Bill McKibben (co-founder, 350.org), Christa Yoakum, Michael Brune (Sierra Club national executive director). Photo: Alex Matzke

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 28, 2018

Pipeline Fighters, National Leaders Rally in Lincoln and Get Out the Vote for Christa Yoakum for Nebraska Public Service Commissioner

Rally and Get Out the Vote event featured Bill McKibben (co-founder, 350.org), Mike Brune (National Sierra Club executive director), Christa Yoakum (PSC candidate), Nebraska landowners, Tribal Nation allies, Bold Pipeline Fighters

Lincoln, NE — Local Pipeline Fighters, along with Nebraska landowners living on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline route and representatives from the Winnebago Nation of Nebraska welcomed national environmental leaders Bill McKibben (co-founder, 350.org) and Mike Brune (Sierra Club national executive director) back to Lincoln for a rally and get-out-the-vote event on Sunday for Christa Yoakum, candidate for Nebraska Public Service Commissioner.

PHOTOS: Download photos of the rally and canvassing for use by media:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/boldnebraska/albums/72157699688306552/with/43786634380/

VIDEO Watch the rally speakers (broadcast live on Facebook):
https://facebook.com/BoldNebraska/videos/1927223804239248

Christa Yoakum talking at the door with Lincoln voter Joe Shaw, while Bill McKibben and Mike Brune look on. (Photo: Alex Matzke)

This was not the first visit to Lincoln by McKibben or Brune — whose respective organizations have been engaged alongside Nebraska farmers and ranchers, Tribal Nations and local Pipeline Fighters in Nebraska over the past ten years. The collective effort has stopped the risky Keystone XL tarsands export pipeline that’s abusing eminent domain for private gain, trampling sovereign Indigenous rights, and threatening our land, water and climate.

“Pipeline Fighters in Lincoln and across the state — as well as nationally — recognize the significance of this election for the Nebraska Public Service Commission’s First District, and it’s time that our elected representatives stand for the people against eminent domain abuse, and protect property rights and clean water for all Nebraskans,” said Christa Yoakum, candidate for Nebraska Public Service Commissioner, District 1.

“It’s time to stop always bowing to the oil industry just because they’re rich. We need public servants–that is, people who will stand up for public interests, not private ones,” said Bill McKibben, co-founder, 350.org.

“It is an honor to be in Nebraska with all of those who have been leading the fight against Keystone XL for so many years because electing Christa Yoakum is the next step in that fight. For too long, the people in this state and this country have fought to protect their water and their property only to watch politicians sit idly by. Electing Christa Yoakum can help start to change that, because she wants to be a part of building a state that works for everyone — not just corporate polluters and millionaires,” said Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club.

“Christa Yoakum’s stance on fighting for the rights of tribes, private landowners, and Nebraskans in general, to prevent the taking of private property for private gain and to protect Nebraska’s unique natural resources is why the Ponca Nation supports her for the PSC,” said Chairman Larry Wright, Jr., Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.

EVENT DETAILS:
https://boldnebraska.org/event/oct-28-flipthepsc-rally-and-voter-outreach-to-stop-keystone-xl/

# # #