Virus not likely to stop Neb. pot, casino camps
LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska voters may still get a chance to legalize medical marijuana and casino gambling even though the new coronavirus has forced activists to stop collecting signatures to place the issues on the November ballot.
Organizers from both campaigns said they’re confident they’ll have enough signatures to qualify before the July 2 deadline to submit their petitions, even though they’ve pulled their circulators off the streets.
Both groups said they had already gathered a large number before the pandemic forced the closure of public buildings and cancellation of major events where circulators often work.
“I’m still optimistic,” said Sen. Anna
Wishart, a co-chairwoman of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana. “It’s a popular issue, and we’ve got a really good base of signatures. I feel really positive about where we are right now.”
Organizers of the campaign to legalize casino gambling in Nebraska said they had already slowed their signature-gathering for the winter months and decided to extend that break for another few weeks to try to keep the virus from spreading.
“We’re within shouting distance of getting what we need,” said Lance Morgan, the president and CEO of Hochunk Inc., which is bankrolling the petition drive. “It won’t take a huge effort to get there. It’s still snowing and cold out there and people are nervous, so it makes sense to take a little hiatus.”