Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Court is asked to permit suit against Nevada’s Catalyst Fund

The Nevada Supreme Court was asked Tuesday to permit a North Las Vegas man to continue his fight against the state distributing millions of dollars to lure private industry to locate in Nevada.

Michael Little maintains he has legal standing to sue the state, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Legislature to void the Catalyst Fund from filtering grant money from the state to local governments and then to private companies.

A district court has ruled that Little has no standing to pursue his case.

Joseph Becker, attorney for Little, argued his client has a legal right as a taxpayer to show the Nevada Constitution prohibits gifts from the state of public money that ends up in the hands of private business.

But attorney Kevin Powers of the Legislative Counsel Bureau told the justices Little has no legal standing to file suit against these government entities.

The justices, who took the case under submission, riddled both attorneys with questions of why Little should be barred from suing.

Powers said there have been 17 companies that have received these grants. Little, in this case, claims that a $400,000 grant to SolarCity via Clark County puts him at a disadvantage in his development of an energy system because of the grant to a competitor.

Becker argued voters in three elections rejected a constitutional amendment to allow these grants, and Little should be allowed to sue to uphold the Constitution.

Justice Michael Douglas questioned why the case even was before the court. Justice James Hardesty asked why Little should not have standing.

This is a legal procedural issue before Little can continue his suit to stop the state from giving taxpayer money that ends up in the hands of private companies.

A decision by the court whether Little has a right to sue will be issued later by the court.

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