State Chairman Mark Andrews Concerning the Hatch Act
By Mark Andrews
I received this e-mail last week. A portion excerpted goes like this:
Dear Mr. Andrews:
I think the federal Hatch Act is a great way to avoid conflicts of interest when partisan politicians receive federal money at their jobs. I was thinking we should also have a Nevada Hatch Act that would ban partisan politicians from receiving any state money at their jobs. Simply applying the Hatch Act to any federal or state money would be an easy way to accomplish this. Allowing enforcement by the Nevada Attorney General or private individuals would put some teeth into it. Currently, the Office of Special Counsel investigates and prosecutes Hatch Act violations.
My response:
I actually agree with you and like the idea. In reality, it would likely never get out of committee considering the structure of the legislature.
If Article III Section One of the Nevada Constitution was being followed the way it was intended, we wouldn’t have the problem to which you refer. Separation of powers excludes from legislative office anyone who serves in the executive branch. A perverted court decision in the 70’s waved a magic wand and said that the Constitution didn’t mean what it said.
We already have 50% or more of sitting legislators working in state or county/city government or their spouses, or they and/or their spouses are already retired from such employment and receiving PERS. In addition, you are likely aware, there are additional legislators connected to law firms and their campaign managers’ PR firms who have financial interests in protecting the government domination of the legislature.
All these people are so fundamentally conflicted; yet there they are in office voting themselves their own incomes and budgets. To make the pain worse, all the government units spend collective millions of taxpayer money on lobbyists every session to load up and protect their budgets even more.
I am for your idea, of course. It seems there is not a citizens’ legislature right now.
One other formidable obstacle is the way the ballot petition laws were amended last time. They made it very nearly impossible for a citizens’ group to get a petition on the ballot, and very expensive.
The most valuable thing to do is to present and elect some non-republicans and non-democrats to the legislature, thus blocking automatic governmentalist rule.
The IAP is the party to start something like this, and is coming very close to taking some legislative seats. Next election, with all the term-limit lame ducks, some IAP seats could appear in Carson City. We could use help from any and all who are interested in freedom and proper limits on government. Your efforts would be welcome.
Mark Andrews