LINCOLN- At a press conference held on Wednesday, representatives from Support Our Schools Nebraska, a group formed recently to oppose LB753, a school choice law, announced that it had gathered 117,000 signatures, nearly double the 60,000 required, to place the initiative on the 2024 general election ballot. The group also confirmed that it had gathered signatures from more than 5% of registered Nebraska voters in two-thirds of the state's 93 counties, surpassing the 38-county requirement.

Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, the union representing most of the state's public educators, said Nebraskans are sending "a powerful message to elected officials" through this initiative. "LB753 will divert public funds to private schools, and this bill needs to be repealed," Benson continued, "Calling this tax scheme an opportunity scholarship is putting lipstick on a pig." The numerous petitions were loaded into the Nebraska Secretary of State's office.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, as well as Keep Kids First, a pro-school choice group that formed in reaction to Support our Schools, said that they would, despite the immense amount of signatures gathered, continue to fight against placing the issue on the ballot. "If this initiative makes it onto the 2024 ballot, I can promise you the fight will not be over," said Pillen, "I have confidence in education both public and private. I will continue to make sure each student in Nebraska has the educational freedom to choose where they want to attend school."

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