Group starts gathering signatures to repeal Nebraska school choice bill

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The group opposing a Nebraska school choice bill has a petition in hand and is moving full steam ahead to collect signatures.

Support Our Schools Nebraska, a group of Nebraska organizations, said on Friday that it is now gathering signatures to put the repeal of Legislative Bill 1402 on the November ballot.

LB 1402 was passed last month and provides $10 million a year in state funding for scholarships for private school students.

SEE ALSO: Rally cry from public school supporters: ‘Let us vote!’

“We only have 67 days to collect 90,000 signatures to put this issue on the ballot,” said Jenni Benson, Support Our Schools Nebraska sponsor and president of the Nebraska State Education Association.

Benson said the timeline to get signatures is a big challenge but said it’s clear to her that Nebraskans want to vote on the issue.

“This is a clarion call asking voters to seek out and sign the Support Our Schools petition to protect Nebraskans’ right to vote on this issue and to protect our public schools,” she said.

SEE ALSO: ‘The voters will reject this’: Petition in motion against Nebraska school choice bill