Blog Post
This year, we championed several measures designed to enhance our state government by making voting more accessible, curbing the influence of money in campaigns, and improving the character of the legislature.
We showed up in strong support of LB672, a bill that would have imposed a $1000 cap on campaign contributions from all donors. This measure specifically targets large donors, aiming to restrain their influence in our elections. While LB672 did not advance this session, we remain committed to advocating for campaign finance reform that prioritizes the voice of everyday Nebraskans over deep pockets.
We advocated for several bills aimed at improving the accessibility and efficiency of our elections:
Unfortunately, these bills did not make it out of committee this year. However, we are optimistic that their dedicated sponsors will continue to champion this important legislation in the 2026 session.
We believe that certain structural changes can significantly improve how senators represent their communities. This session, we supported:
We are thrilled to report that LR19CA was approved by the legislature and will appear on the November 2026 ballot, giving Nebraskans the opportunity to decide on this important change. LR25CA was held over and will be debated again next year.
While the 2025 session saw a welcome increase in bills aimed at strengthening our democracy, we also confronted a handful of concerning proposals that threatened to undermine voter power and compromise our constitutional rights.
We strongly opposed two bills, LB3 and LR24CA, which aimed to eliminate Nebraska’s unique presidential election system of assigning electoral votes by congressional district. Our current model allows Nebraska to “punch above its weight” in national elections, ensuring attention from both major parties. We believe reverting to a “winner-take-all” system would diminish our state’s influence.
LB3 was defeated on the floor of the legislature thanks to a group of courageous senators who stood up against political insiders seeking to undermine the power of average Nebraskans. Unfortunately, LR24CA remains in play and will likely be debated next year.
For the past decade, there have been persistent efforts in the legislature to call for a national constitutional convention. This session, LR14 and LR21 were two such attempts, seeking to join Nebraska to a call for a convention that could re-write fundamental aspects of the Federal government. While LB259 attempted to place restrictions on delegates to such a convention, there’s no guarantee that states would have any say in how such a convention would ultimately operate.
Common Cause Nebraska opposed all three bills, and thankfully, none of them made it out of committee this year. We will continue to monitor any movement on these dangerous proposals during the 2026 session.
One particularly problematic bill was LB541, which sought to drastically curtail voting access by eliminating online voter registration, severely restricting voting by mail, requiring hand counting of ballots, and almost eliminating early voting. We showed up in strong opposition, alongside many other Nebraskans deeply concerned about the accessibility and integrity of our elections.
While the bill appears to be stalled for now, we have heard rumors that the committee is still exploring ways to advance some of its provisions. We remain vigilant and ready to act if these attempts resurface.
The 2025 legislative session highlighted several critical trends that Common Cause Nebraska will continue to monitor and address in the coming years.
We observed a heavy-handed approach by the legislature in implementing citizen-approved initiatives this session. This is part of a troubling national trend, with similar efforts to undermine direct democracy seen in states like Missouri, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Utah, and North Dakota. In Nebraska’s unique one-house system, where the people serve as a check on the legislature, it is even more crucial that we are prepared to push back against any attempts to strip power from average Nebraskans.
Next year, we anticipate the return of the winner-take-all debate thanks to LR24CA, a resolution that would change our state’s electoral college vote allocation within our constitution. This bill made it to the floor of the legislature but was not fully debated before the session concluded. Since bills that don’t receive a final resolution carry over into the next session, we can be certain that the body will take up LR24CA early in 2026. This means the debate could reignite as early as January, and we’ll need Nebraskans to be ready to act as soon as it emerges.
The passage of LR19CA means that Nebraskans will have the opportunity to vote on extending legislative term limits in November 2026. While term limits may seem like a good method for reigning in legislative power, requiring too much turn-over can increase partisanship and decrease voter representation. Passing this measure on the ballot is going to require a robust public education campaign, and we encourage you to stay tuned for ways to get involved and make your voice heard.
Over the past few years, there’s been growing interest in regulating the use of technology in our elections, specifically concerning the disclosure of AI in campaign advertising. This comes at a time when federal authorities are considering a ban on state regulations aimed at AI. This is clearly an emerging technology that will impact our elections, and we believe the legislature should thoughtfully address this issue rather than ignoring it.
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