LINCOLN — An association representing cities and towns across Nebraska has made another contribution — for a total of $25,000 — to fight the proposed illegal immigration ordinance on the ballot Monday in Fremont.
The League of Nebraska Municipalities has emerged as the major donor to Centsible Citizens Say No, a committee of Fremont businesspeople working to defeat the proposed ordinance.
With the contributions, opponents of the ordinance appear to be far outspending its supporters. Committee Co-Chairman Don Hinds said the money will be used to mount an extensive advertising campaign this weekend.
Fremont for Illegal Immigration Enforcement, formed by the Fremont residents who led the successful petition drive to put the measure on the ballot, appears to have raised about $5,000, including a $2,500 contribution from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a national group involved in efforts to enact local immigration ordinances.
Leaders of that campaign could not be reached Thursday.
The League of Nebraska Municipalities is a nonprofit organization representing the interests of 385 member cities and towns ranging from villages of a few dozen people to Nebraska’s largest metropolitan areas.
The league’s executive board voted to fight the proposed ordinance during a May 14 conference. Two members of the 15-member board were absent for the 13-0 vote.
Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle and Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler both serve on the group’s executive board and both voted to fight Fremont’s ordinance.
League Executive Director Lynn Rex said it is unusual for the organization to become involved in a local ordinance, but her group has strong concerns about the Fremont proposal.
League officials oppose the proposed ordinance because they are worried that “copycat” campaigns will sprout up in their towns if the Fremont effort succeeds, Rex said. They fear such ordinances will bring costly lawsuits not covered by insurance and additional operational expenses.
The league leadership also is concerned that the ordinance will spur discrimination against immigrant workers legally residing in Nebraska and hurt efforts to attract workers and businesses, Rex said.
“It’s so important to do our part to educate Fremont citizens that this ordinance cannot and will not do what it’s purported to do,” she said.
Rex said the campaign contribution came from funds raised by directory sales and conference revenue, not from the dues that cities pay from taxpayer funds to belong to the association.
Leaders of the petitioners’ group could not be reached for comment Thursday. In previous interviews, they have dismissed opponents’ concerns about costs as scare tactics. They have said they support legal immigration but are concerned about the social problems and the financial costs posed by illegal immigration.
State law requires groups to file reports with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission after they have raised and spent $5,000. Leaders of a third campaign committee, One Fremont One Future, which opposes the measure, have said they are near the threshold.
However, none of the groups formed early enough to be required to file full reports before Monday’s election. In the last two weeks before an election, state campaign law requires that “late contributions” of more than $1,000 be disclosed to the commission within two days of receipt.
In other developments:
Ÿ Leaders of both sides say they are running ads, making appearances on local talk shows and giving interviews to reporters from national news organizations in the final weekend.
Ÿ Supporters of the ordinance criticized as one-sided a fact sheet issued by city officials. Susan Smith of the Nebraska Advisory Group in Omaha said she was investigating whether to file an ethics complaint against city officials with the Accountability and Disclosure Commission.
Ÿ The Dodge County Republican Party said it has called upon State Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont to seek legislation against illegal immigration and to shield Fremont from potential legal costs arising from the ordinance.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9581, leslie.reed@owh.com
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