A coalition of Nebraskans is calling on state lawmakers to uphold voter-approved ballot initiatives in light of actions by the legislature to weaken them. Policymakers would still be able to change the initiatives, but they would need more votes than they have in the past to do so.
Voter initiatives recently cleared the way for a higher minimum wage and paid sick leave for more Nebraskans, but the legislature weakened both of the initiatives. Dawn Essink, a volunteer with Respect Nebraska Voters, said lawmakers did not implement the measures voters approved.
“What they passed allowed for 140,000 folks that thought they were going to get paid sick leave to no longer have paid sick leave,” said Essink, “because of the way they diluted, watered down, altered, use whatever word you would like, to change that initiative as it was written.”
Essink said the group is trying to collect 127,000 signatures for an initiative that would require lawmakers to garner a fourth-fifths vote to change a measure once it’s voter-approved, instead of the current two-thirds.
Voters also passed a ballot initiative to increase the minimum wage in Nebraska, which went up to $15 an hour this month. But Essink said based on lawmakers recent action, she is worried they will rescind or change that.
“We’ve been living with the ‘work really hard, pass the initiative, get it on the ballot, vote for it overwhelmingly’ and then boom,” said Essink. “Something happens, and the legislature, the governor, both, decide that they don’t like what was passed.”
Nebraska’s legislature is unicameral. The new ballot measure would require 40 of the state’s 49 lawmakers to vote to change a voter-approved initiative, up from the current 33.
