Nebraska bill proposes fixed dates for school bond elections, sparking debate

Lincoln, NE — LINCOLN, Neb. — A legislative session on Wednesday saw spirited debate over a bill that could alter how schools in Nebraska conduct bond elections. Senator Rick Holdcroft introduced LB 135, which mandates that special elections for school bonds be held in conjunction with existing election dates.

"This would require that instead of doing just a special election by mail, they would have to hold it in conjunction with a primary election or a general election in the even years, and then we have set some specific days in the odd years of May and November," said Holdcroft.

The proposed change would allow school boards to bring forward special elections every six months, but only on fixed dates when voters are already heading to the polls. However, the bill has faced opposition from some lawmakers.

Senator George Dungan expressed concerns about the financial implications for taxpayers. "Part of the problem that I have is that these May and November elections, if they are in fact locked into those time periods, they are going to cost the districts more additional costs, which will only ultimately be passed to taxpayers," said Dungan.

Senator Jane Raybould also opposed the bill, citing potential delays and increased costs for schools. "To put in those added delays of their process that have not been taken into consideration in this legislative bill is a concern," said Raybould.

Despite the opposition, Holdcroft argued that the benefits of increased voter participation outweigh the potential drawbacks. "You have more voters that are looking at the ballot on which this bond is viced just a single event, a single decision made by mail," he said.

The bill advanced to enrollment and review with 27 ayes and nine nays.