Nebraska

Ballot measure fundraising nears $40 million ahead of Nebraska 2024 election

Published

1 year ago

November 4, 2024

Ballot measure fundraising nears million ahead of Nebraska 2024 election

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – Nebraskans are facing one of the most expensive elections in state history, including about $38 million raised and at least $32 million spent on campaigns involving six ballot measures.

Five campaigns have measures on the ballot, with the most expensive being the conflicting measures over whether to amend the Nebraska Constitution related to abortion. The three other efforts revolve around medical cannabis, paid sick leave and whether voters should repeal a recent state law that provides state funds to offset private K-12 school attendance costs.

Funds were also raised for two other campaigns, related to abortion (Choose Life Now) and taxes (EPIC Option), that didn’t collect enough signatures for the ballot.

As of Oct. 21, the five campaigns reported having a total of $2.21 million cash on hand. About $6.9 million came in just the past two weeks. Final campaign filings are due Jan. 14.

Abortion tops campaign finances

Among the ballot issues, abortion tops the fundraising and spending charts, with the two dueling campaigns accounting for a combined $25.74 million raised and $21.69 million spent by Friday.

The Protect Our Rights abortion-rights group behind Initiative Measure 439, is seeking to expand access to abortion up until the point of fetal viability as determined by a patient’s treating health care practitioner. The current scientific standard for viability is at about 22-24 weeks.

The group had raised $13.75 million and spent at least $10.46 million by Friday, receiving nearly $1.96 million in the past two weeks. About $38,000 was non-monetary donations, such as staff time or advertising.

The Protect Women and Children abortion-restrictions group behind Initiative Measure 434 is seeking to prohibit most abortions after the first trimester, with exceptions language for sexual assault, incest and the life of the mother. The Legislature would be allowed to restrict abortion in the first trimester further.

The group had raised $12 million and spent at least $11.23 million by Friday, receiving $3.91 million in the past two weeks. About $3.58 million was in non-monetary donations, largely advertising bought by Regent Jim Scheer of Norfolk ($3.25 million), He is running unopposed to a seat he was appointed to by Gov. Jim Pillen, the previous regent for that district.

Tanya Storer of Whitman, who is seeking a north-central Nebraska legislative seat against Tony Tangwall of Whitney, has also given about $145,000 in non-monetary donations to Protect Women and Children.

The two abortion-related campaigns have differed greatly in how they get their funds.

The abortion-rights campaign has gotten a large amount of funds from out-of-state so-called “dark money” groups that don’t disclose their donors.

Meanwhile, the abortion-restrictions campaign has largely relied upon Nebraska billionaires, including U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and his mother, Marlene Ricketts, as well as Tom and Shawn Peed, with Sandhills Global.

Protect Our Rights

The top donors to Protect Our Rights, the abortion-rights amendment, are former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who donated $1.5 million in October, and Regent Barbara Weitz of Omaha, who personally financed $900,000 in donations.

The top group donations came from The Fairness Project, based in Washington, D.C., which gave $1.84 million, and Planned Parenthood through its Nebraska-based nonprofit and national “Action Fund,” at $1.6 million. Other top groups include the D.C.-based New Venture Fund, ($1 million); the ACLU of Nebraska ($975,000); Think Big America, founded by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker ($850,000); and Nebraska Appleseed’s Action Fund ($702,000).

The Fairness Project donated to various ballot measure campaigns in Nebraska’s past three elections: to increase Nebraska’s minimum wage, curb predatory payday lending and expand Medicaid.

The group does not disclose its donors, but its website states that its focus is on running progressive policies in red states. New Venture Fund is managed by Arabella Advisors, which was founded by a former Clinton administration appointee. It oversees a hub of other left-leaning nonprofits that have received donations from billionaire George Soros in the past.

John Yoakum, a member of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, and Ashlei Spivey, a legislative candidate and founder of I Be Black Girl that supports Protect Our Rights, are also sponsoring ads for Protect Our Rights.

State law doesn’t preclude this method of ad buying, and federal campaign spending rules give candidates discounted airtime compared to ballot initiatives.

Protect Women and Children

The top donors to Protect Women and Children, which is backing the abortion-restrictions amendment, are Marlene Ricketts, at $4 million; Pete Ricketts, at $1.115 million; and the Peeds, at $1 million each.

A new political action committee, “Common Sense Nebraska,” which was formed Oct. 14, has helped raise funds for the campaign. Marlene Ricketts gave the group $3.5 million, and the Wisconsin-based nonprofit Catholic Vote gave $830,000.

The group distributed $687,000 to Beatrice Regent Rob Schafer’s re-election campaign committee, but not for his University of Nebraska race. Instead, Schafer used the funds to purchase ads for the abortion-restrictions campaign.

That was the same model for Storer and the $3.25 million from Scheer, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature. He created his regents committee Oct. 24.

Former Regent Howard Hawks of Omaha also provided a $25,000 donation in the past two weeks to the abortion restrictions campaign.

Pillen, who also supports the abortion-restrictions initiative, provided $645. He has a war chest of campaign funds but, as of Oct. 21, he hadn’t disbursed more than a handful of donations to support or fight against ballot measures or candidates this year.

Support Our Schools/Keep Kids First

The ballot issue prompting the next largest contributions is Referendum Measure 435, which seeks to repeal a law allowing an annual $10 million appropriation to the State Treasurer’s Office to distribute funds to families to help pay tuition at nonpublic K-12 schools, through Legislative Bill 1402.

LB 1402, passed this year, is the second bill facing a repeal by the Support Our Schools campaign, with roots in the Nebraska State Education Association, which represents teachers. The group also fought LB 753 in 2023, before its sponsor, State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, used LB 1402 to repeal its predecessor.

LB 753 created an annual $25 million tax credit program to raise funds for scholarships for students attending private schools. About $10 million was raised in 2024 before the law went away, so $15 million will go back to the state.

Now Support Our Schools is opposing the replacement bill, LB 1402.

In total, Support Our Schools has raised $7.42 million and spent $5.91 million in the past year and a half opposing both laws, according to campaign filings through Friday. That includes a $750,000 donation from the National Education Association made during the past two weeks.

Support Our Schools raised $1.84 million and spent $1.81 million by January 2024 to oppose the LB 753 tax credit-scholarship law.

This year, Support Our Schools raised $5.58 million and spent at least $4.09 million by Friday to oppose LB 1402.

Support Our Schools’ major sources of funding are the National Education Association ($4.33 million) and Nebraska State Education Association ($1.72 million).

Other top donors include the OpenSky Police Institute and “Vote For Schools,” a group for which little information is available. It is run by Dunixi Guereca, a legislative candidate and executive director of Stand For Schools, which also donated thousands to the repeal efforts.

New Venture Fund gave the campaign $99,000, and the Hopewell Fund, another nonprofit under Arabella Advisors, gave $90,000. The Colorado Education Association gave $2,500 and the Maine Education Association gave $1,000 to Support Our Schools.

Support Our Schools’ first repeal effort, against LB 753, faced opposition from Keep Kids First, a formal committee with ties to Linehan and the national American Federation for Children, founded by former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

By Friday, that committee had raised and spent a total of $1.52 million, but a majority was to oppose the 2023 repeal effort.

Keep Kids First raised $1.45 million and spent $1.41 million in 2023, to defend LB 753. In contrast, the committee raised $72,000 and spent $111,000 so far in 2024, in support of LB 1402.

Keep Kids First’s top donors were American Federation For Children ($561,500), Pillen ($100,000), Shawn and Tom Peed ($75,000 each) and Sen. Pete Ricketts ($25,000).

Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans

Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans, Initiative Measure 436, seeks to require businesses with 20 or fewer employees to fund at least five paid sick days each year for full-time employees. Larger businesses would need to annually fund at least seven sick days per full-time employee. An hour of sick leave would be earned after every 30 hours worked.

The paid sick leave campaign raised a total of $3.2 million, the majority in 2023, and spent at least $3.08 million by Friday. Nearly all funds raised came from organizations; $460 came from individuals.

By December 2023, the D.C.-based Sixteen Thirty Fund had donated $1.92 million. Like the New Venture Fund, it is managed by Arabella Advisors and doesn’t disclose its donors.

The campaign has also received $350,000 from the Open Society Policy Center, a principal financial arm founded by Soros, and about $280,000 from The Fairness Project.

The largest local donating group is Nebraska Appleseed — a local nonprofit focused on child welfare, immigration, health care and poverty — at about $472,000.

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, Initiative Measures 437 and 438, would allow up to five ounces of medical cannabis with a written recommendation from a health care practitioner while creating a Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to oversee and regulate the new law. This is the third straight election cycle for the campaign.

By Friday, the campaign reported the smallest financial contributions of all others on the ballot, with $1.55 million raised and at least $1.53 million spent.

The Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis nonprofit is the largest donor, at $717,000. Other top donors were Growing the Good Life, a local nonprofit ($222,600); the Wyoming-based Western Futures Fund ($200,000); and the New Venture Fund ($100,000).

Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis has been around for almost a decade and has supported numerous legislative attempts involving medical marijuana. It financially supported Growing the Good Life, which in turn donated to Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana.

Little information is available about the Western Futures Fund. Its website says it “strengthens civil society and promotes responsible leadership in the Western United States.”

Ballot measure campaign finance, 2023-24

Protect Our Rights (abortion-rights amendment)

Raised: $11.79 million
Spent: $10.42 million
Cash on hand: $1.06 million

Protect Women and Children (abortion restrictions amendment)

Raised: $8.08 million
Spent: $7.64 million
Cash on hand: $439,000

Support Our Schools (opposing state funds for private school scholarships)

Raised: $6.47 million
Spent: $5.90 million
Cash on hand: $572,000

Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans

Raised: $3.20 million
Spent: $3.08 million
Cash on hand: $116,000

Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana

Raised: $1.51 million
Spent: $1.49 million
Cash on hand: $24,000

Keep Kids First (opposing Support Our Schools)

Raised: $1.52 million
Spent: $1.52 million
Cash on hand: $2,800

EPIC Option (to replace all state taxes with a consumption tax and exempt groceries)

Raised: $185,000
Spent: $120,000
Cash on hand: $65,000

No New Taxes (opposing EPIC Option)

Raised: $101,000
Spent: $78,000
Cash on hand: $23,000

Choose Life Now (an abortion-restrictions “personhood” amendment)

Raised: $27,000
Spent: $26,000
Cash on hand: $1,400

Source: Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, through Oct. 21

Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and X.

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Nebraska

Sharks Had Bite, but No. 1 Huskers Had the Depth in Tourney-Opening Sweep

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1 hour ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

Sharks Had Bite, but No. 1 Huskers Had the Depth in Tourney-Opening Sweep

Considering Nebraska’s dropped just one set since September 17, not a lot of people were giving Long Island University much of a chance Friday night against the top-ranked Huskers.

NU ended up sweeping the Sharks 25-11, 25-15, 25-17, but the champions of the Northeast Conference did something some Big Ten teams failed to do this year – they made the Huskers battle a bit.

By looking at just the set scores alone, you can tell LIU shook off the nervous jitters and settled in by the end of the match. Sure, Nebraska ended up emptying its bench in yet another sweep for the Huskers this season, but the Sharks were doing a whole lot more than just lying down for NU in its NCAA Tournament opener.

The Huskers earned a sweep to open up NCAA Tournament play, but it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for them. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

“I thought it was a really fun opening match for the NCAA tournament,” Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly said in her postgame press conference Friday night. “LIU brought it. They had some really hard hitters, and they didn’t back down. I thought it was a really great team to play, and it was just awesome to see us stay consistent through the whole game and again have to work pretty hard to get some kills, especially there at the end.”

Also at the end of the match was Nebraska’s end of its bench. Much like we saw from the Huskers during their dominant regular season, Busboom Kelly wasn’t shy about putting in every single player so they could get an up-close dose of what postseason volleyball was all about.

It led to LIU going on some runs of their own and putting up 17 points in the third and final set, but it also led to some growth of players Busboom Kelly will be relying on for years to come.

After getting the early jitters out of the way, Nebraska’s starters slowly gave way to the bench in NU’s sweep of LIU | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

“You just kind of want them to get some jitters out and their first kill or touches in behind them,” Busboom Kelly said. “That way, they can look forward, and they’ve done it, and they kind of know what it feels like. Even the atmosphere tonight, you can just feel there’s a little extra. I know they’re feeling it on the court.”

What could also be seen on the court was Nebraska’s continued calmness. Even for the No. 1 team in the country, they officially entered “win or go home season,” and that sentiment’s not lost on the players.

“We’ve worked really hard all season, and we know that we’re 0-0 now, and we don’t want to get complacent during the tournament,” Nebraska junior middle blocker Andi Jackson said. “That is our biggest fear, but with this team, that’s not an issue. We come in, we work hard every single day, and I think that it’s really translating into our play.”

NU middle blocker Andi Jackson was head and shoulders above the competition Friday, notching 10 kills on .833 hitting. | Amarillo Mullen

Jackson has been at the forefront of Nebraska’s success all year, and that storyline didn’t change Friday night against LIU. She tied senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick with a team-high 10 kills on the night, but Jackson was able to do it with a blistering .833 hitting percentage. Allick wasn’t far behind her with a .750 hitting percentage.

Ultimately, the Sharks didn’t have an answer for the Nebraska middles, and Allick said Friday night is just the start of what she hopes fans will see for the next few weeks.

“I’d say it gives me a lot of confidence,” Allick said about her stellar night. “We’re treating everyone as a threat, so regardless of who it was, their ranking, their skill – they earned their right to be here. I think if we treat everyone with the same respect as if they’re the number one team on the other side of the bracket, then you know that consistency gives me confidence. It was just high-level volleyball and well executed.”

“I think just the flow that we have on the court right now, there’s so much confidence within our team, and I think we’ve earned the right to have that confidence, especially coming off winning the Big Ten,” Jackson echoed.

KSU outside hitter and Lincoln-native Shaylee Myers is an All-Big 12 First Team pick in her senior season. | Kansas State Athletics

Next up will be yet another team that will look to cause Nebraska fits, and it’s because it’s a team with a few Nebraska ties. Kansas State needed five sets to oust San Diego. The Wildcats crawled out of both a 1-0 hole as well as a 2-1 hole to win the fifth set 15-12 and advance to a Saturday showdown with their old friends to the north.

Manhattan, Kansas – the home to the Wildcats – is just a few hours away, as many will remember from NU’s Big 12 Conference days, and KSU will be featuring some homegrown Nebraska talent against the Huskers.

KSU senior setter Ava LeGrand is a Papillion-La Vista South grad, and she joins senior outside hitter Shaylee Myers (Lincoln Southwest) and senior middle blocker Brenna Schmidt (Elmwood-Murdock) as former Nebraska high school stars who get to now take on the “hometown team” with everything on the line Saturday.

The Huskers know Kansas State will be coming with plenty of “juice” for their Saturday showdown, and they’re ready for the challenge. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

“I’m sure they’re going to be out to get us and pretty fired up,” Busboom Kelly said. “Their outsides are great players, so just a really solid team that’s had a great season. It’s not necessarily a rivalry, but it almost feels like it because of the Nebraska connections. I’m sure a lot of things are going to be thrown out the window, and anything can happen.”

Given that the Nebraska names on the KSU roster know a loss means the end of their college career, Busboom Kelly and NU should expect the proverbial “kitchen sink” Saturday night in Lincoln.

For the now 31-0 Huskers, it’s the next step in what they’re all hoping will be a dream season. Ironically enough, to achieve their ultimate goal, they’ll essentially need to knock off the entire state of Kansas. First is a date with the Wildcats Saturday night, and if they get past that challenge, the Kansas Jayhawk volleyball team awaits in the third round.

The Huskers have now won a school record 27 straight NCAA Tournament matches at home. | Amarillo Mullen

First things first is KSU for the Huskers, and unsurprisingly, the team is continuing to make sure they’re not missing out on a moment of the fun.

“There are a lot of people who are at home watching right now, so making it to the tournament and being in this position, it’s really, really cool,” Jackson said. “We really just try to be where our feet are – especially this year. We wanted to be mindful of where we are and not take anything for granted. I would say the confidence level is the same, but I think moving forward, we might see things change.”

Matt Rhule targets elite DC in high-stakes interview for Nebraska job

Published

13 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

Matt Rhule targets elite DC in high-stakes interview for Nebraska job

Since Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule fired John Butler earlier this week, things have been relatively quiet. However, the situation got quite a bit louder on Friday night with reports that Toledo defensive coordinator Vence Kehres is in town to interview for the job.

On3’s Steve Sipple was the first to announce the reported interview with Kehres, who has been right at the top of the list of most sought-after DC by Husker fans since the job opened. He also happens to be one of the best coordinators in the MAC and was a Broyles Award Nominee for best assistant coach in the country.

Kehres’ unit ranks in the top 10 nationally in several major statistical categories, including total defense, scoring defense, rush defense, pass defense, defensive pass efficiency, defensive stop rate, and third-down conversion defense.

Nebraska football may be zeroing in on Vince Kehres for defensive coordinator

For those who might be a bit worried that his defensive statistics are skewed by going up against MAC opposition, Toledo defenders have earned All-MAC honors 31 times since his arrival in 2020, while four were selected in the NFL Draft, including first-round selection Quinyon Mitchell in 2024 and third-round pick Darius Alexander in 2025.

In the just wrapped up 2025 early signing day, Toledo finished with the top class in the MAC, with 13 of the 24 signees coming on the defensive side of the ball.

For now, it’s not clear if this is a situation where a good interview would mean Kehres is hired, or this is just the beginning of what will be a much longer process.

With Phil Snow as the interim DC for the Nebraska bowl game and the early signing day now in the books, the Huskers likely aren’t going to rush in naming the replacement for John Butler.

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Nebraska

Canvas Convergence project to launch in fall 2026

Published

1 day ago

December 5, 2025

Press Room

A new initiative is underway to unify the University of Nebraska’s four for-credit Canvas learning management systems into a single environment, creating a more seamless experience for faculty and students.

Led by David Jackson, interim executive vice president and provost, and supported by Information and Technology Services, the Canvas Convergence project will include systems at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska at Kearney and University of Nebraska at Omaha. The project is intended to enhance collaboration, reduce redundancy, and improve student and faculty support across the academic community.

Faculty will be able to begin accessing and exploring the new Canvas environment in March, with full student implementation for fall 2026 courses. The project will maintain familiar Canvas features while adding valuable systemwide functionality, especially for those who teach or take classes across multiple NU institutions. Faculty will not lose access to course materials from prior semesters, and there will be multiple options for retrieving that content on an ongoing basis. Students should see no difference in how they interact with and access Canvas.

The project reflects the University of Nebraska’s commitment to innovation and stewardship and supports its broader goal of delivering a “frictionless student experience,” as outlined in NU system’s Odyssey to Extraordinary strategic plan.

More details, including transition timelines and training opportunities, will be announced. Learn more about the project here. For additional information, contact Jackson at djackson@nebraska.edu or Jaci Lindburg, technical project lead, at jclindburg@unomaha.edu.

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