Nevada Day announces entirely politics-free parade this year plus: Supervisor Maurice White's response

Following the controversy last month surrounding Nevada Day and their decision to keep campaigning away from the parade, the board has decided to make the parade entirely politics free.

Previously, Carson City Supervisor Maurice White opposed the $25,000 grant to Nevada Day from the city to help put on the parade (and conduct clean up afterwards). He said that the decision not to allow campaigning and candidates while allowing seated officials in the parade was a potential First Amendment violation. He also told parade organizers they were “opening themselves up for a lawsuit” if they continued to deny entry to candidates.

However, Nevada Day officials say this is not the case. Citing a 1995 Supreme Court ruling about a Boston parade, former Nevada Day Board President Bobby Bean stated parade organizers are able to decide who they want to allow within the parade without exception.

During that case, the Supreme Court determined: Demonstration organizers do not need to allow anyone who wishes to participate, especially members of groups whose purposes they do not support.

Nevada Day Board representatives previously approached both the Carson City Republican and Democratic parties on whether or not they would like to participate in a “unity” float as part of the “All for Our Country” state motto themed-parade this year.

As confirmed by Republican Party Chair Susan Ruch, the Republican Party refused to participate in a unity float, while the Democratic Party said they were hesitant due to potential hostilities from the Republican Party.

Now, all three previous floats for Republican and Democrat parties, as well as a non-partisan float, will be nixed from the line up. However, candidates can have booths in the vendor booth area to campaign from.

“We as a board are not segregating one party over another,” Bean said. “We went to promote our unity float and said, ‘If you want to be in the parade this is the way.’”

This is not a political decision, Bean said, but rather a time-constraint one.

Last year, there were 250 entries, and with each parade entry being allowed up to 75 walkers and six vehicles, it made for a very long parade. This year, the board decided to limit the number of entries to 200. They also reached out to a number of new organizations and teams within the state to participate, which means some cuts had to be made.

Sitting officials will still be within the parade as representatives of their office.

“These duly elected officials have been voted into office by the people and currently hold the seat for which they serve,” Nevada Day Director Jennell Peck said. “The Nevada Day Board welcomes all duly elected officials to represent the seat of their office.”

Bean reiterated that disallowing campaigning and political candidates is not a new rule for this year.

“This is an existing rule; we aren’t changing anything this year regarding campaigning,” Bean said. “No sitting official will be allowed to campaign either.”

Following last year’s initial no-campaigning rule, public response was “overwhelmingly positive” according to Peck. She said the public appreciated a far less political parade and Peck said the board received hundreds of messages thanking them for the new rule.

“This is a day to celebrate our state’s birthday with our friends and families,” Peck said. “Everyone wants to keep it family-friendly.”

The initial decision to ban campaigning came after years of rising tensions that resulted in a parade year with multiple fist-fights along the parade route, according to parade officals.

Article Response

Susan Ruch, Chair of the Carson City Republican Party, reached out to Carson Now following the publication of our previous reporting and stated in an email the decision not to allow campaigning is against the Constitution, and they are concerned about the legality of their decision. She also stated that, as last year was not an election year, it should not be used as an example.

“The parade members were deeply disappointed with the CCRP response when they proposed that our party share a float with the Democrats,” Ruch wrote. “The next point they presented was that only people who hold office will be able to have a float. As we explained, we will be in the middle of the Presidential Election, which will not permit candidates running for office to have a float. Yes, we are concerned about whether that infringes on the First Amendment Rights. Someone did ask if they had consulted an attorney on the legality. They responded that they are a private organization, so they do not have to follow the Constitution (RED FLAG). We question the legal ramifications of this stance since they accept $25,000 of taxpayer’s money for the parade.”

Ruch further went on to say that the parade’s choice to ban candidates is “tyranny.”

“We have realized that if you disagree with the younger generations, where the parents never say NO, they must have temper tantrums when people disagree,” Ruch wrote. “Our board did not go to your paper to complain. I thought we would communicate as professional adults and make our own decisions based on the Nevada Day Board’s final decision. I am deeply concerned because I have told everyone on our board not to discuss the meeting between the CCRP and the Nevada Day Parade. We are now being attacked with incorrect details because we have a different opinion. Everyone should be concerned; this is an example of tyranny at the lowest level of government.”

While White initially refused to provide comment for the previous story, stating that he did not participate in the article because “he does not believe this reporter can write a fair story,” he sent a follow up response.

White clarified that he has no “appetite for legal action” and he has no plans to file a lawsuit against the parade.

He further stated that the prohibition of campaigning is not his main objection:

“The policy allows incumbent candidates to have their own floats while remanding their opponents to walk anonymously with some sort of party-affiliated float … Muzzling one group of candidates while letting another group of candidates have their float is, again, not the sort of society our founders envisioned for America.”

White said that while he is a Republican party member, his seat is non-partisan.

“My campaign is not now nor has it ever been affiliated with the Republican Party,” White wrote. “I have never campaigned on the Republican Float. I have always purchased a float for my campaign in the Nevada Day Parade. This policy excludes me from the parade because there is no ‘nonpartisan’ party that could purchase a spot in the parade.”

Nevada Day Director Jennell Peck said that despite White’s objections, as a seated official, he is allowed to participate in the parade. However, she said, contrary to White’s claim, she was not able to find any proof he has ever been a participant in the parade with a float entry, though he has sponsored the Rock Drilling Competition before.

While White is running for re-election this year, he is running unopposed.

White further took issue with the notion that the Nevada Day Parade is family-friendly.
“Really, remember when Carson City would move trick or treating away from Nevada Day because the Nevada Day holiday was so friendly to children ?” White wrote “Hmm, the parade is for children ? Is that why pimps, prostitutes and Burning Man are allowed in the parade ? Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with those folks being in the parade. Their participation shows our friendly and inclusive nature of Nevada in general and Carson City specifically and I endorse their participation. Please don’t insult the community by saying the parade is for children. Again, I have been attending this parade most of my life and it has never been family friendly.”

White said he had brought the issue up with staff at the Nevada Day Gift Shop a number of times. However, he did not take his concerns directly to the board or the director.

“If staff choose (sic) to not share the information that is on them,” White wrote. “There is no reason the Committee was not aware of my consternation. My comment did not come out of nowhere.”

White also refuted the fact that party members were hostile toward parade officials during the Republican Party meeting where the unity float was discussed.

“I will say Peck is a liar,” White wrote. “At that meeting there were multiple comedic remarks and laughing. What the Nevada Day Committee received was stern rejection of their proposal. If the delegation sensed hostility and aggression why didn’t they exit the building. Nothing was impeding their exit.”

However, in the same letter White wrote, he said that most members who spoke were “more voluminous and used stronger language than I did.”

Ruch similarly stated that the meeting was not hostile or aggressive in nature.

Bean, who also attended the meeting, agreed with Peck on the aggressive response from the party members.

“To call the meeting hostile is an understatement,” Bean wrote. “When (Peck) brought up the idea of the ‘Unity Float’ one of the members spoke out aggressively claiming we would see fights if they rode on a float with the Democrats. He also stated it would start a Civil War.”

Bean went on saying the conversation quickly changed to the rules of the parade not allowing campaigning.

"Members were raising their voices to be heard over the commotion using the words first amendment rights, violations, lawsuits, Civil War, fighting and other threatening terms. They also mentioned campaign sign violations. Mr. White did make the comment, as he did in the (Supervisor's) meeting, that the Nevada Day Parade Board's actions opened them up to lawsuits. At no point in the meeting were any of the Nevada Day Board members aggressive or disrespectful. We left the meeting feeling attacked and disappointed."

White said that his conversations with Nevada Day should have remained private, and that it is clear they are “pursuing a narrative to facilitate his political suicide.” He further alleged that Carson Now is “writing from an agenda,” and that our coverage has “done nothing more than perpetuate the Committee’s temper tantrum.”

Carson Now reached out to White and Ruch for comment on the new policy disallowing any political parade entries. We will update if they respond.