It’s a rare occasion when you are able to influence or even write history. When average Nebraska citizens lost their right to petition their government in 1994, many - no, actually most - didn’t even notice or pause to care if they did.
This loss of voting rights came in the form of a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling on Friday, May 13, 1994, with only four of the seven regular members present (two of them retired later that year). They doubled the signature threshold for all statewide petitions; financially inhibiting grass roots ideas and issues - leaving Nebraska with the highest signature requirement in the country.
In response, and for only the third time in U.S. history, the citizens removed the junior Justice who wrote the decision in an unprecedented grass roots, door-to-door campaign to “Vote NO on Judge Lanphier.” The campaign signs called for his removal in every neighborhood across much of Douglas, Sarpy and Cass counties.
