Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, and here at Nebraska Is Home, we like to think of this as a day on rather than a day off of work. It’s a day of service, reflection, and education, as we commit ourselves to fostering a welcoming Nebraska, where everyone feels they belong – no matter their background or country… Read more →
Today is Day 1 of the 2021 legislative session. Nebraska senators will start the year by introducing new bills on a number of issues, including legislation to address the stark inequities within our systems that have been further exposed during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Nebraska Appleseed Priorities for 2021 Together with you, we will be advocating for meaningful change… Read more →
Energized. Proud. Inspired. This is what we envision when we see a strong democracy centered around community power. Together with partner organizations Unity in Action in South Sioux City, Centro Hispano in Columbus, Native Futures in Alliance, and Empowering Families in Scottsbluff, as well as local leaders from Lexington, Crete, and SOMOSgi in Grand Island — we contacted more than… Read more →
Over the course of the last several months, including yesterday, Nebraska has seen tremendous enthusiasm and engagement in the 2020 election. As of this morning, more than 73 percent of registered voters cast their vote. That means nearly 1 million voters engaged in the electoral process, with high voter turnout rates from Douglas to Scottsbluff Counties and every community in… Read more →
Last Thursday, the Legislature adjourned sine die. They will not officially return until the start of a new legislative session in January. The last few days were filled with farewells to term-limited senators and final votes on remaining bills on final reading. Appleseed saw a few of our priority bills pass last week, too, and those bills have since been… Read more →
This May, you have two great opportunities to support Appleseed and ensure no one in our communities is left behind amid COVID-19. First, we’re celebrating Omaha Gives on Wednesday, May 20. When you give, a generous supporter will match the first $5,000 donated, dollar-for-dollar. Schedule your gift here now through May 20 and DOUBLE your donation! A week later, we’re… Read more →
***For Immediate Release*** Thursday, June 27, 2019 Contact: Magdalena Cazarez Communications Director Office: (402) 438-8853 Ext 119 Cell: (402) 504-0074 mcazarez@neappleseed.org Ensuring all Nebraskans are counted and represented Supreme Court rules a citizenship question cannot go forward before a legally justifiable reason is presented. LINCOLN – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling questioning the administration’s justifications for adding… Read more →
We are nearly one-third of the way into the 2019 Nebraska Legislative Session. With bill hearings well under way, Appleseed staff, partners, and friends are maintaining a strong presence at the Capitol to advocate for a number of measures that would open doors to greater opportunity for Nebraskans. We’ll also be voicing our opposition to a few proposals that create… Read more →
As we look toward Thanksgiving, we feel deeply thankful for the many wonderful people across the state who worked hard to ensure local community members were ready to vote in this year’s elections! – knocking thousands of doors through rain and snow in a nonpartisan effort to share information about options for voting by mail, early in-person, and at the… Read more →
This week the Legislature will take a vote on passing the state budget while debating two items that will have a big impact on voting rights. Take Actions to protect voting rights Monday, the Legislature will vote whether or not to override the Governor’s veto of LB 75. Introduced by Sen. Justin Wayne, LB 75 would end the arbitrary two-year… Read more →
There’s one more hurdle to overcome to protect voting rights for thousands of Nebraskans. Thursday afternoon, Governor Ricketts vetoed LB 75, a bill that would end the arbitrary two-year waiting period for someone to vote after they complete a prison sentence or probation. Will you call or email your State Senator today? Urge them to vote to override the veto… Read more →
Nebraskans like you have a great chance today to stand up for voting rights. LB 75, introduced by State Sen. Justin Wayne, has passed two rounds of debate and will be up for a Final Reading vote on Monday. This bill would end the arbitrary two-year delay before Nebraskans are able to vote after completing a felony sentence or probation.… Read more →
Note: Part of fighting for positive change in our communities means getting to work with outstanding, like-minded volunteer partners who share our goal of expanding justice and opportunity in Nebraska. Periodically, we will feature individuals and organizations with whom we have been fortunate to work to build a brighter future in our state. This is a guest post from Appleseed… Read more →
Note: This is a guest post from Appleseed intern Lee Kreimer. As a 22-year-old college student, I can’t tell you how many times I have been informed of my naivety and my wishful thinking about the importance of voting. “It does nothing.” “My vote won’t matter anyway.” Or, my favorite response: “Why should I give my opinion about politics? The… Read more →
Today, the Nebraska Legislature voted down LB 111 – an unnecessary and harmful voter suppression bill that would have been a barrier to vote for many eligible Nebraska voters. This action will protect the right to vote for many of our friends and neighbors including people with low incomes, people who move frequently, college students, and people with disabilities. Please… Read more →
This is your weekly Nebraska Legislature update. Committee Hearings last week Appleseed testified on several bills during Legislature committee hearings last week. LB 12 – A bill to streamline the Medicaid process for eligible Nebraskans who enter and leave the criminal justice system. This bill will improve health care access while saving costs in the corrections system. Appleseed testified in… Read more →
***For Immediate Release*** January 23, 2015 Contact: Jeff Sheldon Communications Director, Nebraska Appleseed Office: (402) 438-8853 Mobile: (402) 840-7289 jsheldon@neappleseed.org LINCOLN — Today, Nebraska Appleseed Executive Director Becky Gould issued the following statement on the proposed voter ID bills LB 111 and LB 121 heard by the Legislature’s Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee this afternoon. “LB 111 and LB 121… Read more →
Immigrant and Latino leaders in six Nebraska counties celebrated an election season filled with new outreach to voters of color this year. Community volunteers in six counties reached more than 9,600 voters with basic information about the voting process through door-knocking, phone-banking, and mail. “We were excited to reach out with information about where and when people could vote,” said… Read more →
Note: This is a guest blog post from a group of Union College students who worked with Appleseed staff this fall to create a project designed to encourage Nebraska college students to vote in this election. This semester the Practice III class at Union College hosted a service learning project where students had the opportunity to work alongside an organization.… Read more →
Tomorrow is your chance to help make hard work pay in Nebraska by voting FOR Initiative 425 to raise Nebraska’s minimum wage to $9.00 per hour! Voting for Initiative 425 will reaffirm the value and dignity of hard work for thousands of Nebraska families who have fallen behind despite working full-time jobs. Click here to find your polling place Our… Read more →
With the November 4th election quickly approaching, Appleseed staff have been busy traveling across the state to encourage Nebraskans to vote. We caught up with our organizer, Alex Gibilisco, to find out what is motivating Nebraskans to go to their polling place this fall, many of them for the first time. Q. What sort of work has Appleseed been doing to… Read more →
Hearing in Kansas City part of national series to examine state of voting challenges, successes and opportunities for election reform Nebraska voting rights advocates were among the testifiers at a hearing Monday in Kansas City organized by the National Commission on Voting Rights (NCVR). Voters, community leaders and advocates testified at the hearing about the accessibility of elections in Nebraska,… Read more →
The History The Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 (during the Jim Crow era) to protect minority voters against discrimination and practices meant to make voting more difficult, such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation at the ballot box. The legislation gave the federal government, and specifically the Department of Justice,… Read more →
Voting is an American right – and making voting harder is not a Nebraska value. LB 381 mandates a restrictive and unnecessary voter identification system, puts a greater burden on our already overburdened election workers, and undermines our democracy by creating barriers to voting for many older Nebraskans who no longer drive, young voters and students who move frequently, people… Read more →
