John Kuehn of Heartwell, left, looks toward his Austin-based attorney, Anne Marie Mackin, at the start of official court proceedings in Lancaster County District Court that could determine the fate of two 2024 ballot measures on medical cannabis. Sept. 20, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — A Lancaster County District Court judge said Friday she intends to issue “narrowly” at the end of next week whether to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Nebraska’s medical cannabis petitions.
Judge Susan Strong made the announcement during a 20-minute initial briefing on the lawsuit filed by John Kuehn, a veterinarian, rancher, former state senator and former member of the Nebraska State Board of Health. The lawsuit seeks to either remove the two certified marijuana measures from the Nov. 5 ballot or prevent counting of votes and void the election results.
“Hopefully we can all work together and resolve these claims as expeditiously as possible, hopefully before the election, though I understand we don’t have to,” Strong said at the initial hearing. “I think that would be the best course.”