The Nevada Committee for Full Statehood was conceived and founded by my late brother Daniel Hansen. It was first organized in February of 2001 and burst onto the scene as we attended the federal court hearing in Reno for Ruby Valley Rancher Cliff Gardner. This was our first of many free speech demonstrations outside of the federal court building. That day we then moved to Carson City and the front of the Nevada Legislative Building. Ultimately, Cliff Gardner was sentenced for what the judge called less than a misdemeanor to 1 month in a halfway house and 1year on house arrest. Gardner’s arguments that over 15 of his constitutional rights had been abrogated and violated fell on federal deaf years.

The Nevada Committee for Full Statehood then acted to support in the 2001 Nevada Legislature AB 391, which sought to limit federal control in Nevada. With constant lobbying by our Ranching Representatives David and Jackie Holmgren and the bill's author David Horton, AB 391 passed the Assembly 38 to 3. It was then killed in an unprecedented move before it was ever given a hearing in the Senate. However, seven Senators bravely asked for reconsideration. This was not without fanfare and more peaceful free speech demonstrations.

The Full Statehood Committee then determined to win the hearts and minds of the people of Nevada in a public relations campaign. We held town meetings in Elko, Reno/Sparks, Fallon and a banquet in conjunction with the Tenth Amendment Committee in Las Vegas. But our most successful public relations opportunities came from the feds themselves. We demonstrated with others in opposition to the takeover by the feds of the Black Rock Desert. Interestingly, 16 of Nevada’s 17 elected county commissions had voted against designation of the Black Rock as a Wilderness Area. Whatever, happened to representative government?

Then the Bureau of Land Management swooped in and rustled Ben Colvin’s and Jack Vogt’s cattle in Esmeralda and Nye Counties without due process or a court order. This was done not only in violation of his constitutional rights, but even in violation of the federal statutes in FLMPA which requires that the BLM contract with the county sheriff for all enforcement actions. The Statehood Committee issued press releases and began a campaign of demonstrations, which lasted for weeks at Snows Auction yard in Fallon. Ultimately, through exercise of free speech, press, and assembly we stopped the auctions, the BLM then moved the cattle to the Sparks Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Hay Recycling Facility.

That was when the heavy hand of the BLM was manifest in the famous picture by Committee member Jean Voigts when the BLM agent assaulted committee member Ken Greenwell with a gun as he moved his lunch, coat and holstered gun to the back of his pickup.

Our campaign was well covered by the media reaching front pages of the Las Vegas Review Journal, the Sun, the Elko Free Press, Nevada Appeal and Reno Gazette Journal 5 times in 10 days. We were covered nationally in many papers including the Washington Times and our story was buzzing on the Internet. We had begun to expose the tyranny of the BLM as defined by James Madison which is the combination of Legislative, Executive and Judicial power which they wield.

When the BLM moved to confiscate Raymond Yowell’s cattle in Elko our committee members were on hand to document the breech of the peace and violations of due process and property rights.

During this time the Nevada Committee for Full Statehood, which seeks the return of jurisdiction over Nevada’s lands to Nevada, participated in the 2001 and 2002 Nevada Day Parades with large and colorful entries featuring 20 battle born Nevada blue flags. Our entries were exceptionally well received and applauded by the parade goers.

Our members including our Statehood Committee air force, piloted by Sam Dupuis, were on hand to help document the para-military operations of the BLM as they confiscated the Shoshone Dann Sisters’ cattle. Our members on the ground, David and Jackie Holmgrem, documented on videotape the armed operations of the BLM against the Dann’s. Later, the committee hired a private investigator to follow the confiscated cattle, which were taken to Idaho and the Swift Armour meat packing plant. The Nevada Committee for Full Statehood called for a nationwide boycott of Swift Amour. In response, Swift Amour announced that they would not slaughter any more of the Dann cattle and the boycott was called off.

Nevada Committee for Full Statehood hired an airplane to fly a banner over Carson City in support of Judge Gamble who refused to comply with the Nevada Supreme Court’s give away of Nevada’s water rights.

Dennis Grover, Washoe County Chairman of the Nevada Committee for Full Statehood and the host of the television show "Liberty and Justice for All" has produced numerous television shows during the past two years which have been distributed nationwide, highlighting this important property rights battle in Nevada. Dennis is also the webmaster of our Nevada Committee for Full Statehood website, which has allowed us to reach out to others engaged in this same battle across the country. The Committee is also publishing a newsletter to keep our members informed.

Leaders from the Full Statehood Committee have been featured on radio talk shows not only in Northern and Southern Nevada, but also on local and nationwide shows in Utah, St. Louis, Arkansas, and Oregon. Our representatives have spoken at conferences in Washington, DC, California, Arkansas, Missouri, Idaho, Utah and New Mexico.

Members of the Nevada Committee for Full Statehood attended and testified at all of the Interim hearings of the Nevada Public Lands Committee, which were held in Las Vegas, Winnemucca, Pioche, Reno, Pahrump, Fallon, Elko and Carson City.

Our members have met twice with Nevada’s new attorney general, who was unaware of much of the researched information concerning such things as the fact that according to the U.S. Supreme Court’s definition there are almost no public lands in Nevada, but there are lands to which claims and rights attach, most of which are grazing allotments.

We have become a voice for those whose property rights, water and forage rights, mineral rights, recreation opportunities and livelihoods have been jeopardized and denied by unelected federal agencies in violation of the state and federal Constitutions and even their own statutes and rules. We have established the Nevada Foundation for Full Statehood to increase our opportunities to publicize our efforts.

Our members, particularly the Holmgren family including their daughters Janet and Cindy helped the Dann’s collect hundreds of their horses before the BLM moved in for another confiscation assisted by the Nevada Brand Department.

By now you can see that we have been actively seeking the minds and hearts of the people of Nevada and even the nation. Many of our members determined to run for political office this last election in order to have an additional platform from which to speak about these serious issues facing Nevada.

However, as serious as these issues are, we have not lost our sense of humor. We recently printed our latest bumper sticker, "Bye Bye BLM", which even amused BLM boss Abbey. We’ve had fun with others which I have provided for you including "Freedom’s Precious Metal—Gold, Silver, and Lead", "I Love Animals They’re Delicious" and "Spotted Owls Taste Like Chicken".

We so much appreciate the opportunity to meet with you, our elected representatives. We have numerous unpaid volunteer registered lobbyists ready to share with you a wealth of information, which has not been readily available, about these important issues. We plan to be here to support you as you support the return of jurisdiction over Nevada’s lands and the protection of the property rights of Nevada’s citizens.

We invite you all to attend the Legislative Briefing tonight at 7pm sponsored by the Nevada Live Stock Association. If you care about Nevada’s water and land you will want to attend. Thank you.