The latest push likely signals Pillen’s political future with Trump could depend on whether he delivers the change
By: Juan Salinas II
Nebraska Examiner Press Release
LINCOLN – After public pressure from Gov. Jim Pillen, Nebraska lawmakers advanced to the full Legislature a winner-take-all bill and a separate proposed constitutional amendment to let voters alter how the state awards Electoral College votes for president.
The Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee of the officially nonpartisan Legislature advanced both proposals Monday along party lines. The chair, State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, had said in the past that she wouldn’t put anything out of committee if it didn’t have the 33 votes needed to overcome a promised filibuster, which could grind the Legislature to a halt, at least for a time.
But that changed when the emails and phone calls came in, she said.
“Lippincott making it a priority … so people are speaking, and most of them said, ‘Let’s get the vote,’” Sanders said after the vote to advance.
Still have to find 33 votes
Sanders added that any attempt to pull any bill out of a committee, if it ends up in gridlock, would weaken the bill and said it should go through the committee process. State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City, who filed LB 3 and made it his priority bill for the session, told the Nebraska Examiner on Friday that he was grateful for the “opportunity to try and get Nebraska back to the same rules” as the rest of the country.
The Government Committee also advanced Legislative Resolution 24CA, a proposed amendment to the state constitution from State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, allowing voters to decide whether to change to winner-take-all.
Nebraska is just one of two states — Maine is the other — that parcel out some electoral votes by the winner of the presidential popular vote in each congressional district. The approach, adopted in Nebraska in 1991, has led to Democrats claiming a single electoral vote from the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District three times — in 2008, 2020 and 2024.
Democrats respond
Nebraska Democrats have dubbed the 2nd District the “Blue Dot.” The Nebraska Democratic Party has called LB 3 an attempt to “suppress the voices of Nebraskans” and said it “will work hard to ensure this bill fails.” Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb released a statement Monday calling the proposed move “short-sighted.”
“We have a competitive primary for both parties in 2028, and we should all want candidates asking for our votes. That will only happen if we keep the split electoral vote system. Nebraska is unique. Let’s not be like all the rest of the states. Let the other states follow our lead in true representative democracy. We urge senators from all parties to vote no on the final version of the bills,” Kleeb said in her statement.
State Sen. Dave Wordekemper of Fremont said that just because he voted to advance the bill out of committee doesn’t mean he agrees with the two proposals.
“We can have a debate on those [proposals] on the floor and decide as a body,” Wordkemper said.
Complicated path ahead
Wordkemper said he would keep an “open mind” on both proposals. Lippincott said after the vote that he always feels “hopeful” about his bill’s chances.
State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston said he is still a no on both proposals. He has chosen not to support winner-take-all in the past, citing the timing of the proposals.
Pillen, in a statement, said the bill’s advancement was “great news for Nebraska, and I’m grateful to Chair Rita Sanders and the great senators who voted to advance WTA.” He said switching to winner-take-all “would restore unity to Nebraska’s allocation of Electoral College votes and strengthen our voice in presidential elections.”
The state’s Republicans have pushed for winner-take-all for decades. The effort has gained steam since Trump expressed support for the initiative during his 2024 campaign. The latest push likely signals that Pillen’s political future with Trump could depend on whether he can deliver winner-take-all.
Sanders said the committee would have another executive session late this week to possibly combine the two proposals. Speaker John Arch of La Vista said he doesn’t know when the proposals might be discussed on the legislative floor, but it might be a bit before they do.
