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LINCOLN — Nebraskans will vote on six ballot issues during this fall’s general election, including two initiatives to legalize medical cannabis.
Here’s a rundown of three of those ballot issues, a referendum to repeal a private school voucher law and the pair concerning medical marijuana: In one of the more hotly contested issues in recent years, voters will decide whether to repeal, or retain, a controversial law was passed earlier this year that allows the State Treasurer to administer a scholarship program to private and parochial K-12 schools that was funded with $10 million of state funds.
Legislative Bill 1402 served to replace a law passed in 2023, the Opportunity Scholarship Act, that allowed taxpayers to devote up to half of their state income taxes to scholarships to private, K-12 schools with a cap of $25 million total. Public school supporters had gathered enough signatures to hold a vote to repeal the Opportunity Scholarship Act, but since the State Legislature replaced and repealed it, that petition drive was rendered moot, and a second signature drive was successful to force a referendum on the new bill.
A “repeal” vote for ballot issue No. 435, the Private Education Scholarship Partial Referendum, would repeal LB 1402, and stop state funding of private school scholarships.
Advocates say state funds should be devoted to public – and not private – education, and that such programs in other states have expanded and become more expensive, straining state budgets and that there’s no proof private schools do a better job of educating students.
A “retain” vote would retain LB 1402, and allow the private school scholarship program to continue.
Supporters of private and parochial schools say that parents, especially those with lower incomes, deserve financial help in paying for a private school that better fits their childrens’ needs. They point out that 48 other states offer state funds for private school tuition, and that the “education monopoly” in Nebraska needs to end.
The “Support Our Schools” committee that promoted ballot measure No. 435 raised more than $3.3 million over the past two years, and was backed primarily by the Nebraska State Education Association, the state teachers’ union, which donated about $1.2 million and the National Education Association, the national union, which contributed just over $1 million.
The group supporting the school voucher bills, Keep Kids First, has raised about $1.5 million over the past two years. The largest donors were the American Federation for Children ($269,928), a pro-school choice organization founded by Betsy DeVos, the Education Secretary in the Trump Administration, Gov. Jim Pillen and businessman C.L. Werner of Omaha ($100,000 each) and businessman Shawn Peed of Lincoln, ($75,000). In addition, the Federation for Children spent more than $700,000 during the 2022 elections to help elect state senators who supported private school vouchers.
Initiatives 437 and 438 would legalize the use of cannabis as medicine, if prescribed by a licensed physician, and set up a state regulation framework for the sale and possession of such products.
If both measures were approved, the Nebraska Legislature would adopt the exact regulations on who could obtain medical cannabis, in what form and in what quantity. A five-member commission composed of the three members of the Nebraska Liquor Control Board and two members appointed by the governor would administer the distribution of medical marijuana.
Currently, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use.
Advocates maintain that cannabis has helped sufferers of chronic pain, persistent seizures and posttraumatic stress syndrome and that Nebraskans should be able to obtain such products in this state.
A vote “no” on the two initiatives would block such legalization.
Detractors of medical marijuana, led by the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, maintain that there’s no proof it works, that it could harm minors, and that legalization for medical purposes will lead to allowing recreational use. A legal challenge to the two initiatives was filed earlier this month that seeks to block the approval of the measures.
