County voters defeat fuel indexing

Four state questions and one Churchill County question were on the ballot.

The county’s fuel tax, which has remained the same since the early 1990s, will not be increased.

Voters defeated the ballot question 7,283 to 2,768.

County Question Number 1 proposes the Churchill County Board of Commissioners enact an ordinance to impose from Jan. 1, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2026 that would result in annual increases in vehicle fuels tax based on the construction inflation rate. The annual increases would not exceed three cents, and the sole purpose would be to fund county road construction and maintenance.

With Clark County voting overwhelmingly for Question 1, that pushed the yes votes to 373,754 to 306,487.

State Question Number 1 proposed prohibiting a person from selling or transferring a firearm to another person unless a federally-licensed dealer first conducts a federal background check on the potential new owner.

Clark County’s sheriff and the district attorney encouraged voters to approve the ballot question. Sheriffs in the other 16 counties did not support it.

It also appears the vote to approve marijuana for recreational use is winning statewide, 365,528.

State Question Number 2 proposes allowing a person 21 years or older to purchase, cultivate, posses or consume a certain amount of marijuana as well as manufacture, transport, distribute or sell marijuana paraphernalia. There would also be a 15 percent tax on wholesale marijuana sales in addition to regulation and licensing as well as criminal penalties.

The vote for Question 3 shows 491,616 in favor, while 174,032 oppose its.

State Question Number 3 proposes requiring the Legislature to provide by law in the state constitution for the establishment of an open, competitive retail electric energy market that would prohibit the granting of monopolies and exclusive franchises for electricity generation.

Likewise, state question 4 is also seeing big support, 497,492 to 179,690 against.

State Question Number 4 proposes exempting durable medical equipment, oxygen delivery equipment and mobility enhancing equipment prescribed for use by a licensed health care provider from any tax upon sale, storage, use or consumption of tangible personal property.