Close to 187,000 signatures were turned in for a petition organized by a group called Respect Nebraska Voters. This petition would amend the Nebraska Constitution to make it harder, if not downright impossible, for the Unicameral to tweak legislation after it’s been improved by the voters.

Now, on the surface, it might seem like a good idea, and I know the sponsors of the petition drive’s hearts are in the right place, but if the initiative gets on the ballot (which it most likely will), I hope the voters are smart enough to vote no.

The problem isn’t that our state senators are ignoring the will of the people; the problem is we keep electing the wrong representatives.

The most glaring and recent example of the Unicameral ignoring the will of the people is how the state is handling the medical marijuana issue. Nebraskans overwhelmingly voted to approve it two years ago.

After two years of legal battles and political obstructions, the governor finally approved the regulations to start making the medicine available to those who need it. However, it’s a watered-down version of what the people voted for, and we’re still a long way from the first prescription being filled.

I have been actively involved in the medical marijuana issue for years. I not only promoted the drive to get it to the voters on election day but also carried a clipboard to get people to sign the petition. This issue is near and dear to my heart. I am indeed pissed that people suffering from illnesses like epileptic seizures, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and loss of appetite due to cancer treatments, and many others, are denied this natural remedy.

But the problem isn’t that the Unicameral is dragging its feet to get this to the people who need it; the problem is we keep electing the wrong people.

Governor Pillen, Attorney General Hilgers, Senator Ricketts, and numerous state senators beholden to them are against medical marijuana. So, this small handful of people are able to hold up what 70% of Nebraskans voted for.

I have no doubt the regulations to get this help to those who need it would have been fast-tracked and more in line with what we voted for if we elected different representatives. Representatives who listened to what the people wanted and needed, and not just what the donors and party officials wanted them to do.

Nebraska is a study in contradictions. We’re considered a red state, yet we vote for blue issues like medical marijuana, expanded Medicaid, and increased minimum wage.

But after we vote to approve those things, we elect governors, attorneys general, and state senators who oppose those things.

We have a representative form of government. This petition, if passed into law, would make us more of a pure democracy, and that’s not a good idea.

Allow me to be slightly hyperbolic and extreme for a moment.

Let’s say that, as a joke, a farmer in rural Nebraska thinks it would be a good idea to force every household in the state to grow some vegetables or fruit. He gets a group of other farmers involved, and they raise enough money to hire petitioners to get it on the ballot.

Then Nebraskans, thinking it’s a joke and that it will never pass, vote for it as a lark.

But it does pass, and the Unicameral’s hands are tied to prevent it from making exceptions for people who live in apartments or are too old or handicapped to tend to a garden.

While that bad idea won’t happen, there are other bad ideas that could pass. Pure democracy is a bad idea, and this initiative is a bad idea.

The way to solve the problem of people like Jim Pillen and Pete Ricketts blocking the will of the people is to stop electing people like Jim Pillen and Pete Ricketts.

I don’t care if the candidate is a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. I just care that they listen to the people and support the voters’ wishes even if they clash with the politicians’ own personal beliefs.

I know some people will sign a petition without giving it much thought. They are approached on the street and sign it to be nice. But voting for it without thinking can have serious consequences.

The solution to ending the roadblocks put in the way of implementing these referendums is not to amend the state constitution, but rather to elect representatives that will actually Respect Nebraska Voters.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

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