POSSIBLE PETITIONS

The following is a list of petitions that could be on the ballot this
year:

EDUCATION FIRST INITIATIVE: Secretary of State Dean Heller ruled the
petition circulated by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and his wife,
Assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons, R-Reno, secured enough signatures to be
placed before voters in November. With voter approval, the Legislature
must pass education funding bills before other parts of the state
budget. Needs voter approval in November and again in 2006.

NEVADANS FOR THE NATIONAL AVERAGE: Heller ruled the Nevada State
Education Association gathered enough signatures on its petition that
lets citizens decide whether to increase public education funding.

If approved, the Legislature must fund education at least to the level
of the national average.

That change could cost taxpayers $500 million more a year. It needs
voter approval in November and again in 2006.

INSURANCE RATE REDUCTION: People for a Better Nevada circulated a
petition designed to let voters reduce auto and homeowners insurance
rates by 20 percent.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, however, ruled in 1990 that a
Nevada law that reduced auto insurance rates was unconstitutional. The
petition also contains a clause to repeal a proposal, also on the
election ballot, that would limit the amount of noneconomic damages
patients may collect in medical malpractices lawsuits to $350,000.
State law already has the $350,000 limit, but with exceptions. Heller
ruled the petition qualified for the ballot. Needs voter approval in
November and again in 2006.

RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR WORKING NEVADANS: The AFL-CIO circulated a
petition to let voters raise the minimum wage to $6.15 per hour, a $1
increase. Heller ruled the group fell short of the required 51,337
signatures. District Judge Bill Maddox then ruled the secretary of
state had to count some signatures he had rejected because of an
affidavit problem.

The change meant the proposal qualified for the election
ballot.

Heller then appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which has set
an Aug. 31 hearing on the matter.

Needs voter approval this November and again in 2006.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION: Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana
circulated a petition to citizens vote on whether to legalize an ounce
or less of marijuana for adults.

Heller ruled the petition failed to secure enough signatures, but U.S.
District Judge James Mahan then threw out a requirement that petitions
secure sufficient signatures in 13 of Nevada's 17 counties and ordered
Heller to count some signatures he had rejected because of the
affidavit problem.

The secretary of state then ordered county clerks and election
department workers to recheck all signatures. The recheck should be
completed Aug. 31. Proposal needs voter approval in November and in
2006.

STOP FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS AND PROTECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS: People for a
Better Nevada collected signatures on a petition designed to outlaw
frivolous litigation, although it would block caps from being placed
on attorneys' fees. Heller ruled the petition did not secure enough
signatures, but then Maddox ruled he had to count some signatures he
rejected, placing the proposal on the November ballot.

Heller appealed to the state Supreme Court, which has scheduled an
Aug. 31 hearing. Proposal needs voter approval in November and in 2006.

KEEP GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES OUT OF ELECTED OFFICE: Petition by the
Nevadans for Sound Government would allow voters to clarify the state
constitution and prevent state or local government employees,
including teachers, from holding elective office.

Heller ruled the proposal fell about 4,000 signatures short of the
required minimum.

After Mahan's decision, he ordered county clerks and election workers
to recheck every signature.

They face an Aug. 31 deadline for the recheck.

Needs approval in November and again in 2006.

AX THE TAX: Nevadans for Sound Government also circulated a referendum
petition to let voters decide to accept or repeal the record $833
million in taxes approved by the 2003 Legislature. The petition
initially fell short of the required number of signatures, but
District Judge Ken Cory gave the organization 35 more days to collect
signatures. Heller then ruled the petition still was about 2,000
signatures short but close enough to require a recheck of every
signature. The recheck must be completed Aug. 26. The Nevada Taxpayers
Association has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of
the petition.

If voters approve the proposal in November, collection of the taxes
would be halted immediately.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE: Keep Our Doctors in Nevada successfully
circulated a petition in 2002 that would limit the amount of
noneconomic damages patients could collect in medical malpractice
suits to $350,000. The Legislature refused to act on the proposal at
the 2003 session, which automatically places the proposal before
voters this November. The proposal also spells out how much money
attorneys can collect for representing patients.

The AFL-CIO, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and a group of
lawyers filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court seeking to keep the
proposal off the November ballot.

REMOVING "IDIOT" REFERENCE IN THE CONSTITUTION: Nevada legislators
have placed before voters a proposal to amend out of the constitution
a reference to "idiot or insane" people.

With voter approval, the constitution would read that any person "who
has been adjudicated mentally incompetent, unless restored to legal
capacity" cannot vote. Needs voter approval in November.

PROPERTY TAX INCREASE LIMITS: Assemblywoman Sharron Angle said her
lawyers will appeal to the state Supreme Court this week to place her
petition to let voters limit property tax increases on the ballot.

Her petition fell 5,706 signatures short of the required 51,337 by a
June 15 deadline.

Angle said supporters were on pace to have 82,000 signatures, but the
arrest of a petition circulator affected the ability to gather
signatures. Other circulators quit after the incident on the UNLV campus.

Needs approval in November and again in 2006.