Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative: the blog!

NCRI press release

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:39:06 -0700

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.

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On to November!

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:37:45 -0700

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.

The initiative submitted 136,589 valid signatures, according to Gale; that means over 80% of the signatures we submitted were valid. We also got more than 5 percent of registered voters in 88 of Nebraska's 93 counties, a truly stunning statewide effort. Congratulations to Mark Schniederjans and Doug Tietz, who coordinated this impressive achievement!

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Why Nebraskans United want to keep blocker names secret

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:28:19 -0700

Following an investigation by the American Civil Rights Coalition, it appears that opponents of the Arizona Civil Rights Initiative engaged in a 'systematic, deceptive effort' to sabotage the petition process.

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.

Members of the anti-ACRI movement in Arizona were videotaped trying to purchase and/or coerce signatures from collectors.

In Nebraska, of course, Nebraskans United have refused requests from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission to reveal the names of the persons whom they paid to block petitioners, and it's likely that one reason behind their refusal to comply with Nebraska law is that the individuals being paid were doing more than merely 'blocking'; they were trying to taint the petition-gathering process itself. The same attempts to smear petition collectors are going on here. When are Nebraskans United going to come clean? Will we have to initiate legal action?

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Nebraskans United lose more support

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:46:01 -0700

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.

It looks like folks all over Nebraska are beginning to recognize the inevitable. And it's been a really bad month for Nebraskans United, who have seen their fundraising plummet, are fighting charges of filing incomplete campaign finance reports, and are losing the battle to invalidate ballot signatures.

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Nebraskans United campaign finance report amended, problem remains

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:18:49 -0700

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.

The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission has known about this problem for at least a week -- their auditors had caught it even before I alerted them to it -- and has asked Nebraskans United to revise the report. This addition of a meaningless line is evidently Nebraskans' United attempt to stall. What are they trying to hide? Payments to David Kramer that he'd prefer not to reveal until he attends the Republican Convention? Sleazy tax maneuvers?

I have alerted Common Cause Nebraska to the problem, and they are actively investigating. BTW, if you believe in good, open government, regardless of your partisan affiliation, Common Cause is a worthy cause to support.

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Bogus expenditure reports from Nebraskans United

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:55:06 -0700

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.

Meanwhile, a contribution from Students United for Nebraska, a UNL student organization, to Nebraskans United, was probably raised illegally using UNL (i.e. public) facilities. The UNL Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, however, doesn't want to know about it.

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NCRI on Heartland Notebook

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:01:36 -0700

Uncle Wiggily, head lagomorph of one of Nebraska's indispensible political blogs, has a thoughtful piece on the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative. He take me gently to task for suggesting that David Kramer, lawyer for Nebraskans United, might be motivated by being a recipient or potential recipient of preferences. And he's probably right; while anyone arguing the case against preferences gets frustrated by the continued accusation we're motivated by a desire to perpetuate 'white privilege'*, they object vehemently to any suggestion that their own desire to maintain the present far less nebulous system of preferences might not be entirely selfless. But UW's right. We should be above all that. The case against preferences stands on its merits; let its antagonists, if they are into self-examination, analyze their own motives.

*This seems to mean that because my ancestors nearly starved to death on mouldy potatoes, were hounded around their native country, and were eventually forced to emigrate because of their religion, I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Ooooh-kay.

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Nebraska GOP backs NCRI initiative

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:46:20 -0700

Somewhat surprisingly to this long-term observer of the state GOP, the Nebraska Republican convention today voted in support of the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative, creating a clear contrast to the state Democrats, who opposed it. It makes perfect sense, of course, for the GOP to do this; 71% of the state's voters favor the initiative.

The comments on the Lincoln Journal Star are as usual cretinous -- for example:

So,the Republicans oppose breast cancer research--(after all, that's money spent for gender specific purposes)

(1) Men also get breast cancer.

(2) The initiative says you can't give preferences; it doesn't bar money spent for 'gender specific purposes'.

(3) No state that has adopted the initiative has in any way restricted breast cancer research or screening as a result.

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Way, way, way over the top!

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:32:35 -0700

NCRI today announced, at a press conference in the Nebraska Capitol Building, that they have 167,000 signatures to put the NCRI amendment on the November Ballot, almost 50% more than the legal requirement. NCRI has enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in every single one of Nebraska's 93 counties. Grassroots that! While no doubt we're in for a good two months of lawyering from the ACLU and their antidemocratic allies, I can't imagine that even the most activist judge would override the expressed wishes of a full 1/6 of the state's registered voters.

Pictures from the press conference later.

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Over the top!

nobody@vox.com(Gerard Harbison) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:17:14 -0700

According to the Lincoln Journal Star, we have enough signatures.

As soon as I get the actual numbers, I'm buying a bottle of champagne.

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