In just 90 days, the Support Our Schools Nebraska petition campaign has collected, and submitted as of Wednesday morning, almost double the minimum required amount of signatures to place future of the controversial school choice bill LB753 before voters on the November 2024 ballot.
LB573, one of Gov. Jim Pillen’s flagship legislative efforts, authorizes $25 million in tax credits for those who donate to organizations that provide scholarships to private schools in Nebraska, with the amount potentially growing to $100 million within 10 years.
Support Our Schools Nebraska launched the petition drive on June 6, a week after Gov. Jim Pillen signed LB753 into law. The campaign argues LB573 could reduce state revenue available to fund public education, and create a “shell-scheme” to divert public tax dollars toward private/parochial institutions, which are allowed to admit and reject students (as opposed to public institutions).
Nebraska State Constitution Article VII-11: “Appropriation of public funds shall not be made to any school or institution of learning not owned or exclusively controlled by the state…”
Campaign officials held a news conference on Wednesday, shortly after dropping dozens of boxes filled with signed petitions off for verification at the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office. The effort also exceeded the 38-county requirement with 5% of voters signing the petition in two-thirds of the state’s 93 counties.
“I’ve traveled all across our state these past 90 days and I am heartened by the support I’ve seen from Nebraskans for their public schools,” said Jenni Benson, a Support Our Schools Nebraska sponsor and president of the Nebraska State Education Association. “The sheer number of signatures this coalition gathered in less than 90 days, sends a powerful message to elected officials: Nebraskan’s want to vote on this voucher tax scheme, and they are pleased that they are given that opportunity.”
Gov. Pillen issued a statement following the submission of signatures:
“The union bosses running this political campaign failed to gather enough signatures to suspend this great program. We should not be fighting this fight. With the support of the Legislature, I provided the largest funding increase in the State’s history for public education. The signatures collected will now have to be certified by the Secretary of State. If this initiative makes it onto the 2024 ballot, I can promise you the fight will not be over. I have confidence in education, both public and private. I will continue to make sure each student in Nebraska has the educational freedom to choose where they want to attend school. We will never give up on our kids.” — Gov. Jim Pillen.
The Secretary of State will forward the petitions to local election officials, who have 40 days to verify the petitions and the signers’ information. Once all petitions have been reviewed and requirements met, the Secretary of State will certify the measure for the November 2024 General Election ballot.
For more information on Support Our Schools Nebraska, visit https://supportourschoolsnebraska.org/