On February 10, 2026, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen announced an initiative to create Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapters in all state high schools in order to promote political discussion.
TPUSA is a conservative student nonprofit that was founded by Charlie Kirk in 2012. The Governor said his goal with creating these clubs was to encourage political discussion and promote constitutional principles.
“I would [join a Turning Point USA club at East],” senior Leonidas Greaves said. “It promotes healthy discussions and I feel like it’s important to understand both sides of an issue.”
Other students, however, were opposed to these clubs. Lailend Duncan, a junior at Papillion-LaVista High School and the secretary of Nebraska Young Democrats, said that he feels TPUSA creates a culture of toxicity.
“The culture and toxicity that Turning Point USA brings it brings a lot of fear and concern to me,” Duncan said. “The number one thing, I think, Turning Point USA brings is Christian nationalism, and we’re just pushing religion onto people.”
TPUSA representatives did not reply to Tom Tom requests for comment. Turning Point USA has an offshoot initiative called TPUSA Faith, which states its goal as empowering Christians to put their faith into action. Club America, the TPUSA high school chapter, does not include any official religious affiliations.
“The organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government,” TPUSA said in a press release on their website.
Some suggested lessons for Club America chapters include the history of America’s founding, the benefits of capitalism, and registering to vote. Governor Pillen stated his goal in partnering with TPUSA was to teach students about American exceptionalism and the U.S. Constitution.
“As many people as there are that would be against it,” Greaves said, “I think a lot of people would love to have a space where they can talk about things that are going on.”
East Activities Director Chad Holtz said he has not yet received details from the governor’s office about how these clubs will be implemented. At East, new clubs must fill out a charter application and are required to have a staff sponsor.
“We’ve never had a mandate to add a club or anything like that from the governor,” Holtz said.
“I just don’t know what that entails. he just said it in a press conference, and we don’t have any guidance on what that would look like or if that has to be implemented.”
The governor’s office declined to comment on how the TPUSA partnership will be executed. Holtz said that if Pillen
creates an official mandate, he would work with the district office and Bellevue Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Rippe to create a plan. A Club America chapter at East would be a first, because Bellevue Public Schools typically tries to discourage political clubs.
“We don’t want to sway anyone to any different political parties, and I think it’s best that we keep that out of the schools,” Holtz said. “It gets to be a slippery slope, and I don’t think that it’s in anybody’s best interest to force their views on anybody.”
Duncan said that his attempts to implement Young Democrats chapters in area high schools were denied for similar reasons. However, the governor’s announcement made him hopeful that progressive political clubs would be allowed in addition to conservative groups like TPUSA.
“I am a student who’s attempted to get chapters started in schools and I was told that they don’t really want politics to be in schools in general,” Duncan said. “But then now if Turning Point’s allowed, then other groups have to be allowed too.”