Campaign turns in signatures to hold referendum on school choice legislation

Wednesday was the second time in the last 12 months that members of the Support Our Schools campaign turned in signatures to put school choice legislation up to a referendum.

"This situation feels a bit like deja vu," said Cynthia Peterson with the League of Women Voters. "I'm even wearing the same T-shirt."

Last August the group worked to repeal a bill that would have allowed Nebraska taxpayers to reduce up to half of their state income tax liability through donations to scholarship granting organizations for private schools.

With that law facing a November referendum, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan replaced the 2023 tax credit legislation with a bill that included a $10 million dollar allocation to the State Treasurer’s Office earmarked for private school scholarships.

This week the campaign turned in around 87,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office to put that provision up to a November referendum.

Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) President Jenni Benson said the legislation would keep public money from funding private schools, which can deny admission to students for religious reasons or special education needs.

“We care about all kids. We don't get to discriminate against kids because of their learning needs or because of their family situation, or because of what their zip code is," she said.

Tim Royers, who will take over as the NSEA president in September, said this year’s petition drive was about more than education.

“This is about rebuffing a direct attack on our rights as the citizens in this state," he said. "The Legislature took the unprecedented step of passing a bill explicitly to deny its voters the capacity to weigh in on a critical issue in the upcoming election.”

Linehan responded to the turn-in of petition signatures by writing, “Supporters of school choice will continue to fight for parental rights and education opportunity for our kids. It's the right thing to do for our kids today and for our kids tomorrow."

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, it will take several weeks to verify petition signatures. The petition drive needs just shy of 62,000 signatures to be verified, representing 5% of the registered voters in the state, in order to make it onto November's ballot.