Pillen calls for ban on pay-per-signature amid Lincoln fraud investigation

Lincoln, Neb. (KLKN) — Nebraska is one of the states that currently allows pay-per-signature, meaning petition gatherers can be paid based on how many signatures they collect instead of a fixed hourly wage.

Until the law was changed in 2015, Nebraska banned pay-per-signature. Under a ban, petition gatherers could still be paid, but their pay could not be based on the number of signatures they collected.

Now, Gov. Jim Pillen is calling on the legislature to restore that ban.

His call comes after the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office announced an investigation into alleged fraudulent signatures on petitions.

In a statement, Pillen said the current system has led to what he calls “skyrocketing payouts per signature” and “outright criminal activity.”

He is now calling on lawmakers to change the system and once again ban pay-per-signature. The Legislature would have to approve a change before pay-per-signature could be banned again.