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School Choice Referendum


 

School Choice for Nebraska? You Decide. 

The debate over school choice has come to Nebraska. Nebraska’s new school choice law has established a voucher program that sets aside $10 million for private school scholarships.  

One of your choices on the ballot this fall will be to repeal or to retain that voucher program.  

Nebraska’s fight over school choice has a 2-year backstory. Last year, Nebraska legislators passed LB 753, allowing $50 million in tax credits for qualifying families to send their children to private schools. Governor Pillen signed it on May 23, 2023. The bill provides scholarships “with priority …


Summer VIP Celebration!

Personal story for Why VIP


 

Summer VIP Celebration!
 
We take a break from our regularly scheduled objectiveness today to celebrate the success, community, and expanding reach of Voter Information Project (VIP), and to invite you to help us improve. I can’t think of a better way to do that than to share my own experience.
 
Before I get into that: What is VIP? If you have never used it—VIP was made to give voters access to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  [from the editor:  If candidates fail to tell the truth, we cannot control that - but we report what …

To Sign or Not to Sign: Remove School Choice Funding


Private Education Scholarship Partial Referendum

In the Nebraska Unicameral system, the “second house” consists of the people.  If enough people agree, they can create laws and even amend the Constitution using the Initiative process.  They can also change the laws made by the Legislature using the Referendum process.  The whole system is described here. Initiative and Referendum Process

A Nebraska non-profit organization named Support our Schools states:

The object of this Petition is to

Repeal Section 1 of LB 1402, passed by the 108th Nebraska Legislature in 2024, which directs $10 million dollars annually for financial grants-in-aid for eligible …


To Sign or Not to Sign: Paid Sick Leave Initiative


To Sign or Not to Sign: Paid Sick Leave Initiative 

One petition being circulated for this year’s ballot is the “Paid Sick Leave Initiative.” It lays out rules that, if put on the ballot and passed, would require private Nebraska employers to provide a minimum amount of sick leave.  

“The object of this petition is to enact a statute to provide eligible employees the right to earn paid sick time for personal or family health needs, to entitle those employed by employers with fewer than 20 employees to accrue and use up to 40 hours of earned paid sick time …


To Sign or Not to Sign: Now Choose Life Constitutional Amendment


To Sign or not to Sign: Now Choose Life Constitutional Amendment 

On May 2, a third abortion-related initiative was submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State. VIP has already covered two abortion petitions—one that would establish a fundamental right to abortion in Nebraska, and one that would protect unborn children from abortion in the second and third trimesters, while allowing the possibility for further abortion restrictions to be passed by the Nebraska legislature in the future. 

The third petition, Now Choose Life, would result in abortions being banned across Nebraska. Its object is to “amend the Nebraska Constitution to recognize …


To Sign or Not To Sign - Protect Women and Children


To Sign or Not to Sign: Protect Women and Children—Constitutional Amendment

VIP recently became aware of an abortion petition that counters the proposed constitutional amendment “Protect the Right to Abortion” (PRA) amendment discussed in March’s blog. The new amendment is part of a campaign begun by the organization Protect Women & Children Initiative, a group of medical professionals.  It is titled “Protect Women and Children” (PWC). The "Protect Women & Children Initiative” states the following:

Article One of the Nebraska Constitution shall be amended by adding a new section 31 that states as follows: “Except when a woman seeks …


Primary 2024 Results - Mostly Official


from Nebraska Secretary of State:  (including Voter turnout by County, 27% statewide)

from Douglas County, The election will be official on Friday, May 31, 2024....

  • Douglas County …

Voting in Nebraska - Primary 2024


Voting in Nebraska – Primary 2024

The first step to voting in Nebraska is to register with your County Election Commission/Clerk.  There are several ways you can do this:  on-line, by mail, at the DMV, or at the election office.  Check your county’s website to find the nearest location for you. A partial listing of counties is listed below.  If you register anywhere other than the Election Office, the deadline is Friday, April 29.   At the election office, the deadline is Friday, May 3.  You will need a photo ID to register.  If your religion doesn’t allow you …


To Sign or Not to Sign - Abortion


To Sign or not to Sign: Protect the Right to Abortion – Constitutional Initiative 

Abortion. To some, it’s a necessary tragedy. To some, it’s the taking of a life and the wounding of another. And to some, it’s a foundational right to freedom and autonomy.  

Perhaps no other issue highlights the needs of families in a way that touches lives so intimately. Perhaps no other issue divides passionate, compassionate people so drastically. How can we support women experiencing unwanted pregnancies and the men who care about them? How can we ensure that every child is wanted? Despite the desire to …


To Sign or Not to Sign - EPIC Option


To Sign or Not to Sign: EPIC Option

Over the next few months, Nebraskans may be approached by petitioners asking for signatures in support of the following two Amendments to Nebraska’s Constitution:

1.     “A Constitutional Amendment to restrict governmental entities in Nebraska to imposing only retail consumption taxes and excise taxes. This amendment will eliminate Nebraska personal and real property taxes; personal and corporate income taxes; sales taxes and inheritance taxes.”

2.     “A Constitutional Amendment allowing the Legislature to authorize governmental entities to impose consumption taxes on services and new goods with the limitation that only grocery items purchased …