Five Petitions Under Review by Secretary of State

By Gordon Hopkins Five of the initiative petitions recently circulating in Nebraska have collected enough signatures to be on the upcoming general election ballot and are currently under review by the Secretary of State for signature verification. Another five were authorized for circulation but were not returned for signature verification. One of the five petitions turned in is the Paid Sick Leave Initiative, which would provide eligible employees in Nebraska the right to earn paid sick time for personal or family health needs. Two are related to medical cannabis. Two are opposing initiatives regarding access to abortion. AbortionThere are two abortion initiatives that will be on the ballot if signatures on both are accepted.The first is “Protect Women and Children Constitutional Amendment,” which would limit the procedure to 12 to14 weeks gestational age and empowers lawmakers to enact even stricter laws.The second initiative is “Protect the Right to Abortion Constitutional Amendment.” According to the object statement, the purpose of this amendment is to provide for access to abortion until “ fetal viability, which is the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of the patient's health care practitioner, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus' sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures; or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.” “This is an unprecedented moment for Nebraska,” said Eric Underwood, Chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party, in a statement shortly after the announcement. “The outcome of this ballot will define our state's approach to abortion policy for years to come. It is imperative that every voter understands the language of the Amendments as well as the implications of their decision and the values at stake.”Omaha Senator Megan Hunt posted on X (formerly know as Twitter) after the anocunement, “This November we will vote for the fundamental right to abortion and show the Legislature the power of the people.” According to the Secretary of State’s Office, because these two amendments conflict, the constitutional amendment that receives the majority of votes in November will be codified into law. MarijuanaTwo medical marijuana initiatives were presented for review: “Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection Initiative” and “Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation Initiative.” These initiatives are for medical marijuana only. They do not pertain to recreational use. In a statement, the organization, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, said, “We heard stories from veterans, cancer patients, patients with chronic pain and epilepsy, and everything in between. No matter where we went, we discovered just how passionate Nebraskans are about this issue. We expect to find out our status for the November ballot sometime at the end of August.” Sick LeaveIf passed, the “Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans” ballot initiative would require all Nebraska businesses to offer paid sick leave to employees. Employees would earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. For employers with fewer than 20 employees, workers may earn up to five days of paid sick leave per year. For employers with 20 or more employees, workers may earn up to seven days of paid sick leave per year.School Vouchers There is still one petition circulating. Support Our Schools, an organization dedicated to repealing Nebraska's recently passed Opportunity Scholarship Act, has until July 17 to collect enough signatures to appear on the ballot. Wednesday, July 3, 2024, was the deadline for initiative petitions to be turned into the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office. It was the first of two petition turn-in deadlines for the November 5th General Election. The second is July 17, which is the deadline for referendum petitions. An earlier petition to repeal the bill garnered enough signatures and was certified by the Secretary of State in 2023. However, that petition was later invalidated when a revised version of the Opportunity Scholarships Act was passed. The revised bill sets aside $10 million a year in state money for a voucher program for students attending private schools. Opponents of the bill say it takes tax money away from public schools. Removing Names from PetitionsIt is still possible for those who signed petitions to remove their signatures. According to Nebraska Revised Statute 32-632, “Any person may remove his or her name from a petition by signing and delivering a written letter to the Secretary of State, election commissioner, or county clerk.” Verification ProcessNebraska is one of 24 states that allow citizens to initiate legislation through the petition process.It will take several weeks to verify signatures. The Secretary of State’s Office will paginate each petition page and distribute petitions to county election offices. Upon receiving petition pages, county election offices will have 40 days to verify signatures.

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