LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen downplayed the mandate of ballot measures as he asked lawmakers to debate a budget proposal to divert public dollars to help cover some costs of attending private schools. Pillen said he is “guilty” of not studying ballot measures before voting, which he estimates is “pretty normal.” He thinks 90% of Nebraska voters are like him and show up to vote without having fully studied the issues ahead of time.

“I believe the ballot initiative process today does not represent the people speaking,” Pillen said in a Feb. 5 interview with the Nebraska Examiner.

In the 2022 and 2024 election cycles, Nebraskans weighed in on voter ID, minimum wage, paid sick leave, abortion, private school funding and medical cannabis. Each of those issues has since returned to the Legislature.

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