arrested John David Huggins after uncovering his plot to blow up the Tremonton, Utah, police department. Of course, he wanted to "start an anti-government revolution". Hmmm... Where have we heard this before? (Hint: Remember the rants of Jerad & Amanda Miller.)

Who could have guessed? Who could have figured? Who could have possibly surmised all of this? Actually, the evidence has been all around us. We just need to start noticing it.

Some "Issues"

This morning, 3 very important judicial decisions dropped. So let's take a look at them.

In Denver, the 10th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling overturning Utah's ban on marriage equality. And in doing so, the 10th made a very critical announcement. In their ruling, the majority of 10th Circuit Justices made a major declaration that may end up further accelerating the arrival of nationwide marriage equality.

“Today’s ruling marks the first time a federal court of appeals has ruled that excluding same-sex couples from the freedom to marry is unconstitutional," said NCLR executive director Kate Kendell in a statement. "The court makes clear that the promise of equality embedded in our revered U.S. Constitution includes the lives and loves of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans. That recognition marks an indelible milestone in our nation’s journey to full inclusion — and one that will undoubtedly influence other courts in the months to come.”

Attorney Peggy Tomsic, who presented the arguments on behalf of the Utah couples — Derek Kitchen and Moudi Sbeity, Laurie Wood and Kody Partridge, and Karen Archer and Kate Call — noted the far-reaching consequences of a federal appeals court's involvement.

"The court’s ruling is a victory not only for the courageous couples who brought this case," Tomsic said in a statement, "but for our entire state and every state within the 10th Circuit.”

  
The 10th Circuit includes Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. In its opinion, the 10th Circuit noted that the Windsor case "left open the question presented to us now in full bloom: May a State of the Union constitutionally deny a citizen the benefit or protection of the laws of the State based solely upon the sex of the person that citizen chooses to marry?" Then it sided unequivocally against the ban. "Having heard and carefully considered the argument of the litigants, we conclude that, consistent with the United States Constitution, the State of Utah may not do so. We hold that the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right to marry, establish a family, raise children, and enjoy the full protection of a state’s marital laws. A state may not deny the issuance of a marriage license to two persons, or refuse to recognize their marriage, based solely upon the sex of the persons in the marriage union."

Every so often, we've examined the awfully strong Constitutional case for marriage equality. None other than 5 US Supreme Court Justices hinted at it in their Windsor ruling almost exactly a year ago. In fact, several federal district judges have cited Windsor in their rulings striking down state marriage bans...

Including the latest one in Indiana. Judge Richard L. Young didn't mince words when ruling in favor of couples seeking the freedom to marry. And while it's unclear how soon marriages will begin in Indiana, this ruling just adds to the favorable trend for equality in federal court.

And speaking of federal court, let's take a glance at some big news happening closer to home. In San Francisco, the full 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals rejected an en banc (or full court) review of an earlier decision requiring heightened scrutiny in all cases regarding discrimination based on sexual orientation. Remember that Sevcik v. Sandoval is now in the 9th as it awaits a November hearing. And even before this confirmation, Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto (D) & Governor Brian Sandoval (R) had already abandoned their legal defense of Nevada's marriage ban. So today's announcement further signals the arrival of marriage equality to Nevada is no longer a question of if, but when.

So today, we have 3 more federal court rulings in favor of LGBTQ equality. And all 3 suggest Question 2's stoppage of marriage equality in Nevada are numbered. Attorney General candidate Adam Laxalt (R) and his "TEA" tinged ideological soulmates may have "political issues" with this, but judges who actually interpret the US Constitution for a living only seem to have issues with those who want to deny millions of loving families their b civil rights.

Who Expects This?

We were wondering when more folks would notice. Sure, Cliven Bundy became "old news" for national media pundits when he was revealed to be a racist fool. But for the poor residents of Bunkerville & Mesquite, the armed madness continued even after the national media cameras left.

But at least now, Salon's Paul Rosenberg is noticing. And even better, he put together the timeline of what's happened at #BundyRanch since the national media spotlight dimmed. That helps those who haven't been keeping up with the story here.

Yet now, the media spotlight seems to be returning... Or has #BundyRanch just moved to where the national media spotlight is now?



Remember when we discussed "Operation American Spring"? That's actually about to begin tomorrow. The "Patriot Movement" is hoping to take the mayhem it's unleashed on Nevada & Utah all the way to DC.

Meanwhile on this end of the continent, Gun Owners of America Director Larry Pratt is still encouraging the Bundy Gang to do whatever they can to stop federal authorities from enforcing federal law. And not only that, but he's proposing a nifty solution to the Great Western Drought: Just have California's county sheriffs point guns at federal officials to make them release water that California no longer has!



Wow. That makes plenty of sense. (/not)

But then again, none of this really does. Who expects local law enforcement agencies to prevent other law enforcement agencies from enforcing the law? Who expects 10 million people to descend upon the DC area to overthrow our duly elected government? Who expects license to trespass upon the American people's land without facing any consequences?

Who expects this? And who condones this? Think about it.

Sashay Away

For some, too much is never enough. This definitely applies to Cliven Bundy and his gang of "outlaw cowboys". For them, too much attention is never enough.

They loved it when national G-O-TEA politicians & pundits rushed to their aid. But when the Republican Party started "rebranding" its #BundyRanch involvement and the Kochs started to deny the existence of #BundyRanch, they had to rethink their media strategy.

So they started unleashing armed madness upon the Virgin Valley (and each other). They then proceeded to drive business away from the Mesquite area. And because it wasn't enough for them to damage Nevada's reputation, they then began making field trips to Utah to terrorize that state with their signature brand of lunacy.

Of course, "Free-dumb isn't free". That's why some Bundy Gang members have taken to GoFundMe to demand welfare checks donations for continued wannabe insurrection shit whatever. Apparently, they're most in need of life advice from the very wise philosopher, Lohanthony.



Needless to say, "outlaw militia" crew at #BundyRanch are now running into some money trouble. Below is some exclusive footage of the Bundy Gang soliciting at GoFundMe.



(Obviously, not really. The Bundy crew wish they could be this sickening!)

But wait, there's more. The Bundy Gang may be busy soliciting funds, but they're never too busy to throw shade at elected officials. And this week, they're actually reading Governor Brian Sandoval (R) and Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie to filth for not supporting their law breaking ways. Apparently, they forgot when Brian Sandoval cheered them on... Or they remember that, and they're just wondering why he doesn't want to be caught anywhere near them any more.

Here's some helpful advice for the Bundy Crew. Remember the 5 G's: Good god, get a grip, girl!

Here's some more helpful advice for the Bundy Gang: Call it quits already. We know you feel very attacked, but that's no reason to take up arms against our elected government that's set up by the very Constitution you claim to know & love. It's just too much. And the last thing we need is a man-made disaster on your hands.



We can only hope Cliven Bundy and his outlaw gang can take this helpful advice from us, and from Mama Ru of course, before their delusions of grandeur land them into any more trouble. It's now time for them... To sashay away.

Free-dumb

Might the armed madness finally be nearing an end? After over a month of Cliven Bundy and his gang of "outlaw cowboys" running rampant and unleashing mayhem upon Gold Butte and the Virgin Valley, law enforcement may finally step up to put an end to this. And we're not just talking about any law enforcement. Now, the FBI is starting to investigate #BundyRanch while the BLM is preparing to take Bundy (back) to court.



Yet as the Bundy Gang are starting to encounter consequences for their actions here in Nevada, that isn't stopping them from spreading their signature brand of armed madness into another state. Last week, they began making noises about BLM land in southeastern Utah. Apparently, they've been upset over the BLM restricting all terrain vehicle (ATV) use in Recapture Canyon, an area well known for Native American petroglyphs and sensitive riparian habitats.

Even before last week, Recapture Canyon had been subjected to repeated acts of vandalism. But last weekend, that vandalism reached new levels when the Bundy Gang decided to take an ATV joy ride through the area. Oh yeah, who cares about some silly birds and burial sites. The Bundy Gang only care about their Free-dumb!

And they're not alone. Since last month, a number of G-O-TEA politicians have joined the Koch funded AFP in encouraging this kind of armed rebellion. And even though they've been trying to avoid Bundy's racist comments, they've still been championing the extreme ideology behind those comments.

They may not be alone, but they are quite clearly in the wrong. The vast majority of Westerners don't condone this behavior. And perhaps more importantly, both state & federal law forbid it.



For all their talk of "loving the Constitution", these "Constitutional conservatives" seem to have no idea how the US Constitution actually works. And they seem to forget that the Constitution set up the very federal government that they oh so hate now.

So what are they fighting for? What are they demanding? What are they making the case for?

Apparently, free-dumb. They demand the free-dumb to vandalize and flat out destroy property that belongs to the American people. And they don't care who gets hurt in the process.

Here in America, these fringe characters have the freedom to be stupid. They just don't have the free-dumb to pee on our legs and tell us it's raining.

Pipeline to Peril

Today has probably not been a good day to hang out at Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) headquarters, unless one happens to be a reporter looking for a good story. Why? Nevada's water powerhouse got hit with not one, but two federal law suits today.

First off, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a federal law suit over SNWA's proposed pipeline to divert water from Snake Valley to Clark County.

“Enough is enough,” said Rob Mrowka, a Nevada-based senior scientist with the Center. “Despite hundreds of pages detailing the unthinkable harm that would be caused by this project, tens of thousands of people signing petitions against it, and setbacks in state district and supreme courts, the Southern Nevada Water Authority and BLM have closed their ears to reason, logic and plain common sense. They need to drop this disastrous water grab.”

The Groundwater Development Project would, by the authority’s own admission, dry up or “adversely affect” more than 5,500 acres of meadows, more than 200 springs, 33 miles of trout streams, and 130,600 acres of sagebrush habitat for sage grouse, mule deer, elk and pronghorn as water tables plunge by 200 feet.

The greater sage grouse is an upland bird species, iconic and completely dependent on sagebrush habitat for its existence; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found the bird to warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act in 2010. Its numbers have plummeted by more than 50 percent in recent decades due to fragmentation and loss of habitat (more of which would occur with the Southern Nevada groundwater pumping project). The Fish and Wildlife Service must make a decision on listing the bird for protections under the Endangered Species Act by 2015 under a settlement agreement with the Center.

At least 25 species of Great Basin springsnails would also be pushed toward extinction, and 14 species of desert fish would be hurt, including the Moapa dace and White River springfish. Frogs and toads would fare little better, with four species severely threatened by the dewatering.

Both wildlife and agriculture in the region would be in grave risk if SNWA's Snake Valley Pipeline is allowed to suck water out of the region. That's why local Native American tribes, farmers, ranchers, and environmentalists have all called on SNWA to shelf the costly pipeline and seriously consider less costly alternatives. That's also why a district court judge ruled against SNWA and its pipeline plan in December.

But wait, there's more. The Great Basin Water Network, along with White Pine County, Sierra Club, and other local allies, filed their own suit in federal court against SNWA and its proposed pipeline. Why?

Abby Johnson, President of the Great Basin Water Network, said the project would be “the biggest groundwater pumping project ever built in the United States and it would have devastating hydrological, biological and socioeconomic impacts across vast areas of eastern Nevada and Western Utah. In approving the project and the pipeline ROW [right of way], BLM [Bureau of Land Management] ignored its own science and conclusions that the environmental impacts would be irreversible, irretrievable and widespread. That’s arbitrary and capricious decision-making,” she said.

The Plaintiffs, which also include the Sierra Club, the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority, Utah Audubon Council, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, Utah Rivers Council, and Salt Lake League of Women Voters, argue that the BLM did an inadequate analysis of the potential for drastic impacts upon air quality downwind of the project area. The drawdown from SNWA’s proposed pumping would dry up springs, wetlands and riparian areas, and public rangelands by dropping the water table by dozens to hundreds of feet, threatening the regional economic viability of ranching and tourism, and jeopardizing senior water rights. “The future of rural communities and wildlife in the massive target zone is at stake,” said Susan Lynn of GBWN. “The $15 billion project will be exceptionally risky and costly for both rural residents and Las Vegas ratepayers.” 

Simeon Herskovits, of Advocates for Community and Environment, the attorney for the groups, said, “All the scientific modeling, including SNWA’s own model, shows that the proposed groundwater pumping will have devastating effects on both existing water rights and sensitive environmental resources throughout a broad region encompassing a number of hydrologically connected valleys. The proposed mitigation plan relied on by the BLM for protection of federal resources is woefully vague and inadequate and has little to no hope of success.” Herskovits said.

Ouch. And it would especially be painful for those people in rural Nevada & Utah whose entire community & livelihood would be thrown into doubt.

But then again, it's already becoming painful for Clark County residents. Remember that SNWA's controversial 2012 water rate increases were deemed necessary in order to pay for construction of the Snake Valley Pipeline. So what has Southern Nevada gotten out of this? So far, it looks like Clark County residents are paying more for their water bills so SNWA can fight multiple legal battles in state and federal courts.

Look, we know climate change has only exacerbated Southern Nevada's precarious water supply. But is a $15 billion pipeline meant to bleed Rural Nevada & Utah dry in order to fuel more exurban real estate development truly the solution? Or would SNWA be better off by backing off and pursuing more efficient & realistic solutions?

Think about it. SNWA has already invested a whole lot in this pipeline. And what has that netted us so far? How much more money can we afford to stuff down the drain?

Pipelines & Pipe Dreams

Last night, we encountered a fascinating surprise. It's another twist in the rather twisted plot of Southern Nevada Water Authority's (SNWA) proposed pipeline to pump water from Snake Valley (and Western Utah) to Clark County. SNWA "Water Czar" Pat Mulroy has claimed Southern Nevada needs to prepare for a future without much Colorado River water, but the coalition of rural farmers and urban environmentalists fighting "The Water Grab" have pointed to water conservation programs (including many that SNWA itself once championed!) as less disruptive and less expensive alternatives to the proposed pipeline.

Over the years, SNWA has been able to line up needed state and federal approval to build the Snake Valley Pipeline. But yesterday, a critical element of that equation was taken away. Nevada State Engineer Jason King approved the Snake Valley Pipeline in 2011, but a district court invalidated a key part of that approval yesterday.

[...] Senior District Judge Robert Estes said this "is likely the largest interbasin transfer of water in U.S. history" and that parts of King's decision were "arbitrary and capricious" and ordered him to re-evaluate the amount of water available in the four basins and take another look at the potential environmental damage.

Estes said King approved an excess of 9,780 acre feet of water being drawn from Spring Valley, and the judge ordered King to recalculate the amount of available water to assure there is "an equal amount of discharge and recharge in a reasonable time." King must also reconsider how piping water from Spring Valley will impact the groundwater resources in Millard and Juab counties in Utah. [...]

Rob Mrowka, senior scientist for the Center for Biological Diversity called the decision a "huge blow to the water authority's plan to suck massive amounts of water out of the Nevada-Utah desert to feed urban sprawl in and around Las Vegas." He continued, calling this a "historic ruling and a great victory for wildlife in Nevada and Utah, rural communities and families, and for the citizens of Las Vegas." He said the water authority now has the opportunity to explore other alternatives to serve the growing needs of Southern Nevada.

While Mr. Mrowka is correct that SNWA now has the opportunity to explore alternatives, it remains to be seen how much more time and money SNWA will spend before considering those alternatives. For several years, Pat Mulroy has made the Snake Valley Pipeline her greatest cause. It was once meant to give life to Harvey Whittemore's latest and greatest exurban masterpiece, Coyote Springs. But now that Harvey Whittemore is claiming residence in a federal prison cell and Coyote Springs has become an electrified ghost town (with a lovely golf course), Mulroy no longer has a shiny new real estate boondoggle development to direct Snake Valley water to. Yet despite the legal and financial collapse of Whittemore's juiced up empire, Mulroy refuses to give up on the pipeline that was meant to fuel his last great pipe dream.

And the drama doesn't end there. Once upon a time, Pat Mulroy was considered Nevada's most powerful unelected leader. But in a shocking reversal of fortune, the Nevada Legislature considered a bill early this year to require more oversight of SNWA on the heels of public backlash over recent water rate increases and accusations of workers' rights abuses. While the bill itself was later shelved, SNWA is no longer perceived to be a political "sacred cow" that's never to be challenged.

What was once meant to be the final regal feather in the cap of Pat Mulroy's illustrious reign as Southern Nevada's Water Czar is instead beginning to resemble a rope (tied to an anvil) that's been leading Mulroy's SNWA into an embarrassing string of scandals and setbacks. Even if SNWA can score a victory in the Nevada Supreme Court (and that's far from certain, considering that court ruled against SNWA in 2010), it likely won't be the end of the legal battles over the Snake Valley Pipeline. And with continuing anger in the Las Vegas Valley over recent water rate hikes (meant to fund construction of the pipeline), SNWA no longer has a strong base of support at home for the pipeline.

We can only wonder when the halls of power atop SNWA headquarters will hear this question being asked aloud: Is it worth it? Is the Snake Valley Pipeline truly worth all this time and money? And is it worth all the political capital SNWA has lost in recent years? Oh, and is it worth the risk it presents to a wide swath of Rural Nevada that depends on Snake Valley water? And is it worth the risk of allowing for exurban sprawl that could later cause logistical woes for Clark County?

Here's another question for all of us to consider: Is it finally time for us to drop the crack pipe that's given us pipe dreams of a pipeline that can magically make the horrors of drought and climate change go away? As of now, this pipe dream is looking like a massive nightmare.

One Small Card, One BIG Policy Change

Yesterday was another action packed day at the Nevada Legislature. This time, the Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony on SB 303. This bill provides for a driver's privilege card (or limited driver's license) for undocumented immigrants, and it's sponsored by Senate leadership from both parties. In addition to its hearing in Carson City, SB 303 also had satellite testimony from Las Vegas.



And while immigrant rights activists packed the hearing rooms in Carson City and Las Vegas, SB 303 also received some surprising support. For one, the bill is inspired by a program that's already happening next door. And no, I'm not talking about California (though the California Legislature is now considering its own bill).

“Denying driving privilege to the undocumented population jeopardizes safety and raises insurance rates for everyone,” [Senator Ruben] Kihuen [D-Las Vegas] told the committee. [...]

The driver’s privilege card will be available to people who cannot produce all of the documentation needed for a Nevada driver’s license. It would allow the holder to legally drive in the state but could not be used as an official identification or to apply for federal or state benefits. The application fee would be $22, the same as for a driver’s license, but the driver’s privilege card would have to be renewed annually instead of every four years like a traditional license.

“SB 303 will bring in new revenue at a time when we desperately need it,” Kihuen said. “There are over 100,000 undocumented people in Nevada who could benefit form this proposed bill. It could mean millions of dollars in stimulus to our economy. They will purchase cars, they will purchase insurance and they will drive to stores, take trips and more easily find a job.” [...]

The Nevada bill is modeled after similar legislation in Utah, and two Utah state senators also testified. Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said the law had contributed to Utah’s low rate of uninsured drivers and had improved road safety as more drivers are tested and insured.

“The angst from right (when we passed the bill) was that Utah would be a magnet, a mecca, a gateway for a subsequent influx of undocumented individuals because we provided this privilege. The data doesn’t support that,” Bramble said, pointing out that after peaking around 43,000 driver’s privilege cards, the number in Utah has since dropped below 40,000.

Bramble said there was concern in Utah of criminals applying for the card. Of 40,000 applicants in Utah, two were found to have criminal records, he said. Utah eventually added a fingerprinting and background check provision to its law, something Denis has resisted under the argument that it would discourage participation and the undermine the intent of the law.

“You must concede that they have violated immigration laws,” Bramble said of some of the potential applicants. “Beyond that though, it appears from our experience in Utah that folks who come forward to apply for this are not the criminal element, they are not the folks law enforcement is seeking out. … Pass it or not, they are on our roads.”

Indeed, Utah has been running this program since 2005. And despite a "tea party" fueled campaign to repeal the law last year (which failed), the program is working there. And in fact, the number of driver's privilege cards issues actually dropped last year.

It's also helped make roads safer there. And earlier this year, a California DMV report stated its roads will likely be safer Keith more insured drivers, which is what will happen once California starts issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. Behind all the controversy over immigration reform, this is really a simple matter of public safety.

So does this mean SB 303 will sail through Carson City? We'll see. As mentioned earlier, Senate leaders in both parties are backing the bill. However in the Assembly, Minority Leader Pat Hickey (R-Reno) has been playing nefarious political games with the bill by trying to tie it to the otherwise unrelated SB 63 electronic poll book bill that Secretary of State Ross Miller (D) is pushing. There are probably still more than enough Democratic votes to pass SB 303 in the Assembly regardless, but we don't know yet what exactly Governor Brian Sandoval (R) plans to do with it (though he's seemingly been warming up to it).

It's been a long journey here, but Nevada may finally soon begin issuing driver's privilege cards alongside Utah, New Mexico, and Washington (State). Undocumented immigrants can finally be treated a little less "second class". And Nevada raids can be safer with fewer unlicensed and uninsured drivers.

Tough to Swallow

All of a sudden, there's been plenty of buzz about a rather curious story coming out of Utah. But wait, it's in Utah. Why are we discussing it here on Nevada Progressive?

First off, it's a sordid tale of epic political corruption that should teach us all some important lessons. And secondly, the people involved in this Utah scandal are throwing around Harry Reid's name. So, of course, the usual suspects in this state are drawing conclusions that have no basis in the facts known so far.

So what happened? The Salt Lake Tribune has been on top of this story. And reporters there are still trying to sort out this sordid hot mess.

As Utah Democrats called for a federal investigation, Utah Attorney General John Swallow late Saturday issued a strong denial of allegations that he helped broker a deal to help embattled businessman Jeremy Johnson’s legal problems go away — an arrangement Johnson considered a bribe.

Swallow said in a statement that Johnson has done "everything he can to damage me as a desperate way to get out of his own legal problems."

"My intentions were good but I misjudged Mr. Johnson’s character and regret meeting with him," Swallow said.

The statement includes a point-by-point denial of Johnson’s claims that Swallow put him in touch with Richard Rawle, the late founder of the Check City payday loan businesses, to arrange a bribe. Johnson said he agreed to pay $600,000 to Rawle, who would use his connections with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to make Johnson’s problems with the Federal Trade Commission disappear.

"Jeremy Johnson is desperate to do and say anything possible to attempt to secure a better deal with federal prosecutors. He has made false and defaming statements about me," Swallow said. "It is hard to accept anyone would give any credibility to Mr. Johnson’s outrageous assertions."

Earlier Saturday, Utah Democrats called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor with subpoena power to conduct a thorough, independent investigation of Johnson’s allegations.

"The people of Utah need to have confidence that the whole story is going to be told," said Jim Dabakis, Utah Democratic Party chairman. "It’s only fair for John Swallow and for everyone else involved that an [investigator who is] independent, nonpartisan and not part of the Utah system come in and ask the hard questions and have an absolute, follow-the-facts-wherever-they-go, kind of investigation."

Here's what we know so far. St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson wanted the legal equivalent of a magic wand to wave away a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into his internet marketing company, I Works. So he contacted then Deputy Utah Attorney General John Swallow (R), who then connected him with the late Check City (payday loan provider) owner Richard Rawle.

Now here's where we descend into "he said, he said" territory. Johnson alleges that Swallow & Rawle struck a deal with him where he'd give them $600,000... For them to then bribe Senator Reid into making the FTC investigation of I Works go away.

However, Swallow vehemently denies this allegation. Swallow's version of the story goes as this: He just thought (at the time that) Johnson was facing an unfair probe by the FTC. So he referred Johnson to his former employer Rawle. And he's even presented an affidavit from Rawle (prepared just before his death) stating Johnson paid Rawle $250,000 to hire federal lobbyists to make Johnson's case in DC.

At the very least, some sleazy wheeling-dealing was going on here. And now that John Swallow is Utah's Attorney General, he's facing the political scandal of his life. However, there's been nothing produced so far that confirms that
Reid accepted any kind of bribe from Johnson, Swallow, and/or Rawle.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was never involved in an alleged effort to help derail a federal investigation into Utahn Jeremy Johnson’s businesses, his office said Sunday, dismissing Johnson’s claims that he paid money he believed was meant to bribe the Nevada Democrat.

"Senator Reid has no knowledge or involvement regarding Mr. Johnson’s case," his spokeswoman, Kristen Orthman, said in a statement. "These unsubstantiated allegations implying Senator Reid’s involvement are nothing more than innuendo and simply not true."

Perhaps Richard Rawle was Utah's version of Harvey Whittemore, a prominent Utah power broker who held all the keys to government favor. And perhaps Utah Attorney General John Swallow (R) has been way too close to him and other corporate power brokers to really do his job, which is to serve the people of Utah. And perhaps there may be some truth to Jeremy Johnson's story, though again there's been no actual evidence tying Harry Reid to any of this. (He may have very well been fooled into believing that however much money he paid Rawle would cause Harry Reid to make the FTC drop the investigation.)

All we know for sure right now is that too much corporate money has been allowed to influence the actions of our public servants. We've seen this happen time & again here in Nevada. And now, the people of Utah will have to learn the hard way the consequences of this.

Of course, certain media pundits want to continue drumming up speculation of possible Reid involvement in this scandal. And certain "TEA" flavored instigators want to burn Harry Reid at the stake for something he may have even known absolutely nothing about. And of course, far too many looking at this scandal seem to be missing the point of this story. Hopefully, you're not.

What a Waste, Or Why Southern Nevada's "Water Crisis" Doesn't Have to Be One

Over the weekend, Will Doig wrote this article for Salon.com on the coming Sun Belt water crisis. Across the once fast growing "Sun Belt" of Southern and Southwestern cities, local governments are running into trouble as they're realizing the water is running out... Or is it?

“When I talk to water utility people, one of the things I say to them is, ‘I bet most of you aren’t planning how to manage your water demands with 20 percent less than what you have now,’” says Charles Fishman, author of “The Big Thirst.” “If you don’t have a plan for that, you’re in trouble.”

You’ll find Fishman’s book in the nature section at Barnes & Noble, but it’s really about urban planning. Because the creeping hydro-crisis has nothing to do with “running out of water.” The earth has the same amount of water as it had 4 billion years ago, and it always will. “It’s all Tyrannosaurus rex pee,” says Fishman with a laugh. The water’s recycled endlessly through the clouds, but it’s the way we’ve built that’s made it seem scarce — with industry, farming and cities in places where there’s not enough water to support them, but still demanding more every year.

Luckily, an urban-planning problem can be mitigated with urban-planning solutions, and cities are blazing the trail — including, believe it or not, Sin City itself. Today, Vegas is soaked in “reclaimed water,” water that’s been used once and then purified for another go-round. It waters the golf courses and washes the thousands of hotel bed sheets. Even the pond at Treasure Island, where the nightly pirate-ship battles take place, is filled with water that the hotel’s guests have brushed their teeth with. (It gets run through a treatment plant under the casino.)

But even reclaimed water has a way of vanishing in a place where the sun shines 300 days a year — some estimates suggest Lake Mead loses half its water to evaporation. One solution? Store it underground, says Tom Brikowski, professor of hydrology at the University of Texas-Dallas. “It could work in a lot of places and it’s starting to be done now.” For instance, Tampa, Fla., is trying it out with a method called aquifer storage and recovery, pumping water into the earth when it rains, then extracting it during the drier months.

SNWA - THIRSTY from Kurt Rauf on Vimeo.

Funny enough, SNWA produced that ad years ago. And funny enough, SNWA looked poised last decade to lead the nation in forming innovative and progressive water conservation measures. But now that Nevada State Engineer Jason King has green-lighted the proposed Snake Valley "water grab" from rural Eastern Nevada and Western Utah, SNWA seems to be slacking off in the conservation department as it rewards the region's biggest "water hogs" over small users in Clark County who have been working to conserve water. And now that SNWA is feeling emboldened by recent news, it's raising rates disproportionately on small users in order to fund the Snake Valley Pipeline.

Remember that the Snake Valley Pipeline began as a scheme way to make feasible Harvey Whittemore's proposed Coyote Springs exurban development that he wanted to stretch all the way to Lincoln County. Yet despite all the political and legal fallout over Harvey Whittemore and the budding scandals surrounding him, SNWA still plans to proceed with this pipeline. Why?

SNWA "Water Czar" Pat Mulroy has claimed this is all about preparing for the future. Tensions are rising over negotiations for Colorado River water, and Mulroy continues to say Southern Nevada must prepare for the worst, which would be Lake Mead's water level dropping below 1,050 feet. This would force Hoover Dam to shut off its hydroelectric plant, and it would throw Clark County's primary supply of drinking water into severe doubt.

So why pump in water from 300-400 miles away? That's where Mulroy's case gets weak. If Clark County has been able to avoid catastrophe for the past two decades by employing intense conservation efforts, why is SNWA now poised to drop at least some of those conservation efforts? Strangely enough, a smarter option for Greater Las Vegas' future may lie right in the heart of TEXAS.

Yes, you read me right. Let's go back to that Salon.com article for a moment to see how.

[... I]n San Antonio, conserving water is a religion. In the ’90s, the city was sued by the Sierra Club for draining the Edwards Aquifer. The aquifer happens to be the home of the Texas blind salamander, an endangered amphibian. A small culture war ensued, but after a few years of predictable hippies-versus-cowboys animus, something incredible happened: San Antonio became a capital of conservation chic. Low-flush toilets became status symbols, and overwatering your lawn could get a person ostracized. Water consumption dropped from 200 to 130 gallons per person per day. And suddenly, droughts that crippled neighboring cities weren’t affecting San Antonians. “I hate to say ‘big government,’” says [Tom Brikowski, professor of hydrology at the University of Texas-Dallas], “but these regional plans where everyone shares the sacrifice are pretty effective.”

Compare that to Brikowski’s hometown of Dallas, the “water hog” of Texas, where no such stigma exists, and the average resident uses more than twice as much water as a San Antonian. Between 1980 and 1999, as other big Texas cities slashed their water consumption, Dallas’ grew by 35 percent. And now Dallas, like Vegas, is looking for water elsewhere — specifically, east Texas and Oklahoma. “It’s not that they need the water to survive,” one irate east Texan told the Wall Street Journal. “What they want is to destroy our wildlife so they’ll have enough water for their grass.”

Like us, Dallas is looking for water... And now lusting after water found in East Texas and Oklahoma. Yet even as some Dallas officials are whining about ongoing drought conditions affecting the whole State of Texas, San Antonio doesn't seem to be worrying about any drought crisis. Simply because San Antonio made smart decisions early on in turning to conservation instead of "water grab" boondoggles, San Antonio is humming along just fine.

And here's the kicker. Even with drought conditions, Dallas still got 26 inches of rain last year. And even with that drought, Dallas still dumped tons of wastewater into the Trinity River... That the City of Houston is now recycling and reusing for its local water needs!

Wow. What a waste.

So if San Antonio and Houston can work on innovative solutions to water shortages brought on by past suburban development as well as the present reality of climate change, why can't Las Vegas?

Last week, The Salt Lake Tribune posted a stinging editorial rebuking the Nevada State Engineer's approval of the Snake Valley Pipeline. Believe it or not, the water there affects Utah's health, environment, and well-being in more ways than Pat Mulroy is willing to admit.

The trouble with this approach is that, unlike surface water in a river, the effects of underground pumping often are not immediately seen. Plants could die off only slowly. Once the damage is apparent, however, it may be irreversible, and the political pressure to keep pumping water south, particularly after Las Vegas had invested billions in the pipeline project, would be enormous. The complaints of a few ranchers in Nevada and the people of Utah would not count for much. [...]

There’s not a lot of water in the Great Basin to begin with, and it’s not like Las Vegas could give it back to be pumped into the ground again. Monetary damages could not undo the mischief, and there’s nowhere else to go to get replacement water.

If predictions about climate change are correct, and the amount of snowpack that provides groundwater to the Great Basin is on the decline, then there’s even worse trouble.

In his ruling in favor of the water district that serves Las Vegas, Nevada State Engineer Jason King dismissed the objections of people who worry about climate change because no evidence was submitted. However, the scientific consensus for climate change argues against going forward instead of plowing ahead.

We throw in with Utahns who worry about dust clouds enveloping Utah from denuded valleys to the west. We also believe the warnings of Snake Valley ranchers who say that well levels already are falling. Sucking more water from this environment is folly.

So why again is SNWA doing this? It would destroy the ecosystem of rural Eastern Nevada and Western Utah, as well as destroy the livelihood of local farmers and ranchers there. It could harm air quality in and around Salt Lake City. It would cost Clark County taxpayers many billions of dollars when we desperately need money for local schools, parks, transportation, and community services. And it just looks like pure folly when we have better options right in our own back yard (in some cases, literally!).

So why is SNWA doing this? All I see here is waste.

Water War: Thirsty for Growth in Las Vegas? Or Parched to Death in Snake Valley?

(Also at Daily Kos)



Earlier this week, Henderson's Convention Center was host to the latest battle in the ongoing war for rural Nevada and Utah water. And while the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) got some high profile support at the BLM (federal Bureau of Land Management) hearing in Henderson this week (even if they were still outnumbered 4:1 by opponents), the angry tongue lashings against SNWA's water grab were much more unanimous at the BLM hearing in Ely last week. And in Elko, some high profile opposition hammered at the water grab proposal.

Elko County Commissioner Warren Russell said groundwater pumping will “create real desert areas,” and he called the proposed pipeline “a big sucking monster moving north.”

He also testified he is concerned about the attitude that the water authority could start the drawdown and “see what’s happening” in terms of impacts.

Yvonne Prescott, who grew up in Lincoln County, said the proposed pipeline would have a drastic impact on White Pine and Lincoln counties, and the water drawdown will create a dust bowl.

She also said the counties wouldn’t reap economic benefits because most construction workers would come from Clark County, and neither Lincoln or White Pine has housing for workers.

“I see all negatives for the people, animals and the land,” Prescott said.

Former Assemblyman John Carpenter of Elko testified he has had a lot of time to study the proposal over the years, “and the more you look at it, the less desirable it is.” He also questioned whether the water would at some point come from Elko County.

Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea (R-Eureka) even rose to speak of his concern about pumping 175,000 acre feet of groundwater out of rural communities with no chance of recharge. He also asked why SNWA isn't asking California for a pipeline to desalination plants, but the increasing controversy over ocean desalination probably makes that just as difficult for them. So we're back at Square One. To pipe or not to pipe? That is the $3.5 billion question.



And if that isn't bad enough for SNWA, Utahns are also balking at the proposed pipeline.

Among the 30 participants in the public hearing was Randy Parker, CEO, Utah Farm Bureau.

Rupert Steele, a member of the Goshute Tribe, told BLM officials that the draft EIS does not address the recharge rates of the aquifers if 177,000 acre-feet is pumped out of them per year as proposed by the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

"Taking water resources away from its source should not be allowed," Steele said. "This will leave a sad legacy of environmental destruction."

Pumping water out of aquifers that feed Utah’s west desert will lead to increased air pollution along the Wasatch Front, said Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon.

"Groundwater drawdown can generate dust and pollution," he said. "We already live in a non-attainment area in Salt Lake County. The federal government has already told us our air is not clean enough."

The BLM’s draft EIS estimates the pumping project would add 24,122 tons of windblown dust a year into the air during the project’s first 75 years.

The draft EIS also estimates that groundwater discharges to surface evaporation and transpiration by plants would be reduced by 28 percent in Snake Valley during the first 75 years of the project.

But [Steve Erickson, of the Great Basin Water Network] said he believes the draft EIS underestimates the impacts of the 306-mile pipeline project that Southern Nevada Water Authority says will cost some $3.5 billion.

Farmers and ranchers in Eastern Nevada and Western Utah depend on their local groundwater supplies to survive. So do hunters and wildlife. So do local Native American tribes. The stakes can't be any higher, and neither can the emotions on both sides.



Rural farmers and suburban Utahns direct their rage toward Pat Mulroy and her plans to steal their water, while Mulroy directs her rage right back at them for wasting so much water in the desert.



SNWA claims this is only about our survival. After all, Las Vegas is right in the heart of the Mojave Desert. Clark County will very soon have 2,000,000 people living here, and even as future growth is expected to slow, we'll still need water to survive. So how can we get the water?

SNWA - WATER ESCORT from Kurt Rauf on Vimeo.

SNWA has succeeded at dramatically transforming Clark County from a "water junkie" to a mecca of conservation. After levels sunk dramatically in the last decade, Lake Mead is actually rising again after a good rain/snow season and the release of excess Lake Powell water. And renegotiations over Colorado River water are bound to happen soon.

So why is there "need" for this pipeline to rural Eastern Nevada and Western Utah? That's what many are asking, and Pat Mulroy continues to insist that Lake Mead and conservation are not enough. She demands that we prepare for the possible instead of hoping for the probable.


Colorado River Drought Spurs Seven State Pact by FORAtv

So is she right? The BLM environmental impact study (EIS) now up for review casts doubt on Mulroy's much desired pipeline, and rural Nevadans and Utahns point to it as vindication for their hard stance against the water grab.

Meanwhile, opponents are quietly content over a draft environmental impact statement finally released by the bureau in June, after six years of input from the Water Authority, residents, tribes and a litany of federal agencies.

The prose is turgid and reserved, but the environmental conclusions are often stark:

• “... likely result in windblown dust emissions due to drying of hydric soils and loss or reduction of basin shrubland vegetation.” People in Utah, downwind, are particularly alarmed by this prospect.

• “... risk of subsidence of the ground surface as a result of the withdrawal of the groundwater.” This means the pumping could cause the ground to sink several feet over hundreds of square miles, causing buildings, transmission lines and roads to be structurally unstable.

• “... risk of invasion by invasive ... species.”

• The pumping could affect surface water, such as ponds, lakes and streams, which would obviously adversely affect the species that rely on that water for drinking, foraging, breeding.

• “Drawdown poses long-term risks to the agricultural sector in the rural areas...”

Great Basin Water Network, Center for Biological Diversity, National Parks Conservation Association, and others are fighting hard against SNWA's pipeline. And perhaps for the first time ever, they finally seem to be gaining the upper hand. But how long will it last? And will Pat Mulroy and SNWA go down without one last brutal battle?

And is this really the end of it? I doubt it. As climate change worsens and drought conditions reappear throughout America, expect The Water War to get uglier.

Best of 2009 #6: "Utah Is So Queer!"

Remember that state next door to us? You know, the Zion to our Sodom & Gomorrah? Yes, boys & girls, it's time to go to UTAH!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

There have been so many interesting Utah stories, especially LGBTQ stories in Utah, this year that it's hard for me to pick just one for Best of 2009. We've seen everything from the "kissing" controversy to the ongoing Prop H8/Mormon saga to the still embarrassing KKKhris Buttars... But for now, I want to remember something that really amazed me in a good way.

So for now, go back to November and check out what I found about a great police officer overcoming major challenges in a town called Bountiful.

....

I found a great story in today's Salt Lake Tribune, one I wish I could read in the paper more often.

As a child, Kerry Bell dreamed of growing up to become a policeman -- both a police officer and a man.
Becoming a cop was relatively simple -- Bell joined the Bountiful Police Department 14 years ago. Becoming a man took more time.
Born female, Bell came out as transgender about a year and a half ago and started a transition to a new life as a man. He always had felt male, but did not think switching genders was a viable option until he saw transgender people gaining wider acceptance, along with advances in medical technology.
Surprisingly, the 42-year-old -- working in what many perceive as a super-macho culture -- says he did not fret about telling the police chief or his co-workers to start referring to him as "he," not "she."
"I wasn't worried about coming out at work," says Bell, who has had hormone treatments and surgeries. "I've worked for Bountiful for 14 years. I know everybody I work with."
Although some employees have trouble remembering to use masculine pronouns, Bountiful Police Chief Tom Ross says, "everyone's done a great job of accepting Kerry and staying focused on why we're here in the first place."
Bell, a corporal and SWAT member, is a "well-rounded police officer," Ross adds. "We're glad that he works here."

As we've talked about before, transgender people still face horrible burdens of discrimination. It's worse here in Nevada where our state anti-discrimination laws don't cover gender identity, and even worse in Utah where their state has no anti-LGBT-inclusive discrimination laws whatsoever. So it's really encouraging to see more LGBT police officers come out in Utah and serve proudly.

And honestly, it's good to see more police departments forge good relationships with the community for a change.

That many LGBT officers now serve openly at several Utah law-enforcement agencies speaks volumes to how far society has progressed, says Salt Lake City Capt. Kyle Jones, a founding member of the [LGBT Public Safety Committee].
"Twenty years ago, they wouldn't have been [welcome]," says Jones, who was inspired to get involved with the LGBT community after his son came out as gay. "The current crop of officers, by and large, don't give it a second thought."
Jones, along with other committee members, recruits potential new officers at the annual Utah Pride Festival for the Salt Lake City Police Department.
"Our department has tried for years to recruit from the populations that we represent," Jones says. "Anywhere from 8 to 12 percent of [Salt Lake City] is thought to be LGBT so we should have 8 to 12 percent of our cops who are LGBT."

Long before Stonewall, our LGBT community has had a rocky relationship with the cops at best. One need not look further than the recent Fort Worth bar raids and Newport Beach Police homophobia scandal to see that tensions still exist and many queer folk still think they have good reason not to trust the cops.

Hopefully with more LGBT police officers joining the ranks and police departments becoming more accepting of this, the often antagonistic relationship between the police and the community can change. It needs to if our community is to trust the police to be our public servants and keep us safe as well.

More Utah News: 69% Supermajority Support LGBT Anti-Discrimination Laws

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Yes, there's really a chance Utah might make an effort to move closer toward the 21st century and stop persecuting its LGBTQ citizens. Let's see if they can FINALLY make it happen next year.

The Bountiful PD Has a Transgender Officer... And Offers Some Hope for More LGBT Supportive Police

I found a great story in today's Salt Lake Tribune, one I wish I could read in the paper more often.

As a child, Kerry Bell dreamed of growing up to become a policeman -- both a police officer and a man.
Becoming a cop was relatively simple -- Bell joined the Bountiful Police Department 14 years ago. Becoming a man took more time.
Born female, Bell came out as transgender about a year and a half ago and started a transition to a new life as a man. He always had felt male, but did not think switching genders was a viable option until he saw transgender people gaining wider acceptance, along with advances in medical technology.
Surprisingly, the 42-year-old -- working in what many perceive as a super-macho culture -- says he did not fret about telling the police chief or his co-workers to start referring to him as "he," not "she."
"I wasn't worried about coming out at work," says Bell, who has had hormone treatments and surgeries. "I've worked for Bountiful for 14 years. I know everybody I work with."
Although some employees have trouble remembering to use masculine pronouns, Bountiful Police Chief Tom Ross says, "everyone's done a great job of accepting Kerry and staying focused on why we're here in the first place."
Bell, a corporal and SWAT member, is a "well-rounded police officer," Ross adds. "We're glad that he works here."

As we've talked about before, transgender people still face horrible burdens of discrimination. It's worse here in Nevada where our state anti-discrimination laws don't cover gender identity, and even worse in Utah where their state has no anti-LGBT-inclusive discrimination laws whatsoever. So it's really encouraging to see more LGBT police officers come out in Utah and serve proudly.

And honestly, it's good to see more police departments forge good relationships with the community for a change.

That many LGBT officers now serve openly at several Utah law-enforcement agencies speaks volumes to how far society has progressed, says Salt Lake City Capt. Kyle Jones, a founding member of the [LGBT Public Safety Committee].
"Twenty years ago, they wouldn't have been [welcome]," says Jones, who was inspired to get involved with the LGBT community after his son came out as gay. "The current crop of officers, by and large, don't give it a second thought."
Jones, along with other committee members, recruits potential new officers at the annual Utah Pride Festival for the Salt Lake City Police Department.
"Our department has tried for years to recruit from the populations that we represent," Jones says. "Anywhere from 8 to 12 percent of [Salt Lake City] is thought to be LGBT so we should have 8 to 12 percent of our cops who are LGBT."

Long before Stonewall, our LGBT community has had a rocky relationship with the cops at best. One need not look further than the recent Fort Worth bar raids and Newport Beach Police homophobia scandal to see that tensions still exist and many queer folk still think they have good reason not to trust the cops.

Hopefully with more LGBT police officers joining the ranks and police departments becoming more accepting of this, the often antagonistic relationship between the police and the community can change. It needs to if our community is to trust the police to be our public servants and keep us safe as well.

Utah Taxes Strip Clubs... While Ours Sell More Vices & Hit the Streets!

I'm telling you, we have something special here in Nevada. What other state in the union has such important debates on significant issues like whether or not "Stripper-mobiles" can offer "live entertainment" on the road!

Well, Utah won't be joining the party any time soon. In fact, their (state) Supreme Court just upheld a recently levied tax on all nude strip clubs.

In 2004, the Utah Legislature became one of the first in the country to enact a 10 percent tax on sexually explicit businesses in an effort to pay for sex offender treatment. The tax covered everything a sexually explicitly business sold -- admission, T-shirts and hamburgers included.

A group of escort agencies and strip clubs challenged the constitutionality of the law, saying it was overbroad and violated their First Amendment rights. Meanwhile, a host of other states held off on passing their own sexually explicit business taxes while the case made its way through Utah's court system.

The Utah Supreme Court ruled that the Sexually Explicit Business and Escort Services tax is not a violation of First Amendment rights but that it is unreasonably vague when it comes to escort services.

"The Tax fails to provide adequate information for a person of ordinary intelligence to distinguish between those types of compensated companionship that the Legislature intended would trigger application of the Tax and those that it intended would not," the court wrote.

I'm a little torn on this one. I guess it's laudable that Utah found such a "creative" way to pay for sex offender rehab. Nonetheless, this also smacks of yet another "sin tax" that Utah's "Mormon moral majority" throws on every "sinful" business (alcohol, tobacco, sex, etc.) that they don't like. And in this case, they may be unfairly targeting the strip clubs just because of the content.

And if the clubs prove that it's all about the content, they may have a chance of overturning the "Utah stripper tax" in the US Supreme Court.

Andrew McCullough, an attorney who represented the coalition of adult businesses, said if he can get his clients to agree, he will try to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"The implication is that the Supreme Court said that they're not taxing dancing, they're taxing nudity. Frankly, that's just preposterous. They are taxing artistic expression and it's just wrong," he said.

McCullough acknowledged that getting the U.S. Supreme Court to hear any case is difficult, but he believes this one has merit.

"I think honestly, this one is going to be accepted because it's a very important, very unique and very new question and because there are in fact at least 12 other states out there who are going to be doing this soon based on the tenor of the decision here in Utah," he said.

Well, at least Nevada isn't one of those 12 states. Nope, instead our strip clubs are looking for liquor licenses so they can make more money off our vices! In fact, rumor has it that Deja Vu & Little Darlings voluntarily agreed to take the now famous "Stripper-mobile" off Las Vegas Blvd. in order to curry favor with the Clark County Commission so that Deja Vu can get a liquor license (even if it means Deja Vu can't be "totally nude" any more).

Still, there's a good chance someone else will revive the "Stripper-mobile" and put it back on Las Vegas Blvd. where it belongs [IMHO ;-) ]. Rumor has it another strip club may want to cash in on all the "earned media" from the "rolling bachelor party on wheels" that doubled business at Deja Vu and Little Darlings.

So there you have it. Utah wants to tax the sin out of their state... While we keep reveling in all the naughty goodness of the "Stripper-mobile" controversy. I just don't know how those Utahns can cope with all that clean living. :-p

KKKhris Buttars Is Keeping It Klassy in Utah

Even when he considers supporting some LGBT civil rights, he still has to spit in LGBT Utahns' faces. Disgusting.



I guess it's better for us to have Buttars' support on some things than for him to oppose everything, but it's still bone-chilling for him to spew out such bile. It's even worse to see H8-mongers like the Eagle Forum creeps trash-talk like this.



Yep, our queer friends and family next door in Utah are still being brutally discriminated against and it doesn't look likely yet that they'll even get what we have now in Nevada. Sad. I guess this is what our state would look like if it were actually run by Richard Ziser.