Petition to Repeal of Controversial “School Choice” Bill Certified by Secretary of State

By Gordon HopkinsThe Nebraska Secretary of State’s office announced on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, that county officials have finished verifying the thousands of signatures collected this summer to place the repeal of LB (Legislative Bill ) 753 before Nebraska voters on the November 2024 ballot. The Secretary of State’s certification means election officials have confirmed petition circulators met all constitutional requirements.Nebraska is one of 24 states that allow citizens to initiate legislation through the petition process.LB 753, the Opportunity Scholarship Act, was sponsored by Senator Lou Ann Linehan and approved by the Nebraska Legislature. The bill allows individuals, estates, trusts, and corporations to claim a one for one income tax credit on their state income tax liability if they contribute towards these scholarship funds. Opponents of the bill say it will take money from public schools and give it to private schools. It is the first time Nebraska has adopted a “school choice” bill.“After careful review by our county election officials, I can confirm that the constitutional requirements have been met to place the referendum petition on the November 2024 ballot,” Secretary of State Robert B. Evnen said.At least 61,308 signatures were required to add the petition referendum to the ballot. County election officials verified 91,861 valid signatures, which met the threshold. Additionally, signatures of more than five percent of registered voters were collected in the 64 of the state’s 93 counties. This meets the constitutional distribution requirement of 38 counties for a referendum petition.“The overwhelming success of this petition sends a clear message to the Governor and state lawmakers: Nebraskans want to vote on the issue of diverting public tax dollars to pay for private schools,” said Jenni Benson, president of NSEA (Nebraska State Education Association) after the announcement was made. “This was a decisive victory and the first step to ensure public funds are used to support public schools, not private schools. Nebraskans cannot afford to pay for two school systems. Now we redouble our efforts to inform Nebraskans of the harm LB 753 will cause if it is not repealed.”According to Support Our Schools Nebraska, a group opposed to LB 753, “Groups that support repealing LB 753 include the League of Women Voters of Nebraska, the ARC of Nebraska, the Nebraska Farmers Union, the Parent-Teacher Association of Nebraska, Holland Children’s Movement, Stand For Schools Nebraska, OpenSky Policy Institute, Omaha NAACP, Nebraska State Education Association, Center for Rural Affairs, Baptist Pastors and Ministers Conference of Omaha.”Governor Jim Pillen, on the other hand, is a firm supporter of LB 753. He issued a statement shortly after the announcement, “This issue is very simple – it’s about giving families a choice in identifying the best educational environment for their kids. This is not about which one is better – public or private schools. I am confident that voters will understand the decision before them and will vote to keep school choice for children. We must provide students and their families the ability to decide the educational fit that works best for them. This law accomplishes that.”Over the coming days, the Attorney General will create the ballot language for the measure. In the fall of 2024, state election staff will schedule three public hearings about the measure and create informational pamphlets that will be available to voters at county election offices.

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