2006
Week 2
January 13, 2006

Hi

Hoo Boy. Are we having fun yet?

Four days. Four items covered. Senator Chambers has sentenced us to one-a-day brand vitamins. With no nourishment in them. There is method to this madness, of course. In a short session, with an overload of serious subjects, he can use up time and force us to skip over subjects he does not like. It's by the rules!

Monday: tax research
Tuesday: prayer for legislative sessions
Wednesday: concealed carry of hand guns
Thursday: assault on a fetus
Since the governor interrupted us with a State of the State Thursday morning we were still fussing with fetal assault through Friday.

Chambers says this is the way it will be since we have dared to vote cloture against him. He will give, but the thought is humbling. In 60 days, cover 50 bills? Out of 500? Much good humor now. The last 20 days will be the grump quotient.

Prayer is the most irrational item. A newer senator asked Chambers on the "Let's adopt our rules" morning, why he ignored Article 22: "Chaplain Coordinator?" Serious error. We have all ignored the article, with morning prayers arranged by the clerk's office. A staff member asks us to bring in pastors and then scrambles to fill the vacancies. I have prayed twice already.

But there is (was!) that article, for Ernie's foray-of-the-day. By rule, a Chaplain Coordinator was to work with "organized clergy" to fill all prayer spots. Smart alecks would say that rules out Baptists. But organized clergy really rules out all senators except me, most evangelicals, Buddhists, Muslims -- probably Jews.

Chambers moved to delete the article and he and I each made a statement about the offensiveness of sectarian prayers. Such as telling God what to think about salvation or ending with "We pray through Jesus." Not even all Christians would agree that we have to go through Jesus to pray to God. Got 8 votes to remove the article.

So he tried again in different language and I, a bit shook up with the dullness of my colleagues, made a strong statement that if "someone" (any senator who did not recognize code language did not have enough coffee) would seek to enforce this rule we would be in deep trouble. "We do not use the rule, so remove it. No loss." Got 23 votes, two short. Argh.

Chambers naturally promised to enforce it. I could see him taking 30 minutes every day to lecture us children for not following OUR rule. So we scrambled. We substituted a simple sentence of what we now do. Passed. Too many senators feared Chamber's motion would remove prayer. Not the question. Some were ticked with his verbiage and voted against their best interest. A lot of that going around.

The concealed carry is a curious piece. Our present "ban" is actually very loose permission. We now say persons can carry a hand gun if they think they need one. (!) We are one of only four states with some sort of ban. The NRA has to get to a ban for 100% of the states, for their fund raising. So they pour $$$ and emotion in. We passed it. Now all those who are carrying are criminals unless they give us $100, take a course, get an eye exam, and get on a national gun registry. Yes, really! Plus, they cannot be a felon, unstable (?), talked back to Grandma, etc. Plus, they cannot carry in churches, schools, legislature, bars, courts, all kinds of offices --a very long list. These are new restrictions which the NRA agreed to so they could cross off one more state. What a crock. Freedom loving Nebraskans insisted on this fiasco. It is hard to complain when the NRA shoots its foot.

Several police groups objected. A survey of Lincoln police showed 85% in opposition. The Black community will be harmed by it, and strongly opposes it. Some young guys will think this gives them a right to defend themselves when attacked by a white man. Not. Black men do not have that right in this territory, partner. We have sent to prison persons who acted purely and fearfully in self defense, and will again. Terribly sad.

Fetal assault makes more sense, but has its own humor. We will prohibit bodily harm to an embryo which has no body.

The governor provided a good summary of our issues and a base for budget considerations, complete with tax cuts. Nothing new. However, we can go to work.

I have spoken to tax cuts before, so will be brief. We like them, but have no money left for them if we pay our bills and beef up the reserve. The governor says four weeks reserve is very good, that other governors have settled for even less. Yes, they have. They were wrong. O my.

For those out of state, the governor is running for nomination in the Republican primary against Coach/Congressman Tom Osborne. This week, the gov ordered agency heads not to talk to Osborne unless he or a deputy is there. The papers enjoyed that silliness. The coach said there was racism in a decision on small schools. Some truth there, but a mistake to say so.

Eventually, folks will vote for the one they trust when push comes to shove. Meanwhile, a lot of pushing and shoving.

The slow pace is a sinister plot to give me patience. More than I wanted.

Cheers

Lowen