What is Nebraskans United?

• Nebraskans United is a statewide comprehensive campaign made up of concerned citizens devoted to promoting equality, fairness, and diversity in the state of Nebraska.
  
  
• Our immediate objective is to educate Nebraskan’s about the dangers of the proposed ban on affirmative action that is currently being circulated in our communities. We are working to prevent our well financed out of state opposition from gathering enough signatures to place this measure on Nebraska’s ballot this fall.
  
  
• Our membership includes Nebraska faith groups, business groups like the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, educational institutions like the University of Nebraska, and grassroots organizations like the League of Women Voters.  Elected officials, community leaders and countless individual Nebraska citizens are part of our team.  To get more specific information as to who is a part of our team please visit our partners page.

  What is the proposed ban on affirmative action?

• Nebraska has become a target for outside forces who seek to divide our communities and deny equal opportunities to our friends and neighbors

• There is a group of paid signature gathers propped up by well financed, out-of- state political groups gathering signatures and trying to amend Nebraska’s Constitution

• Californian, Ward Connerly, and his so called “Civil Rights Initiative” are trying to bring their radical political agenda to Nebraska

• In 2008 these same out of state forces attempted to put constitutional amendments banning affirmative action on the ballot in five states (Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma). 

• The good news is that public education and legal strategies like we are implementing have successfully kept these proposals off the ballot in Colorado, Missouri, and Oklahoma already. 

• The bad news is that these outside forces will now have the ability to devote more out of state money and out of state people into Nebraska to try and secure a victory.

• Here is the actual language of the petition that is being circulated: “The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” Please be aware of what this language really means.  The initiative language is intentionally misleading - it appears to be civil rights friendly - but it actually works against civil rights. These dirty tricks are meant to confuse Nebraska voters.

• Click here to learn more about the dirty tricks our out of state opposition uses to confuse voters: http://www.stopballotfraud.org/.

  If this petition is successful it will…

• Undercut Nebraska's ability to develop a diverse workforce which is key to being competitive in a 21st century economy

• Eliminate scholarships to Nebraska’s community colleges, state colleges, and the University

• Diminish the ability of state and community colleges to attract a diverse student body and faculty

• Threaten women owned businesses, funding for domestic violence programs, and women’s health initiatives

• Hinder Nebraska's ability to create public polices aimed at fostering the “good life”- fairness, opportunity, and inclusion for all citizens

• Risk the continuation of countless other education, business development, and public health programs