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Nebraskans for Peace
2009 Legislative Agenda

NFP

The old saw about how ‘peace begins at home’ is good as far as it goes, but if we want to see lasting change, it needs to end up n the Statehouse. Nebraskans for Peace, accordingly has adopted an ambitious agenda, related to our five priorities, for the 2009 Legislative Session. The agenda encompasses everything from renewable energy to immigration rights, ending capital punishment to stopping dating violence. Out of the nearly 700 bills and resolutions introduced (many of which are beneficial), we are of necessity limiting our involvement to about two dozen that directly impact our Peace & Justice mission, both pro and con. With term limits having now effectively ousted almost all of the senior legislators like Sen. Ernie Chambers (the average number of years of experience among the 49 members is now two years), citizen involvement in the legislative process is more critical than ever before to ensure that your state senator understands the issues.
Here’s a rundown on our priority legislation…

Immigration

Four bills relating to immigration have been introduced this session, and NFP opposes all of them. LB 34 (introduced by Sen. Brad Ashford) would require employers to verify that their workers are legal residents in Nebraska by using an expensive and error-prone electronic database called "E-verify," which is administered through the Dept. of Homeland Security. LB 229 (introduced by Sen. Deb Fischer) would require all citizens to care ID cards. LB 403 (introduced by Sen. Russ Karpisek) would require residents to be legal immigrants before being eligible for public assistance — which could have a devastating effect of children. And LR 9 (introduced by Sen. Tony Fulton) would facilitate collaboration between state and federal officials to seek out undocumented workers. In the case of each bill, NFP believes the onus is being wrongly placed on individual workers and their families, rather than on a flawed national immigration policy. Enforcement is not an effective strategy for dealing with illegal immigration when the existing policy does not reflect the employment needs of business and industry.

Death Penalty

The Speaker of the Legislature, Mike Flood, has introduced a bill, LB36, at the request of the governor to switch the state’s method of execution from electrocution to lethal injection. NFP obviously opposes this bill. We favor however Sen. Brenda Council’s abolition bill, LB 306 which would replace capital punishment with life imprisonment with parole, and have high hopes for its passage.

Turn Off the Violence

Sen. Gwen Howard has introduced LB 64, which would require public schools in the state to educate students about dating violence and relationship abuse. Just as we need educational intervention to preempt childhood bullies from growing up to become adult abusers, our schools need to be consciously instructing youth about the dangers and harm of relationship violence.

Civil & Human Rights

Now that Affirmative Action has been outlawed in Nebraska, Sen. Brenda Council has introduced a bill (LB 440), which would encourage the use of college scholarships to foster diversity, so long as other factors such as race and ethnicity are not the only criteria. Sen. Bill Avery is sponsoring LB 136 (Nebraska Kids Connection — SCHIP), a bill to increase the economic eligibility standards for public medical assistance to children. This bill is being particularly supported by the state Social Workers chapter. Avery is also the lead sponsor of LB 140, calling for divestment of state pension funds from companies doing business with the government of Sudan. NFP of course supports all of these bills.

Environment

Fresh from his 20-vote victory in the 21st District legislative race, Sen. Ken Haar has introduced almost half a dozen bills dealing with renewable energy and energy efficiency. And the even better news is that he’s not the only senator willing to be an environmental champion this session. All told, 15 different senators introduced ‘green’ legislation, marking a huge turnaround in public policy thinking. Haar’s ‘net-metering’ bill (LB 436) would encourage small- and medium-sized wind energy production, enabling local energy producers to sell excess energy back to the electrical grid. His LB 437 in turn would promote ‘big’ wind energy production in the state by creating the “Wind Energy Development Zone Task Force” to determine prime sites for wind farms and transmission lines. LB 455 by Sen. Jeremy Nordquist would authorize sales and use tax credits for renewable energy development by Nebraska’s public power districts, and LB 471 (by Sen. Fulton) would facilitate renewable energy development by streamlining the Power Review Board’s approval process. Four other bills (Haar’s LB 491 and LB 624, Sen. Tom White’s LB 14 and) would encourage energy efficiency in existing private and public structures and new construction (Sen. Heath Mello’s LB 632). Sen. Mello’s LB 644 would also promote the recycling of computer and electronic goods. This is the same bill introduced by Sen. Don Preister last year that was overwhelmingly adopted by the Unicameral 42 to 4, but vetoed by Governor Dave Heineman after the Legislature had adjourned.

Good Government

LB 66 (introduced by Sen. Kent Rogert) would raise the allowable limit on unreported gifts and contributions from lobbyists under the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act from $50 to $100. This is rank influence-peddling, and Common Cause of Nebraska adamantly opposes this legislation, as does NFP.

These are by no means the only meritorious (or, as the case may be, abominable) bills worthy of our attention. But resources extend only so far. As individual citizens however, we have an enormous opportunity to influence the views of our state senators by simply bothering to give them a call or jot them a note. For information on your senator and legislation, visit the Unicameral website: www.nebraskalegislature.gov.