What Nebraskans need to know about a handful of potential new laws
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (KCAU) — As Election Day approaches, Nebraska residents will have to decide what ballot initiatives they would like to become law, but some may need to spend time researching them.
"I'm not aware of very many of them," said Teresa P. Eilerts, a former Nebraska resident with family in the state.
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"I don't watch the news much," South Sioux City resident Tracy Likes said. "I don't keep track of any of the government things or anything like that."
Currently, there are five ballot initiatives and one referendum, but we'll just be discussing three initiatives and the referendum:
Initiative 437 would legalize the medical use of marijuana.
Initiative 438 would establish the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate it.
Initiative 436 would require businesses with 20 or fewer workers to give full-time employees a minimum of five sick days, while larger businesses would give at least seven days of sick leave. Employees would earn an hour of time off after working 30 hours.
Referendum 435 asks voters to either retain (keep) or repeal (get rid of) Nebraska's recently-passed private school choice program. In short, the bill allocates $10 million a year in scholarships for parents to cover all or part of attending a non-government private elementary or secondary school.
After hearing about what's up for voting this year, both residents said they might have to do some research.
"It would be nice to be informed within your community what's going on," Likes said.
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"You know, some of those measures would affect my parents,' Eilerts said. "They're, you know, in their 70s now and it seems like as they get older, I'm having to take care of them more and more. And it's not like they're going to be moving over to Sioux City. They want to stay, you know, where they are in their home. So if it affects them, it's going to eventually affect me, even though I don't live here."
Early voting in Nebraska started on Oct. 7 and continues until Nov. 4, a day before elections.
For a full list of races and measures KCAU 9 will be covering, .
