LAS VEGAS -- A self-described free market think tank wants 10 Nevada state lawmakers to lose their day jobs. The Nevada Policy Research Institute filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of state legislators working in government jobs.
State lawmakers are paid a $146 daily salary when the legislature is in session. Most of them have other jobs to make ends meet. Some of them work for state and local government, from schools to fire departments. The lawsuit seeks to ban that, claiming having government employees as lawmakers is a conflict of interest.
NPRI filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Carson City. They are specifically targeting Democratic State Senator Mo Denis. He is a computer technician for the Public Utilities Commission. William Pojunis, an unemployed computer technician, wants his job. He claims it's unfair that Denis is a government employee and a state senator.
It all comes down to words in the Nevada Constitution that states no one exercising government power should "exercise any functions" related to other government powers.
"Government becomes oppressive, and even breaks down, when such principles of these aren't adhered to. That's why Nevadans should care," said NPRI Legal Director Joseph Becker.
Even though State Senator Denis is the only lawmaker mentioned in the lawsuit, it affects seven other assembly members and two other state senators.
If the judges hearing this case agree, Assembly Speaker and North Las Vegas Assistant Fire Chief John Oceguera, State Senator and former College of Southern Nevada Academic Advisor Ruben Kihuen, and Assemblywoman and Clark County School District teacher Melissa Woodbury would lose their jobs. They would remain lawmakers unless they decided to resign their posts to keep their job.
Of course, that depends on how the case winds up in court. It may be decided by the Nevada Supreme Court.
Multiple lawmakers mentioned in the lawsuit and contacted for this story declined to comment.
