A New Legislative Session Begins

January 12, 2017 Leave a comment


By Senator Lydia Brasch

Our first day back to the work of serving our districts and our Great State of Nebraska in the

Legislature has arrived. This begins the first session of a two-year biennium. If you did not

attend, watch online or on NET2, each day of session is recorded into a daily “Legislative

Journal,” which read: “Pursuant to the provisions of Article III, Section 10 of the Constitution of

Nebraska, the One Hundred Fifth Legislature, First Session of the Legislature of Nebraska,

assembled in the George W. Norris Legislative Chamber of the State Capitol at the hour of 10:00

a.m., on Wednesday, January 4, 2017, and was called to order by President Foley.”

Due to term limits, this is my final two years as your state senator. We opened the session with

prayer offered by Senator Kolterman, followed by the Presentation of Colors and a Call to Order;

there was a Quorum (majority of the body) present. The task was to call for an appointment of

Temporary Officers (Clerk, Sgt. at Arms). The motion prevailed.

It was my honor to move the motion that “we proceed to the election of five persons to serve as

the Committee on Credentials.” They report to the Legislature on the “credentials of those

claiming to be elected to the Legislature in the General Election in November 2016.” John Gale,

Secretary of State, ceremoniously carries in a box of certified election results and verifies that

“the attached is a true and correct copy of the Official Roster of members of the Nebraska

Unicameral Legislature elected or appointed to serve in the One Hundred Fifth Legislature, First

Session, 2017.”

The election of a new speaker took place; Senator Jim Scheer of Norfolk prevailed. When

elections for committee chairs commenced, I was chosen to be the chairperson of the Agriculture

Committee. It was a truly joyful, yet humble day to see the balcony and seats filled with many

new faces. The press covered a few contentious moments on the floor as some, myself included,

spoke freely about the need for transparency in voting with regard to electing our chairpersons.

Many senators invoked arguments regarding the true nature of the Unicameral being, or no

longer being, a nonpartisan institution. I found it surprising when those opposed to this

transparency spoke of George Norris rolling over in his grave about this controversy, when in

fact secret voting for chairmanships by the body of the Legislature began as recently as the

1970’s, several decades after Norris’s death.  Certainly the life and principles of George Norris

will be closely examined by many in the days that follow.

On Thursday and Friday we witnessed the swearing in ceremonies for the Chief Justice and new

members of the Nebraska Supreme Court, Public Service Commission, State Board of Education

Members and the Board of Regents; all of them take the same oath of office as every senator. We

also began submitting new legislation to be entered into the record. Next week’s column will

include bills I introduced.

Please contact me, my administrative aide, Courtney McClellen; my legislative aide, Brett

Waite; or Rick Leonard, the Research Analyst with questions or concerns at (402) 471-2728 or

by email at lbrasch@leg.ne.gov; or stop by Room 1022 (please note we have changed office

location, 2 doors south of  pervious office) if you are in the State Capitol. If you would like to

follow the Legislature online you can visit http://netnebraska.org/basic-page/television/live-

demand-state- government. Live broadcasting is also available on NET2.

Filed under News Tagged with , ,

Listening to the Second House

July 28, 2015 Leave a comment


By Governor Pete Ricketts

Throughout my first six-plus months as Governor, I have spoken frequently about my goal of Growing Nebraska. To make this goal a reality requires the input and support of the citizens of our state. Growing Nebraska necessitates that we as Nebraskans come together to build a strategy to move our state forward. That is why over the past two years I have spent so much time crisscrossing Nebraska, visiting communities, holding town halls, and listening to taxpayers.

 

These travels have shaped the focus and priorities of my administration. Those priorities include growing good-paying jobs, lowering taxes, pushing back on regulation, expanding educational opportunities, and running government more like a business. All of these play a role in shaping an overall strategy for Growing Nebraska, and they serve as the inspiration for and creation of initiatives that my administration is already undertaking.

 

In the coming weeks and months, I will be hosting a series of town halls across the state so that I can continue to listen to you as we shape the state’s priorities. This past week, I kicked off this journey with two very well attended town halls in Northeast Nebraska in Wayne and Laurel. They were both great opportunities to listen to the hopes and concerns of many hardworking Nebraskans. Questions and comments covered a lot of ground ranging from workforce development and education funding to the death penalty and cutting the growth in state government. It was especially encouraging to hear from young Nebraskans at the town halls who wanted to learn more about the future of higher education and healthcare in our state.

 

It is important to remember that you make up the second house in Nebraska. Our Unicameral Legislature is a one-of-a-kind legislative body made up of a single-house citizen legislature. This unique legislative body requires that the citizens of our state act as the second house, making their voice heard to their elected officials. I encourage all Nebraskans to take the opportunity to attend public events hosted by their representatives so that they can share their views on issues and hopes for our state.

 

This week, I will be hosting town halls in Nebraska City and Falls City in Southeast Nebraska before heading west for additional town halls in the coming weeks. I hope that you will consider joining one of these events so that I can hear directly from you. The feedback I receive at these events will help me as I continue to build a strategy to Grow Nebraska and to put together new initiatives to achieve the major priorities on which my administration is focused.

 

Be sure to check Facebook, Twitter, and my website at governor.nebraska.gov for all the latest information on upcoming town halls across the state. If you are not able to make it to one of the upcoming town halls, I hope you will take some time to share your thoughts by calling my office at 402-471-2244 or writing to pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov. I am always looking for your thoughts and feedback as we continue to work together to Grow Nebraska.

Governor Pete Ricketts

Governor Pete Ricketts

Filed under Community Tagged with , ,

Pastors Hale and High Offer Prayer at Legislature

January 21, 2015 Leave a comment


By Senator Lydia Brasch, District 16

The first full week of our 90 Day session began on January 12th. This marked Day 4 of the 10 days allowed for bill introduction according to the “Rules of the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature.” The rule does allow for exceptions, such as appropriation bills or bills introduced at the request of the governor. Overall, our Rules book consists of 10 rules with multiple sections and sub-sections. While the rules can seem extensive at times, they help preserve the order of the Legislature.

 

As of Friday, January 16, there were 430 bills and 27 legislative resolutions introduced. Wednesday, January 21, will mark Day 10 of the session meaning no further bills can be introduced. Committees will begin holding public hearings on Tuesday, January 20th.

 

So far, I have introduced five bills, with more to come next week. LB 179 requires apprentice electricians to complete continuing education hours. This bill would help apprentice electricians understand the National Electrical Code Book which is the adopted standard for electricians in our region and assist them in passing their exam to become licensed electricians.

 

LB 338 provides for a docket fee for custody, parenting time, visitation, and other parental access disputes. Currently, when a married couple with children seeks to divorce, the court may require mediation to help the couple address key issues such as custody and parenting time. They are assessed a $50 fee which goes to a fund that supplements the costs of mediation. However, non-married couples addressing the same issues of custody and parenting time are not required to pay the $50 fee. The number of unmarried parents with these child-centered issues are far outpacing the number of marital dissolutions (nearly 6,000 to 3,769). This bill would help our state’s court and mediative services finance a service provided to those using the system.

 

LB 350 seeks to provide property tax relief for agricultural and horticultural land by decreasing the valuation from 75% to 65%. I have introduced this in the past and was previously introduced by then Senators Fischer and Heidemann. It is a change long overdue. Currently, agricultural taxpayers consists of only 3% of our population but pay 26% to 29% of the tax burden for education. Related to LB 350, I also introduced LB 351. This bill will not increase income tax, but will direct 20% of income taxes collected to state aid for education. Between these two bills, we can provide a fiscally responsible way of paying taxes that is more proportionate.

 

We especially want to thank the following volunteer pastors from District 16 who served as Chaplain of the Day and offered prayer at the Legislature this week: Pastor Hale from Bancroft and Pastor High from Tekamah.

 

Please contact me, my administrative aide, Katie Wattermann, or my legislative aide, Tom Venzor, with questions or thoughts at (402) 471-2728 or by email at lbrasch@leg.ne.gov; or stop by Room 1016 if you are at the Capitol.  If you would like to follow the Legislature online you can visit http://www.netnebraska.org/basic-page/television/live-demand-state-government.  Live broadcasting is available on NET2 as well.

 

Keeping the Good Life growing in Nebraska,
Senator Lydia Brasch, District 16

Filed under News Tagged with , ,