FLIP-FLOP: Chris Giunchigliani and Steve Sisolak Reverse Positions On Ballot Initiative To Win Over Big Labor In Nevada

As they desperately pander to win over support from Big Labor for their gubernatorial campaigns, Democrat Clark County politicians Steve Sisolak and Chris Giunchigliani are both flip-flopping on a major ballot initiative. After previously stating that they would support the Energy Choice Initiative, a proposed constitutional amendment backed by Governor Brian Sandoval to end the state’s de facto energy monopoly, both Sisolak and Giunchigliani have confirmed that they will oppose it this November.

Not only had both Democrat candidates claimed as recently as October that they would support the amendment, but both voted for a similar proposal that passed overwhelmingly in 2016 by a 72-28 margin. The move by Sisolak and Giunchigliani is a clear attempt to attract Big Labor support for their campaigns, as the Nevada Independent reports that it will likely help them to “garner support from several of the state’s top labor unions.”

By flip-flopping on the Energy Choice Initiative just months after supporting it, Sisolak and Giunchigliani are signaling to Nevada citizens that they are bought and paid for by Big Labor and that they are willing to reverse their positions on any issue just to win over union support. Nevada can’t trust them to lead.

The Nevada Independent reports:

“Nevada’s top two Democratic candidates for governor say they oppose a major energy ballot initiative in 2018, despite both voting for it in the previous election.

The two candidates — Clark County commissioners Steve Sisolak and Chris Giunchigliani — both confirmed to The Nevada Independent this week that they planned to vote against the Energy Choice Initiative, a proposed constitutional amendment that would end Nevada’s de facto electric monopoly system and require the state to set up and run a competitive, retail electric marketplace by 2023.

The announced opposition marks a clear departure from 2016, when the ballot question — which is largely bankrolled by the Las Vegas Sands and data center giant Switch, and is endorsed by former Democratic Sen. Harry Reid — passed on an overwhelming 72 to 28 percent margin. Some opposition to the measure has emerged this election cycle, with a coalition group (including NV Energy) against it recently announcing it had reserved nearly $12 million in television ads.

The announcement marks a flip of position for Giunchigliani, who said in October that she had supported the ballot question in 2016 and planned to do so again in 2018, but would want to flesh out the initiative as governor to prevent price gouging and enshrine consumer protections in law.

The former Assemblywoman and longtime county commissioner in March said she had additional ‘concerns’ that the ballot question could make ratepayers ‘really be at risk’ and was worried about how it would affect rural parts of the state. On Tuesday, her campaign confirmed she would oppose the ballot question…

In October, Sisolak said he supported the ballot question in 2016 but had concerns about the measure’s effect on workers with NV Energy and also had concerns about possible sudden spikes in electric bills, as well as general apprehension over ‘legislation by initiative.’

The Clark County Commission Chairman announced his formal opposition to the ballot question during the AFL-CIO’s conference in Reno on Monday, and confirmed his position in a statement sent late Monday…

The announced positions against the measure could help the two candidates garner support from several of the state’s top labor unions.

Audio obtained by The Nevada Independent last month of two major labor leaders — Nevada AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rusty McAllister and his predecessor, Danny Thompson — appeared to indicate that the union would require candidates to oppose the ballot question if they wished to receive the organization’s endorsement. Thompson also said that opposition to the ballot question would be a prerequisite for an endorsement by Nevada chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.”