Lincoln group’s ‘Fairness Ordinance’ petition gets over 11,000 signatures, organizers say

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A group hoping to let Lincoln voters decide on the city’s “Fairness Ordinance” turned in over 11,000 signatures for its petition.

In February, the Lincoln City Council voted to implement the “Fairness Ordinance,” which would protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and military status.

Then in June, Nebraska Family Alliance gathered enough signatures to require the council to either rescind or put the ordinance on the ballot.

But ultimately, the council voted to rescind the “Fairness Ordinance.”

A local group, Let Lincoln Vote, then stepped in and began collecting signatures so voters could decide on the ordinance.

See also: ‘Fairness Ordinance’ could end up on the ballot in Lincoln after all

On Monday, the group turned in over 11,000 signatures to the city clerk.

Julie Moore, volunteer signature gatherer, spoke about how these numbers reflect what a majority of people want in Lincoln.

She said, “The vast majority of Lincolnites support anti-discrimination. The vast majority don’t want to discriminate against people and so if it takes it going to the ballot to do that then I guess they’re willing to come along with us, and they’ll support anti-discrimination in Lincoln.”

Only 8,846 signatures need to be verified to qualify for the ballot, according to Lancaster County Election Commissioner David Shively.

If the required amount of signatures are verified the City Council will have a choice to make; either vote to put the ordinance on the November ballot, or vote to enact the ordinance.

The group’s spokeswoman Kay Siebler says volunteers spent two weeks standing at the DMV, parking lots, music events and farmer’s markets collecting signatures.

“This work would NOT have been possible without the amazing volunteers,” Siebler wrote in a press release.