Communist in Nevada? It's now officially OK

(CBS/AP) CARSON CITY, Nev. - It's no longer legally permissible to fire someone in Nevada just because they're a Communist.

Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a bill last week striking down language in a Nevada law that dates back to the Red Scare of the 1940s and '50s.

Before Wednesday, May 29, it was legal for employers to take action against a person who's a member of the Communist Party or any other organization required to register with the Subversive Activities Control Board.

That board was created by a 1950 federal law sponsored by former U.S. Sen. Pat McCarran, a Nevada Democrat. It investigated people suspected of promoting totalitarian dictatorships in the U.S.

Organizations haven't been required to register with the board since 1968.

The measure erased from the books last week is part of an ongoing effort by Nevada legislative staff to eliminate obsolete laws.