The purpose of this bill is to provide clarity on what is required of petition circulators when asking someone to sign a petition. Current law requires petition circulators to “state” to each signer the object of the petition, or the case of recall petitions, “state” the printed items on the petition. In the last year, there have been two court challenges to this requirement with two different results as to the definition
of “state.”
Under LB 718, a petition circulator will make available to each signer the object of the petition as printed on the petition before he or she signs. In order to ensure the circulator makes the object statement available to each signer, the circulator will read or show the printed portion of the petition, which includes the object statement, to each person before he or she signs. For recall petitions, the circulator will make available the printed portion of the petition by reading or showing the printed items on the petition to the signer before he or she signs the petition. Items included on a recall petition include: the name and office of the individual sought to be removed; the reason or reasons for which recall is sought; the defense statement, if any, submitted by the officials; and the name of the principal circulator or circulators.

Indefinitely postponed April 14, 2010.

• Government, Military and Veterans Affairs

• No amendments of concern

• No additional documents

• No action alerts are associated with this legislation.