Nebraska ACLU Calls for Special Legislative Session to Address Racial Justice, Police Reforms
By Jack Williams, Managing Editor and Reporter Nebraska Public Media News
Aug. 17, 2020, 2:47 p.m. ·

The ACLU of Nebraska is calling for a special legislative session to address racial justice and police reform. The organization says there’s no reason why lawmakers can’t reconvene after they wrapped-up their pandemic-interrupted regular session last week.
“We heard the senators articulate that there’s not enough time to address issues around police reform, criminal justice reform and racial justice,” ACLU board Equity Officer Ashlei Spivey said. “If the biggest barrier is the time limit on the legislative session, then we think that the special session is a make-sense request to say, let’s be intentional about what we are addressing, let’s carve out more time because it is urgent an Nebraskans deserve that.”
At least ten senators would have to sign-on to a petition in order for the request to be considered. The Secretary of State would then have to approve the petition and then two-thirds of the legislature. There were special sessions in 2011 and 2008 and Spivey says it’s not unreasonable to expect one now too. The ACLU wants lawmakers to enact police oversight rules, protect meatpacking workers and eliminate permanent police presence in schools among other things.