FLORES VS. LAS VEGAS-CLARK CTY. LIBRARY DIST.

2018 NV 101
CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 13, 2018
Docket72462
StatusPublished

This text of 2018 NV 101 (FLORES VS. LAS VEGAS-CLARK CTY. LIBRARY DIST.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
FLORES VS. LAS VEGAS-CLARK CTY. LIBRARY DIST., 2018 NV 101 (Neb. 2018).

Opinion

134 Nev., Advance Opinion ID I IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA

MICHELLE FLORES, AN No. 72462 INDIVIDUAL, Appellant, vs. LAS VEGAS-CLARK COUNTY FAL ED LIBRARY DISTRICT, A POLITICAL DEC 1 3 2018 SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF ELLZPJ) ET NEVADA, CLER

BY- Respondent. Tir157:7Cfr

Appeal from a district court summary judgment in a declaratory relief action. Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County; Stefany Miley, Judge. Affirmed.

Iglody Law, PLLC, and Lee Iglody, Las Vegas; Ashcraft & Barr LLP and Jeffrey F. Barr, Las Vegas, for Appellant.

Bailey Kennedy and Dennis L. Kennedy and Kelly B. Stout, Las Vegas, for Respondent.

BEFORE THE COURT EN BANC.

SUPREME COURT OF NEVADA OPINION

By the Court, PARRAGUIRRE, J.: In 2015; the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 175, which declares that "the regulation, . . of firearms . . . in this State. . . is within the exclusive domain of the Legislature, and any other law, regulation, rule or ordinance to the contrary is null and void." SB 175 §§ 8(1)(b), 9(1)(b) & 10(1)(b), 78th Leg. (Nev. 2015). SB 175 also provides that no "county," "city," or "town" may infringe upon the Legislature's domain. Id. §§ 8(2), 9(2) & 10(2) (emphases added). In this appeal, we must determine whether SB 175 preempts a library district from banning the possession of firearms on its premises. Because SB 175's plain language expressly pertains to only counties, cities, or towns with respect to firearm regulation, we conclude that library districts are not within the field of governmental entities that the Legislature expressly stated SB 175 would preempt. We therefore affirm the district court's summary judgment in favor of the respondent library district. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY Respondent Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (the District) is a "Consolidated Library District" created under NRS Chapter 379, which permits "[t]he trustees of a county library district. . . and the governing body of any city within that county. . . to establish and maintain a public library [and to] consolidate the city into the county library district." NRS 379.0221. In other words, the District, pursuant to legislative authority, has been jointly created by Clark County and the City of Las Vegas. The District is administered by a board of ten trustees, five of whom

SUPREME COURT Of NEVADA

2 (0) 1947A 41P,To are appointed by the Clark County commissioners, and five of whom are appointed by the governing body of the City of Las Vegas. NRS 379.0222(1). The Legislature granted the District a degree of autonomy, which includes "[d] o[ingl all acts necessary for the orderly and efficient management and control of the library," see NRS 379.025(2)(f), and "[el stablish[ing] bylaws and regulations for the management of the library," see NRS 379.025(1)(h), Clark County and the City of Las Vegas are afforded some element of control over the District, largely in terms of approving the District's budget and financing. See NRS 379.025(1)(f)(2) (approval of budget); NRS 379.0225 (approval of issuance of bonds); NRS 379.0227 (levy of taxes). Under these and other provisions of NRS Chapter 379, the District operates 25 library branches throughout Clark County. In 2016, appellant Michelle Flores visited the Rainbow Branch Library, which is one of the District's libraries. While there, she was wearing a handgun in a holster on her belt, which both sides acknowledge was being carried openly and not concealed.' As Flores was leaving, a librarian asked her not to bring the gun with her the next time she visited the library, explaining that the District had a Dangerous Items Policy (DIP) that prohibited patrons from bringing firearms onto the District's

'This case does not implicate NRS 202.3673(3), which prohibits concealed firearm possession in public buildings such as the Rainbow Branch Library, or NRS 202.265(1), which prohibits all firearm possession in certain legislatively designated buildings (not including the Rainbow Branch Library).

3 (0) 1947A 44k*

=BF OD }Mai premises. 2 In response to this request, Flores filed the underlying declaratory relief action against the District in which she sought a ruling that SB 175 preempts the District from enforcing its DIP. Both Flores and the District moved for summary judgment based on different provisions in SB 175. Generally speaking, and as explained more fully below, Flores relied primarily on provisions stating that "Etlhe regulation of. . . possession. . . of firearms in this State and the ability to define such terms is within the exclusive domain of the Legislature, and any other law, regulation, rule or ordinance to the contrary is null and void." SB 175 §§ 8(1)(b), 9(1)(b) & 10(1)(b). In contrast, the District relied on provisions stating that no "county," "city," or "town" "may infringe upon [the Legislature's right to regulate firearm possession]." Id. §§ 8(2), 9(2) & 10(2). Because the District is a "Library District" created under NRS Chapter 379 and not a county, city, or town, the District contended that SB 175 did not prohibit it from enforcing its DIP. Ultimately, the district court agreed with the District and granted summary judgment in its favor. The district court concluded that since the District was a "Library District" as defined in NRS Chapter 379, it was not a "county," "city," or "town" for purposes of SB 175 and that the Legislature had not taken away the District's ability under NRS 379.025(1)(h) to "Eelstablish bylaws and regulations for the management of the library" such as the DIP. This appeal followed.

2In relevant part, the DIP provides that "[t] he Library District bans bringing or possessing on Library District owned premises any dangerous items, including, without limitation, a deadly or dangerous weapon, loaded or unloaded."

ce 4 • Cr) 1947A DISCUSSION Whether SB 175 preempts the District's DIP is an issue of statutory construction, which we review de novo. 3 Williams v. United Parcel Servs., 129 Nev. 386, 391, 302 P.3d 1144, 1147 (2013). To provide context for our analysis of SB 175, it is helpful to first provide an overview of the statutes that SB 175 amended and added to. In 1989, the Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 147, which added one section each to NRS Chapter 244 ("Counties: Government"; section 244.364), NRS Chapter 268 ("Cities and Towns"; section 268.418), and NRS Chapter 269 ("Unincorporated Towns"; section 269.222).

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2018 NV 101, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/flores-vs-las-vegas-clark-cty-library-dist-nev-2018.