Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Secretary of State announced today that the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative has qualified for the November 2008 ballot. “This is a big win for Nebraska. Thousands of Nebraskans from Scottsbluff to Omaha signed the petition. All Nebraskans will now have an opportunity to vote on this important issue,” said Doug Tietz, Executive Director of the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative. According to the Secretary of State, 136,589 valid signatures of registered voters were collected, far exceeding theneeded 112,152 valid signatures – equal to 10 percent of registered voters statewide – to be placed on the ballot. The initiative enjoys statewide support with valid signatures from 5 percent of registered voters in each of 88 counties, far surpassing the threshold of 38 counties needed. Approximately 83 percent of the submitted signatures were valid. Ward Connerly, national advocate for ending the use of race and gender preferences, praised the Nebraska effort. “I want to commend the people of Nebraska for their support in ending race and gender preferences. It is important for Nebraska, and the rest of the country to have a frank debate about whether our government should judge people based on their race or gender,” Connerly said. Connerly, President of the American Civil Rights Coalition, has spent the past 13 years fighting for equal treatment for every American regardless of race, sex, color, or ethnicity. The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office has approved the following language for the November ballot: Shall the Nebraska Constitution be amended to provide that the state, and any public institution of higher education, political subdivision or government institution shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, individuals or groups based upon race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in operating public employment, public education, or public contracting? The amendment applies only to actions after its effective date. It would not invalidate existing court orders, prohibit bona fide qualifications based on sex reasonably necessary to normal operation of public employment, education or contracting, or prohibit actions necessary to obtain federal funds through federal programs.
John Gale, Nebraska's Secretary of State, will certify this afternoon that the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative has gathered enough signatures to be placed on the ballot in November.
During the Arizona signature gathering effort – especially during the month of June, the last month of signature collection – rumors were confirmed that the group By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) engaged in election fraud. BAMN perpetuated this fraud by offering to purchase signatures from petition circulators and then BAMN members attempted to submit the signatures that they bought or coerced from circulators to organizers of the signature effort. Knowing that this type of activity occurred, it would not be surprising if rumors were validated that BAMN members were signing petitions with ficticious names and falsely signing circulator affidavits.
Despite a personal appearance by Danielle Nantkes, the Nebraska Journal Leader reports that the Dixon County board of supervisors has unanimously withdrawn their support for Nebraskans United, saying that they should have remained neutral.
Nebraskans United yesterday amended their campaign expenditures report for August, adding a payment of zero dollars to the National Education Association (the largest national teachers union). The unexplained payment of $43,288.94 to Nebraksans United -- i.e., themselves -- remains.
As I detail on my regular blog, Nebraskans United (the umbrella group set up to oppose NCRI) have an entirely illegal $43,288.94 payment to themselves on their August campaign filing. Danielle Nantkes, the treasurer of this group, has a history of filing late and inaccurate reports with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Now she's evidently trying to conceal how and where Nebraskans United are spending their money.
