A FILIBUSTER BY SOME NEBRASKA STATE SENATORS TUESDAY PREVENTED THE UNICAMERAL FROM PASSING A CHANGE TO WINNER TAKE ALL REGARDING NEBRASKA’S ELECTORAL BALLOTS IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
GOVERNOR JIM PILLEN SUPPORTED THE CHANGE AND RELEASED A STATEMENT ON THE FAILURE TO BRING LB-3, TO A VOTE.
PILLEN SAYS HE IS “DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED THAT A MINORITY OF THE LEGISLATURE DEFEATED THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY OF THEIR COLLEAGUES AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE MAJORITY OF NEBRASKANS BY FILIBUSTERING WINNER-TAKE-ALL.
HE SAYS THE CHANGE IS SUPPORTED BY A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF NEBRASKANS AND SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A FAIR UP-OR-DOWN VOTE.
PILLEN SAYS NEBRASKANS EXPECT AND DESERVE PRINCIPLED, STRAIGHTFORWARD CONSISTENCY FROM THEIR ELECTED LEADERS, AND HE’S DISAPPOINTED THAT THE LEGISLATURE FELL SHORT OF THOSE EXPECTATIONS.
THE GOVERNOR SAYS HE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ALLIES IN THE LEGISLATURE TO GET THIS DONE IN TIME FOR THE 2028 ELECTION.
THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NEBRASKA OPPOSED THE CHANGE AND WAS AMONG MORE THAN 60 OPPONENTS WHO TESTIFIED IN JANUARY URGING SENATORS TO PRESERVE THE CURRENT SYSTEM, WHICH AWARDS TWO ELECTORAL VOTES TO WHICHEVER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE EARNS THE MOST VOTES STATEWIDE AND A SINGLE ELECTORAL VOTE TO THE WINNER IN EACH OF NEBRASKA’S THREE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS.
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