2007
Week 22
June 2, 2007

Hi

By any measure, the Nebraska legislature had an impressive year. We did it.

We had the heaviest agenda in years and essentials were done. We lost old timers with good memory, welcomed 22 new senators, and did it. Most leadership spots were filled with newer senators, and we still did it.

We worked through and adopted policy on major, complex issues. More than usual. I will list these in my order of importance, from the top.

Combined Metro Omaha K-12 districts into a &ldquoa;Learning Community.&rdquoa; Not done! Renewed policy for protecting the state water reserve, and funded it with new taxes in sensitive local areas as well as with new tax money for the state. Agreed to the largest tax reduction in the history of the state. Adopted a sound budget with major education increases, still below expected income. Community colleges agreed to a new fair share formula and we set it in place. Continued the shift for behavioral health from regional mental hospitals to community based services. Adopted first major bill on sanctions against adults who procure alcohol for minors. Strengthened court system pay -- long way to go. Improved salary base for public employees. Improved juvenile diversion to help keep youth out of prison. Strengthened program for early childhood training, which research shows has a major impact on graduation rates. We restructured funding for the Omaha Quest convention center, which will provide improved funding for community projects across the state. Raised the level of reserve funds, so that we will not again have to balance the budget on the back of our employees. We thoroughly aired the death penalty subject, which hopefully helped the public think about a subject we all would rather avoid. Helped initiate a national-level research project on autism, at Nebraska Med Center. Plus, bankruptcy, divorce, school testing, license plates, martial arts, trapping, recreation liability, animal abuse, college savings, minimum wage.

We failed to do many things, which is the nature of a legislature. Negotiation is continuous. Part of negotiation is &ldquoa;Wait until next year.&rdquoa;

My &ldquoa;most disturbing&rdquoa; list would include failure on the smoking ban. We all agree second hand smoke kills people and that killing people is not nice. However, a majority of senators feel if local businesses kill it is o.k. because they are exercising their freedom. The legislature will not likely move it further, but the public can. We all do agree the public will petition a ban that removes carefully negotiated exceptions.

The game playing on budget is forever, but still frustrating. A few senators will vote against the whole budget, so they can brag at home -- confident that the rest of us will do the right thing and pass a budget that keeps necessary services going. Every governor has to veto items to appear to be a red blooded leader. On half of them, governors hope we will rescue them in the next year with a few quiet changes.

Sometimes it gets weird. Class I districts (elementary school with its own district) were wiped out last year, but we provided protections for the schools themselves. That law was repealed -- we are not sure why -- by public vote. So we passed a bill to keep the protections on the schools involved while local persons decide whether to try a new model. The repeal removed language providing a process for continuing these schools. Many are truly needed. The gov vetoed the protection and the &ldquoa;old school&rdquoa; advocates said they would rather have nothing, as in the veto, than protection of schools still operating. ??? I am guessing the advocates are afraid their troops will give up the struggle unless they come out with nothing. They got it.

So we failed there and no one has proposed a viable solution.

The urban-rural split shows once in a while and is troubling. Most of the state is rural but the largest share of our revenue is urban. Our long-term development is mostly urban. Who gains by wary dancing in circles, staring in distrust at each other? We need one another. Getting positive would be much more productive.

Also in deficit, we have so far to go on mental health, drug treatment, abuse of alcohol and family abuse. On these, the public is the drag. The public has not caught up with the problems, for whatever reasons. Without public consensus and support on alcohol abuse, for example, we will continue to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into an unnecessary hole. What a waste.

So, reporting in. We take a break in session until January but have our plates plied high getting ready. We are tired and bruised. We trust that time will heal. I will send &ldquoa;occasional papers&rdquoa; between now and then, each limited to one subject. Two are ready but I will wait a few weeks. Some will be tedious to prepare. All are gifts, thrown into the wind. Enjoy or ignore.

May you have a good summer.

Lowen