Anybody who reads my column knows I don’t usually run out of things to say. However, this time around there’s not much to say. But what I do have to say is important.
At the time I write this column, we are going to be walking into “warp speed” litigation on both abortion-related ballot initiatives and the school choice repeal referendum effort. The Nebraska Supreme Court will be hearing arguments on all three of these items and will have to determine by Sept. 13 whether to place these measures on the ballot, or keep them off the ballot.
By the time you read this article on Friday or Saturday, when the Southern Nebraska Register hits your mailbox, the outcome of these cases will have been decided. This means you are better off looking to your local newspapers and other media sources to learn more about what happened: Will the pro-abortion measure be on the ballot? Will we have a chance to protect some human life through the pro-life ballot measure?
Will voters be making a choice to eliminate our school choice program? I’ve got no ability to know those answers, except to entrust all our efforts to protect life, advance educational freedom, and build up the common good to our Lord.
In addition, if the abortion-related ballot measures are on the ballot, by the time you read this, you will also know what ballot number they have been assigned. This will be an important identifier moving forward in the next couple months as we tell Catholics which measure number to vote AGAINST and which to vote FOR.
As those numbers roll out, we will be getting lots more information out to Catholics across the state through our parishes and other channels, so be on the lookout for new and updated resources to help you learn about these measures and educate family, friends, fellow parishioners, and any other Nebraskan you walk by.
It’s critically important that you join our Catholic Advocacy Network of Nebraska (CANN) at www.NEcatholic.org. Through CANN, we can provide you quicker updates on these types of issues to make sure you have the best information, as you seek to bear the light of Christ in the public square.
Also, we need pro-life captains in all the parishes and other volunteers as we move forward on ballot measure efforts. Please contact the NCC if you can help (402.477.7517).
As always, say your prayers (and eat your vegetables!). God bless!
