Pillen: Nebraska's ballot measure process 'does not represent the people speaking'

LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen downplayed the mandate of ballot measures in Nebraska as he asked lawmakers to debate a budget proposal to divert public dollars to help cover some costs of attending private schools.

Pillen said he is “guilty” of not studying ballot measures before voting, which he estimates is “pretty normal.” He thinks 90% of Nebraska voters are like him and show up to vote without having fully studied the issues ahead of time.

“I believe the ballot initiative process today does not represent the people speaking,” Pillen said in a Feb. 5 interview with the Nebraska Examiner.

He continued, “Somebody has enough money, you can pass anything because you buy the signatures. Buy the signatures and you get it on the ballot. Something gets on the ballot, very rarely does ‘Nebraska Nice’ say, ‘No.’ It’s fascinating.”





https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/pillen-nebraskas-ballot-measure-process-does-not-represent-the-people-speaking/