Burning Man is a major economic and cultural influence in the Northern Nevada region. Still, there are some who don’t want it there at all and some who want to crack down on nudity or tax it more. In recent legal stoushes, both Burning Man and Pershing County claimed victories. This time…building on top of their recent success against the land-sailor – it’s good news for Burners and bad news for the haters. Nevada has just ruled in favor of Burning Man being allowed to provide us our right to nudity, because we’re on Federal Land, and haters other counties be damned. Nevada has given us Burners a strong signal: they ♥ Burning Man. And they also ♠♣♦ Burners too.
The Associated Press (via Reno’s 4 News) had this to say on the matter:
PANDAS! GIANTS!
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has signed into law a bill that streamlines the permitting process for the Burning Man festival and other events on federal land.
The new law gives counties the right to opt out of state permitting requirements for events held on federal land that already undergo a comprehensive federal permitting process.
Pershing County commissioners earlier passed a resolution exempting Burning Man from county permitting requirements.
Burning Man spokesman Ray Allen calls the new law “a huge victory” for the festival. He says it “ensures local permitting requirements won’t infringe upon the First Amendment rights of Burning Man participants.”
The anything-goes art and music festival leading up to Labor Day draws over 50,000 people from around the world to the Black Rock Desert, some 100 miles north of Reno.
The new law takes effect July 1.
Needless to say, BMOrg was stoked, claiming this as a major victory – not just for Burning Man, but for the whole Constitution and First Amendment.
… As a result of collaborative negotiations involving Burning Man representatives, Pershing County officials and the Nevada Association of Counties, Pershing County commissioners already passed a resolution exempting Burning Man from county permitting requirements in perpetuity.
As the Scumfrog would put it…
