Speaking with reporters Thursday, Sept. 3, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen was pressed over his past statements that the ballot initiative process “does not represent the people speaking.” Pillen made the remarks during a press conference calling for legislative changes to petitioning, prompted by recent investigations into possible signature fraud across numerous petitions. The governor, joined by county and state election officials, specifically called for an end to the practice of paying circulators per signature. He referenced a ban on the practice that existed between 2008 and 2015. The effort to pass the ban, brought by former state Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln, had to overcome a governor’s veto to become law.
