The powerful Culinary Union in Vegas has gathered enough signatures to qualify two measures -- a referendum and an initiative -- for the Las Vegas city ballot. But the council refuses to put them on the ballot, the Review-Journal reports.

Why? The council claims that the two measures have technical deficiencies that make them illegal. The initiative would put new restrictions on lease-purchase agreements, thereby reversing the city council's approval of a costly new City Hall, a questionable expenditure at a time of profound economic difficulty in Nevada. The other would reverse the city's current redevelopment plan. The council says that if such a referendum were successful, existing projects and bonds would be in jeopardy.

The question of whether the measures may be put on the ballot now goes to the courts. While the battle is economic -- between a powerful union and a pro-business city council, the court result will test whether elected officials have the power to keep referenda and initiatives they don't like off the ballot.

It turns out that in this town, your luck can change in 20 minutes.

All systems seemed to be go for a Nevada ballot initiative that would have imposed Prop 13-style restrictions on tax increases in the Silver State. The sponsor, a Republican candidate for state senate, was so high on it that newspapers reported that it appeared to have the signatures. Turn-in began, but for some reason, they didn't get to the clerk's office in Clark County until 20 minutes (5:20 p.m.) after the deadline Tuesday. They tried to come back Tuesday, but had photocopies rather than originals of signatures. That's a big no-no. And likely the end of the sponsor's campaign.