As 2024 winds down, I keep thinking about how Nebraskans like you have made their voices heard and impacted policy for good. From ballot initiatives and online petitions to legislative hearings, Nebraskans have made a real difference this year. Your advocacy matters!
The year kicked off with a massive push to keep kids fed over the summer. Over 6,000 people from 230 Nebraska communities signed on to a petition generating grassroots pressure that pushed the governor to reverse course. The Summer EBT program received bipartisan support in the Legislature and went on to help nearly 200,000 kids and families! That’s $24 million in grocery benefits to support kids and local economies.
The first half of the year was a busy one for ballot initiatives. With July deadlines looming, Nebraskans came out in force to circulate and sign citizen-led ballot initiatives. And we turned that force into a massive win for Paid Sick Leave! Nearly 75% of voters and 650,000 voters statewide backed this initiative that will benefit 250,000 workers who won’t need to choose between their paycheck and their health.
We may have fallen short on securing reproductive freedom this time, but we mobilized over 445,000 Nebraska voters in support! And we’re motivated to keep up the fight. While a setback, it shows us where we still need to build power to win.
There were also a number of key state legislative victories this year that could not have been possible without people testifying and contacting their representatives. With your help, we managed to:
- Defeat a bill that would have limited transgender youths’ access to school sports and spaces
- Improve Medicaid services, including:
- Reimbursements for translation and interpretation services
- Increased dental service reimbursement rates which will help increase provider participation
- Improved prenatal care services for at-risk pregnant people and access to lactation consulting and breast pumps
- Prevent school districts from turning unpaid school meal debt over to debt collection agencies
You have truly shown up this year and your support is appreciated. This work could not happen without you. But we’re not done.
Next year will bring uncertainty and challenges, but we’re built for this. We will keep up the fight for justice and opportunity for all.
Your support, your advocacy – you make it possible.