Nevada commissioner bemoans 'unintended consequences' after 'Hail Satan' invocation at county meeting

At a Washoe County Commissioners meeting in Nevada on Tuesday, January 17, Jason Miller — founder of the group Reno Satanic — set off a controversy when he declared, during an opening invocation, "hail Satan."

Miller, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Taylor Lane, Miller told attendees, "In the spirit of the unconquerable son, the bringer of light and knowledge, we say shemhamforash — hail Satan!"

Lane reports that later in the meeting, Washoe County Commissioner Clara Andriola "said she disagreed with Miller's invocation and asked Assistant District Attorney Nate Edwards for clarification on the compliance requirement for the invocation."

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"Invocations are a traditional opening practice at county commission meetings both in Washoe and Clark County," Lane notes. "The invocation is 'offered for the benefit of the Commission, and is intended to 'add solemnity to the meetings and ask for wisdom and guidance' as the Commission makes policy decisions, according to Washoe County."

In a January 15 post on X, formerly Twitter, Reno Satanic announced it would be giving the invocation two days later, adding, "This the first time this has been done this is the first Satanic Invocation to be given infront of a body of government in the state of Nevada tune on YouTube."

Washoe County Commissioner Michael Clark told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Commissioner Andriola asked for the invocations, and now we've got these unintended consequences. You'll notice she got up and left the room when this (invocation) happened. The rest of us had to sit there and listen to that crap.… At the end of the day, my faith is stronger than that nitwit's words, so he can say whatever he wants — he's not gonna convert me.”

Reno Satanic's X profile describes them as "a non-theistic Satanist group committed to fostering a Satanic community in the Greater Northern Nevada area." Reno Satanic, according to Lane, says it has no affiliation with the Church of Satan or the Satanic Temple —two well-known Satanic groups.

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