The group Advocates for All Nebraskans (AFAN) announced a third petition drive Monday, this one focused on raising teacher pay statewide.
The proposal would establish a $50,000 minimum base salary for every certified public school teacher in Nebraska. The group has dubbed this the APPLE Plan: Assist Property Payers through Legislative Education support.
The group previously unveiled two property tax measures in August—one to cut taxable valuations in half and another to cap annual valuation increases at 3%. With this latest petition, organizers say their plan balances relief for property owners with stable, state-backed funding for schools.
“This initiative is one signature, one vote away from ensuring our children’s education has stable funding, our teachers have the support they deserve, and our communities are free from the crushing weight of property taxes,” said State Board of Education member Kirk Penner, who emphasized Nebraska is falling behind neighboring states like Iowa, where starting salaries for new teachers rose to $50,000 this year.
AFAN estimates the teacher salary initiative, combined with property tax relief, would redirect billions into local economies.
To meet ballot requirements, AFAN must gather about 88,000 valid signatures by July 2026. Eric Underwood, former state Republican Party Chairman and registered agent for AFAN, said the group is leaning on new technology to organize that effort.
AFAN is working with a volunteer management app called Common that functions like a campaign walk-book, allowing organizers to track petition circulators across the state and monitor progress toward the dual thresholds: total signatures and the county-level distribution requirement.
“We view the people of Nebraska as our candidate,” Underwood said. “This tool allows us to organize in real time and make sure we hit the numbers.”
If successful, the petition will appear on the November 2026 ballot as a statutory amendment. AFAN leaders say it represents a shift toward the state fulfilling its constitutional obligation to fund public education, while allowing local districts to maintain flexibility through property tax dollars for additional expenses.