Nebraska activists aim for ballot initiative
Abortion rights movement needs to collect signatures of 10 percent of registered voters
After the abortion rights movement’s victory in Ohio, activists in other states began plotting the course to getting ballot initiatives before voters.
In Nebraska, it will once again be a Republican stronghold that considers whether to enshrine abortion rights in its state constitution. Protect Our Rights, which includes Planned Parenthood North Central States, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, I Be Black Girl, and the Women’s Fund of Omaha as its members, spearheads the effort.
Ashlei Spivey, executive director of I Be Black Girl, spoke to Repro Rights Now about getting a ballot initiative and passing it.
“We've seen time and time again that when you put abortion on the ballot, voters will protect their rights,” Spivey said. “And so we believe that Nebraska is no different.”
Currently, there is a 12-week ban on abortion in the state, with two clinics operating in Lincoln and Omaha.
Ballot initiatives are a multi-step process in Nebraska. First, an activist needs a sponsor, which can be a citizen. Then, a person submits their language to the Secretary of State. It must fall within the single-subject parameters permitted. That means it can’t be overly broad. They then need to collect the signatures of 10 percent of registered voters, which Spivey estimated is 125,000 to 130,000 people.
They officially launched the campaign last Thursday. Leaders are training activists who will canvass for signatures. Thus far, there haven’t been any theatrics attempted by the antiabortion side, but that will likely change if other states are an indication.
“We're doing a lot of voter education as we are doing outreach and getting signatures,” Spivey said. “And so just really focusing on the intention of our campaign and tuning out the rest of the noise.”
During the signature collection process, they will campaign in the rural parts of the state. The abortion rights movement is based in Lincoln and Omaha.
“We plan to be everywhere, talking to voters and folks in the community,” Spivey said.