Nebraska Statutes 32-1405. Initiative and referendum petitions; sponsors; filing required; Revisor of Statutes; Secretary of State; duties
(1) Prior to obtaining any signatures on an initiative or referendum petition, a statement of the object of the petition and the text of the measure shall be filed with the Secretary of State together with a sworn statement containing the names and street addresses of every person, corporation, or association sponsoring the petition. Sponsors of the petition may be added or removed with the unanimous written consent of the original sponsor or sponsors at any time prior to or on the day the petition is filed for verification with the Secretary of State.
Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 32-1405
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Person: shall include bodies politic and corporate, societies, communities, the public generally, individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and associations. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- State: when applied to different states of the United States shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories organized by Congress. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
- Sworn: shall include affirmed in all cases in which an affirmation may be substituted for an oath. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
(2) Upon receipt of the filing, the Secretary of State shall transmit the text of the proposed measure to the Revisor of Statutes. The Revisor of Statutes shall review the proposed measure and suggest changes as to form and draftsmanship. The revisor shall complete the review within ten business days after receipt from the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall provide the results of the review and suggested changes to the sponsor but shall otherwise keep the proposed measure, the review, and the sworn statement confidential for five days after receipt of the review by the sponsor. The Secretary of State shall then maintain the proposed measure, the opinion, and the sworn statement as public information and as a part of the official record of the initiative. The sponsor may make any changes recommended by the Revisor of Statutes and shall submit final language to the Secretary of State. If the final language is addressing a subject that is substantially different in form or substance from the initial filing or the changes recommended by the Revisor of Statutes, the Secretary of State shall reject it.
(3) The Secretary of State shall prepare the form of the petition from the final language filed by the sponsor and shall provide a copy of the form of the petition to the sponsor within five business days after receipt of the final language of the proposed measure. The sponsor shall print the petitions to be circulated from the forms provided. Prior to circulation, the sponsor shall file a sample copy of the petition to be circulated with the Secretary of State.