SIGNATURES TODAY, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WERE SPENT BETWEEN THE TWO OPPOSING ABORTION CAMPAIGNS TO GET ENOUGH SIGNATURES. AND A LOT OF THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM A SELECT FEW PEOPLE AND GROUPS. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S BILL CHALMERS ON THE LIVE DESK, AND IS TRACKING THE MONEY BILL. ROB, JULIE. THESE WERE BY FAR THE MOST EXPENSIVE BALLOT CAMPAIGNS, WITH MORE THAN $2.6 MILLION SPENT UP UNTIL NOW TO PUT THESE ISSUES IN FRONT OF VOTERS. THE SINGLE BIGGEST DONOR, FORMER GOVERNOR AND CURRENT NEBRASKA SENATOR PETE RICKETTS. WE’LL START WITH THE PROTECT WOMEN AND CHILDREN CAMPAIGN. THAT’S THE ANTI-ABORTION INITIATIVE RICKETTS HAS GIVEN $1 MILLION TO PEDS, THE FAMILY BEHIND SANDHILLS GLOBAL HAVE DONATED ANOTHER $1 MILLION. ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE PETITION TO PROTECT ABORTION RIGHTS. THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTORS AREN’T PEOPLE, BUT ORGANIZATIONS BOTH ACLU OF NEBRASKA AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD TOPPED $500,000 IN DONATIONS. NEBRASKA APPLESEED AND THE WOMEN’S FUND OF OMAHA WERE ALSO IN SIX FIGURES. THE JUNE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT WILL COME OUT NEXT WEEK, SHOWING EXACTLY HOW MUCH CASH ON HAND EACH GROUP HAS LEFT. AS OF MAY 31ST. PROTECT WOMEN AND CHILDREN HAD JUST OVER $1 MILLION AND PROTECT OUR RIGHTS HAD ABOUT HALF A MILLION WITH A LOT OF MONEY LEFT. MORE SURE TO COME IN. AND FOR MONTHS UNTIL ELECTION DAY, YOU CAN EXPECT A BIG PUSH FR
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More than $2.5 million spent to get abortion on Nebraska ballot
According to campaign finance data, the two campaigns have raised a total of nearly $4 million as of May 31.
Bill Schammert
Anchor
It's been an expensive effort to put abortion on the November ballot for Nebraska voters. According to data from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, the Protect Women and Children and Protect Our Rights campaigns have raised a combined $3,798,000 this election cycle.Protect Women and Children, which seeks to ban most abortions after the first trimester, raised just over $2 million, with a majority of the money coming from two families. Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts donated $1 million to the campaign, and the Peed family, which is known for Sandhills Global, donated another $1 million. Their biggest expenditure was $553,703 to Vanguard Field Strategies, based in Kansas City. According to their website, they specialize in delivering messaging to voters and offer petition services. As of May 31, the campaign has $1,021,576 in cash on hand.Protect Our Rights, which seeks to protect the right to an abortion in Nebraska, raised nearly $1.8 million. Its biggest contributors were from organizations, not individuals. ACLU of Nebraska donated $537,000, Planned Parenthood donated $500,000, Nebraska Appleseed donated $315,000, and the Women's Fund of Omaha contributed $150,000 to the campaign. As of May 31, they have $452,378 in cash on hand.Its biggest expenditure was to Landslide Political for $400,000. According to its website, Landslide Political, which is based in Salt Lake City, offers campaign strategy and signature-gathering services. Signatures still need to be verified by the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office, which is expected to take several weeks. Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
OMAHA, Neb. —
It's been an expensive effort to put abortion on the November ballot for Nebraska voters.
According to data from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, the Protect Women and Children and Protect Our Rights campaigns have raised a combined $3,798,000 this election cycle.
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Protect Women and Children, which seeks to ban most abortions after the first trimester, raised just over $2 million, with a majority of the money coming from two families.
Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts donated $1 million to the campaign, and the Peed family, which is known for Sandhills Global, donated another $1 million.
Their biggest expenditure was $553,703 to Vanguard Field Strategies, based in Kansas City. According to their website, they specialize in delivering messaging to voters and offer petition services.
As of May 31, the campaign has $1,021,576 in cash on hand.
Protect Our Rights, which seeks to protect the right to an abortion in Nebraska, raised nearly $1.8 million. Its biggest contributors were from organizations, not individuals.
ACLU of Nebraska donated $537,000, Planned Parenthood donated $500,000, Nebraska Appleseed donated $315,000, and the Women's Fund of Omaha contributed $150,000 to the campaign.
As of May 31, they have $452,378 in cash on hand.
Its biggest expenditure was to Landslide Political for $400,000. According to its website, Landslide Political, which is based in Salt Lake City, offers campaign strategy and signature-gathering services.
Signatures still need to be verified by the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office, which is expected to take several weeks.
Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
