NEVADA: Legal Brothel Bans Josh Duggar

The owner of Nevada's famed Bunny Ranch is rather notorious for trying to inject himself into national stories by banning those making the headlines from his brothel. So here he is again. Via press release:

The world famous Moonlite Bunny Ranch, famed legal brothel that has been featured on HBO's smash hit series "Cathouse", has taken the extraordinary step of banning TLC's "19 And Counting" star Josh Duggar from entering any of their properties, citing concerns for the safety of the 500 legal prostitutes that are employed there. Duggar has recently become embattled in a firestorm of controversy over his admission that he sexually molested five girls, including two of his younger sisters, when he was 15. One of the sisters was 5 at the time that the assault occurred.

"My number one priority has got to be the safety of my girls," said Dennis Hof, owner of the world famous Bunny Ranch and six other Nevada brothels. "We employ 500 girls at any one time, and we've had tens of thousands of them come and go over the years. With the Duggars having 19 kids, it is just simple math that the odds are much greater than usual that one of their daughters might come work for us at some point. There's no way I would ever put them or any other girl in harm's way, should that brother of theirs come prowling around here. He's persona non grata, starting now."

"Those poor girls (the Duggar sisters) were propped up on television by their Bible thumping parents to make excuses for their brother, saying that their mother and father had protected them after they became aware of the molestations by putting locks on the girls' doors. We don't have locks on our girls' doors, because we've never needed them. Apparently the Bunny Ranch brothel is a safer place for young girls than the Duggar household."

You may recall that at the height of the Duck Dynasty controversy, Hof banned Phil Robertson from patronizing the Bunny Ranch. Today's press release notes that Hof's autobiography was released earlier this year to "critical acclaim." Judge for yourself. (Tipped by JMG reader Mike)

NEVADA: Anti-Bullying Bill Approved

Via the Associated Press:

The Nevada Legislature on Wednesday passed a sweeping anti-bullying measure supported by Gov. Brian Sandoval despite some Republican concerns that it was rushed. Assembly members voted 36-6 on Wednesday to approve SB 504. The measure, which includes protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, now heads to Sandoval’s desk for final approval. The bill revises the definition of bullying and creates a separate anti-bullying office within the Nevada Department of Education. It would also strengthen reporting requirements for bullying incidents, and create a 24-hour hotline and a website for submitting complaints. Once signed into law, twenty states plus the District of Columbia will have state laws that specifically protect LGBT students from bullying, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

The bill establishes a separate anti-bullying office in the state government and requires the creation of a hotline and website for students and parents to submit complaints.

NEVADA: State Assembly Narrowly Rejects Anti-Transgender Students Bill

Via the Las Vegas Sun:

The Nevada Assembly rejected a bill that outraged transgender advocates and would have required students to use bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex. Assembly members voted against AB375 on a mainly party-line, 22-20 vote on Tuesday night. Five Assembly Republicans and all Democrats voted against the measure. The measure would require students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that corresponded to their biological sex, as well as require schools to provide separate facilities for transgender and intersex students.

The bill drew criticism from advocates who say it targets young transgender students and would open the door to lawsuits and possible discrimination. Democrats spoke out strongly against the bill before the vote, saying that it would lead to more bullying of transgender students, who face high rates of suicide. "This bill flies in the face of everything this Legislature should stand for, and it harkens back to a time when telling people they were different was accepted," Democratic Assemblywoman Heidi Swank said.

Yesterday was the deadline for bills to advance out of their chamber of origin, so the bill is dead for the current legislative session. (Tipped by JMG reader Christopher)

LIVE VIDEO: Nevada Lawmakers Hear Debate On Anti-Trans "Bathroom" Bill

Watch it here. (Tipped by JMG reader Christopher)

NEVADA: RFRA Bill Dies, Haters Now 0-4

Via the Las Vegas Journal-Review:

Nevada legislation criticized as giving businesses and corporations a license to discriminate against gay customers appears to have fizzled in light of nationwide outrage over similar “religious freedom” bills in Arkansas and Indiana. Silver State officials opposing the bill in Carson City gained a high-profile backer late Thursday. “The Governor believes that this bill is not necessary because the interests of all Nevadans are protected under current law,” Mari St. Martin, spokeswoman for Gov. Brian Sandoval said Thursday night.

Even the bill sponsors are backing away from it. “After careful reflection and consultation with legislative counsel, I have determined that Nevada’s Constitution already contains adequate safeguards and protections for the civil liberties of Nevada’s citizens, and further legislative emphasis of these rights would be unnecessary,” freshman legislator and Assembly Judiciary Committee Vice Chairman Erven Nelson, R-Las Vegas, said Thursday. The reaction to Indiana’s legislation was a factor in deciding to withdraw the bill, Nelson said. “We obviously do not want to have happen in Nevada what’s been threatened to happen in Indiana as far as a boycott and things like that.

It's been a pretty good week for Big Gay, huh?

California Imposes "Unprecedented" Mandatory Statewide Water Restrictions

Speaking from a water-parched perch in the Sierra Nevadas that would normally be covered with five feet or more of snow, today California Gov. Jerry Brown announced unprecedented mandatory water use restrictions. ABC News reports:

For the first time in the state's history, the governor has directed the State Water Resources Control Board to implement mandatory water reductions across California, in an effort to reduce water usage by 25 percent. The measures include replacing 50 million square feet of lawns throughout the state with drought-tolerant landscaping, banning the watering of grass on public street medians, requiring agricultural water users to report their water use to state regulators, and requiring large landscapes such as campuses, golf courses and cemeteries to make significant cuts in water use.

The last four years have been the driest in California’s recorded history. As of March 24, more than 98 percent of California is suffering from abnormally dry conditions, with 41.1 percent in an exceptional drought, according the U.S. Drought Monitor, which estimates that more than 37 million Californians have been affected by the drought. The state’s snowpack, which is largely responsible for feeding the state’s reservoirs, has been reduced to 8 percent of its historical average, and in some areas in the Central Valley the land is sinking a foot a year because of over-pumping of groundwater for agriculture.

The snowpack in neighboring Nevada's Lake Tahoe water basin is reported to be at 3% of its normal size. For now, neither state is restricting water usage by private homes, but experts have warned that that is surely coming. Yesterday the water provider to the Reno area asked customers to cut their use by 10%.

NEVADA: Several Las Vegas Wedding Chapels Won't Marry Same-Sex Couples

Via the Las Vegas CBS affiliate:

After making calls to about 15 wedding chapels, 8 News NOW found that several of them refused to perform wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples. The Elvis Wedding Chapel, which welcomes traditional and Elvis-themed weddings, said they wouldn't marry same-sex couples. However, when the 8 News Now cameras were rolling as we tried to get their stance on camera, they refused to open the door. "I'm not going to tell you,” David with the Elvis Wedding Chapel said, "It just -- there is no story here.”

Dolly Deleon, the owner of the Vegas Wed Chapel, said she's a born-again believer in Jesus. "My faith won't allow me," Deleon said. She said she's been asked to wed same-sex couples before, but has found that mostly people accept it when she says no. She did not know that a couple who is turned away based on race, sex, or sexual orientation could file charges against her. That could then lead to a misdemeanor arrest. "I would be a hypocrite if I said I'm a Bible-believing person and yet I would perform marriage that believe is solely against God's law,” Deleon said.

So far it doesn't appear that any of these businesses have actually turned away a gay couple.

NEVADA: Hate Group Asks For En Banc Re-Hearing Of Ninth Circuit Marriage Case

The anti-gay Coalition For The Protection Of Marriage today filed a demand that the full Ninth Circuit Court hear the case that resulted in the overturn of Nevada's ban on same-sex marriage. The filing accuses the Ninth Circuit of "panel-packing" - deliberately assigning LGBT-related cases to judges likely to vote in favor of LGBT rights.

From January 1, 2010, to the present, this Court has assigned to merits panels eleven cases involving the federal constitutional rights of gay men and lesbians, what we refer to as the Relevant Cases. They are listed and described in Exhibit 1. Judge Berzon has been on five of those panels. Judge Reinhardt has the next highest number, with four panel assignments. With two, Judges Schroeder, Thomas, and Alarcón are the only other judges with more than one assignment. Seventeen, including District Judge Bennett, received one assignment.

Eighteen of the judges with active status during any part of the relevant time period received none. Careful statistical analysis indicates a high likelihood that the number of Judges Reinhardt and Berzon’s assignments to the Relevant Cases, including this and the Hawaii and Idaho marriage cases (which we treat as one for these purposes), did not result from a neutral judge-assignment process.

Judges Reinhardt and Berzon are publicly perceived to be favorably disposed to arguments for expanding the rights of gay men and lesbians, more so than all or nearly all other judges in this Circuit. That perception gives rise to an appearance of an uneven playing field. That perception is reinforced by, one, the unremarkable observation that experienced and informed lawyers would readily assess this panel as one quite congenial to the plaintiffs in these marriage cases and just the opposite to the parties defending man-woman marriage; and, two, since the announcement of this three-judge panel on September 1, 2014, the consistent public commentary to the effect that, for the plaintiffs, this panel is the most favorable panel possible.

Yeah, good luck with that.

UPDATE: Lambda Legal reacts.

The Coalition's claims of an improper judicial selection process are unfounded, desperate, and sad. We are embarrassed that they have stooped to attacking the integrity of our federal judiciary, rather than accepting an outcome they disagree with a modicum of grace. We are confident the Coalition's request for rehearing will be rejected, for at least two reasons. First, its arguments about the law have been rejected repeatedly, including in the Fourth, Seventh, and Tenth Circuit decisions that the Supreme Court just let stand - and with near unanimity by all the courts who have considered since Windsor whether our Constitution requires that same-sex couples be allowed to marry. Second, the Coalition lacks standing to seek further review on its own. The law is clear: an actual controversy must exist throughout all stages of litigation. Given that the only defendants actually affected by this litigation are the government officials who have been allowing same-sex couples to marry since last week, it's clear that there is no further controversy to resolve.

Las Vegas Celebrates Marriage Equality With Full-Page Ad In USA Today

VIDEO: First Las Vegas Marriage License

27 States And Counting

When you get to post a new Wikipedia map twice in a few hours, that was a very good day for our people. When you get to post a new Wikipedia map eight times in four days, that was one of the best weeks in our history.

NEVADA: First Marriage Is On DeckUPDATE: Marriages Have Begun!

Earlier today the Ninth Circuit Court ordered a local district judge to lift Nevada's ban. That injunction is coming at any minute and then off we go.

UPDATE: The waiting continues.

UPDATE II: County Clerk Diane Alba is over the wait.

UPDATE III: Marriages have begun! State #27!

NEVADA: Marriages Are Back On (Again!)

Via the Associated Press:

A group that fought to keep Nevada's state ban on same-sex marriage is dropping its appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court and a lower court, clearing the way for gay weddings. The Coalition for the Protection of Marriage on Thursday filed documents with the high court and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. There is no longer any formal opposition in court to gay marriage in Nevada. Coalition lawyer Monte Neil Stewart declined to say why.

The first licenses should be issued this afternoon. There is no waiting period to marry in Nevada.

Tony Perkins Has The Ninth Circuit Sadz

"Led by activist in chief, Stephen Reinhardt, the three-judge panel scrapped the marriage laws of two more states just 24 hours after the Supreme Court left voters vulnerable to the benches' attacks. Reinhardt is one of the most overturned judges in U.S. history, whose portfolio includes striking down the Pledge of Allegiance because it 'indoctrinates our nation's children with a state-held religious belief.' Yesterday's opinion, however, is one of the most vicious yet. Reinhardt rips into the majority of Americans who believe children deserve (and need) a mom and a dad. 'This proposition,' (which incidentally, is rooted in years of social science data), 'reflects a crass and callous view of parental love and the parental bond,' Reinhardt rants, 'that is not worthy of response.' How typically liberal. Instead of encouraging debate, he shuts it down. Like most on the Left, he wants to attack the majority who hold these views and silence them because he knows the facts aren't on his side." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, who includes the below graphic with his press release.

NEVADA: Marriages Are Back On

NEVADA: Anti-Gay Group Joins Idaho's Petition For En Banc Review By NinthUPDATE: Marriages Are Back On In Nevada

The Coalition For The Protection Of Marriage, who defended Nevada's marriage ban after the governor and attorney general dropped their appeals, has joined Idaho Gov. Butch Otter's request for an emergency stay until an en banc rehearing by the Ninth Circuit Court.

Early this morning Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy issued a stay order that some media outlets are reporting as applying to both Idaho and Nevada. There is considerable chatter among the legal eagles as to whether that was Kennedy's intent, but in the meantime no marriages will take place today in Nevada.

Officials at Lambda Legal, the gay rights advocacy organization that argued the Nevada case on behalf of eight same-sex couples, noted that only Idaho sought the stay. Jon Davidson, the group's legal director, called for the nation's highest court to clarify whether Nevada can issue marriage licenses. He argued the Nevada and Idaho cases had been consolidated only for purposes of Tuesday's decision, and that Nevada's inclusion in the stay may have been a mistake. "Nothing prevents clerks in Nevada from proceeding to issue licenses today," he said. Nevada didn't seek a stay. Gov. Brian Sandoval and state Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto issued a joint statement late Tuesday saying the state would take no further action. Sandoval, a Republican former federal district judge, said he determined the state had no way to defend its position after an appeals court ruling in another case in February.

Nevada marriages will go on late today or tomorrow if Kennedy indicates that his order only applies to Idaho. That won't likely happen, however, if the above petition is granted.

UPDATE: Go get your hair did, Nevada.

NEVADA: Marriages Start At 2PM

Perhaps obviously, there is no waiting period to marry in Nevada. It's not yet clear if other county clerks will also be issuing licenses. Clark County is home to Las Vegas and 75% of Nevada's population.

Tweet Of The Day - The Democratic Party

BREAKING: Ninth Circuit Court Strikes Down Marriage Bans In Nevada & Idaho

Can you STAND IT? Read the ruling.

UPDATE: Via press release from the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Today’s decision, written by Judge Stephen Reinhardt, holds that “Idaho and Nevada’s marriage laws, by preventing same-sex couples from marrying and refusing to recognize same-sex marriages celebrated elsewhere, impose profound legal, financial, social and psychic harms on numerous citizens of those states.” The decision further states: “Classifying some families, and especially their children, as of lesser value should be repugnant to all those in this nation who profess to believe in ‘family values.’ In any event, Idaho and Nevada’s asserted preference for opposite-sex parents does not, under heightened scrutiny, come close to justifying unequal treatment on the basis of sexual orientation.”

The Idaho case was brought in November 2013 by four same-sex couples: Sue Latta and Traci Ehlers, Lori and Sharene Watsen, Shelia Robertson and Andrea Altmayer, and Amber Beierle and Rachael Robertson. The couples are represented by Idaho attorneys Deborah Ferguson and Craig Durham of Ferguson Durham LLP and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). On September 8th, Ferguson argued before Ninth Circuit Judges Stephen Reinhardt, Marsha S. Berzon, and Ronald M. Gould that Idaho’s laws that ban marriage equality and prohibit the state from respecting the marriages of same-sex couples who married in other states violate the U.S. Constitution. The Idaho case was consolidated for purposes of the decision with Sevcik v. Sandoval, a case challenging Nevada’s marriage ban brought by same-sex couples represented by Lambda Legal.

UPDATE II: From Lambda Legal director Jon Davidson:

"The court remanded Lambda Legal's Nevada marriage equality case to the district court for the prompt issuance of an injunction permanently enjoining the state, its political subdivisions, and its officers, employees and agents, from preventing same-sex couples from marrying or denying recognition to marriages entered outside of the state. Same-sex couples will not be able to enforce their right to marry until that happens, but government officials in Nevada may allow same-sex couples to marry before then."

ANALYSIS: Ninth Circuit Appears Ready To Strike Down Bans In Nevada & Idaho

All three Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appear ready to rule for good guys. Via Chris Geidner at Buzzfeed:

As with other appellate courts to hear marriage cases this year, the court did note that the judges expect the matter to be headed to the Supreme Court. When Monte Stewart, the lawyer arguing in support of both Idaho and Nevada’s bans, questioned the court’s view of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion in last year’s case striking down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, Reinhardt retorted, “I think you’re going to have an opportunity to find out what Justice Kennedy thinks.” Although not as fireworks-filled as the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals arguments over Indiana and Wisconsin’s ban, the arguments Monday at the 9th Circuit were, in a way, even more lopsided. This was so because of the judges on the panel, all of whom have written or joined significant gay rights opinions previously, and because of a decision from the 9th Circuit earlier this year in which the court held that sexual orientation discrimination claims would face additional scrutiny by the court.

Our enemies used the same tired tactics that have failed everywhere else. Via Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade:

Monte Stewart, a conservative attorney formerly with the Marriage Law Foundation, argued on behalf of same-sex marriage bans in Idaho and Nevada by saying those laws instill a message that a child has “bonding right” with his mother and father. “The man-woman relationship at the core of the marriage institution generates and sustains the child’s bonding right, which is a social expectation, a strong social message and social promise and norm that to the greatest extent possible a child will know, and be reared by, her mother and father,” Stewart said. Allowing same-sex couples to marry “undermines and weakens” that bonding right, Stewart said, and places children in situations where they won’t be able to flourish as much as if they were raised by different-sex parents. Stewart twice made an example out of New York, which legalized same-sex marriage through the legislative process in 2011, saying that had the effect of “withdrawing all public and official support” for a child’s bonding right and had “undermined significantly” marriage.