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Nebraska State Senate (Unicameral)
| Nebraska State Senate | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | unicameral |
| Term limits: | 2 terms (8 years) |
| 2013 session start: | January 9, 2013 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Greg Adams |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 49 |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Art III, Nebraska Constitution |
| Salary: | $12,000/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 6, 2012 |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Redistricting: | The Legislature creates a subcommittee that oversees the entire redistricting process. |
Contents |
Each Nebraska state senator represents an average of 37,272 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 34,924.[2]
In 2012, the Senate was in session from January 4 through April 18.
Sessions
Article III of the Nebraska Constitution establishes when the Senate is to be in session. Section 10 of Article III states that the Senate is to convene annually on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January. In odd-numbered years, regular sessions are limited to ninety days. In even-numbered years, regular sessions are limited to sixty days. Sessions in any year can be extended by a four-fifths majority of the Senate.
2013
- See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions
In 2013, the Legislature will be in session from January 9 through May 30 (estimated).
Major issues
Nebraska legislators face a projected $194 million budget shortfall in 2013. A long debate is expected over the possible expansion of Medicaid coverage, while Gov. Dave Heineman (R) is pushing for increased state aid to the University of Nebraska system and state colleges.[3]
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the Senate was in session from January 4 through April 18.
Major issues
At the top of the list for the legislature was reforming the state's child welfare system, while Governor Dave Heineman's priorities were job creation and maintaining fiscal discipline.[4]
2011
In 2011, the Senate was in session from January 5 through June 8. [5]
2010
In 2010, the Senate was in session from January 6th to April 14th.[6]
Elections
2012
- See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2012
Elections for the office of Nebraska State Senate will be held in Nebraska on November 6, 2012. A total of 26 seats were up for election. The signature filing deadline was February 15, 2012 for incumbents and March 1, 2012 for non-incumbents.
Nebraska state senators are subject to term limits and may not serve more than two four-year terms. In 2012, 8 state senators will be termed-out.
The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election.
| 2012 Margin of Victory, Nebraska State Senate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Winner | Margin of Victory | Total Votes | Top Opponent |
| District 21 | Ken Haar | 0.6% | 13,653 | Mike Hilgers |
| District 29 | Kate Bolz | 1.8% | 17,823 | Larry Zimmerman |
| District 2 | Bill Kintner | 2.3% | 15,969 | Paul Lambert |
| District 45 | Sue Crawford | 2.8% | 13,840 | Richard Carter |
| District 43 | Al Davis | 3.6% | 16,887 | John Ravenscroft |
| District 31 | Rick Kolowski | 4% | 17,534 | Acela Turco |
| District 37 | Galen Hadley | 4.3% | 14,148 | Josiah Woodward |
| District 23 | Jerry Johnson | 7.3% | 14,966 | Vern Barrett |
| District 1 | Dan Watermeier | 11.6% | 15,663 | Jerry Joy |
| District 3 | Scott Price | 12.1% | 12,487 | Suzanne McNamara |
2010
- See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2010
Elections for the office of Nebraska State Senator were held in Nebraska on November 2, 2010.
The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was February 15, 2010, and the primary election day was May 11, 2010.
In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $1,597,466 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [7]
| 2010 Donors, Nebraska State Senate | |
|---|---|
| Donor | Amount |
| Nebraska Education Association | $80,347 |
| Union Pacific Railroad | $67,500 |
| Nebraska Bankers Association | $66,682 |
| Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry | $61,584 |
| Nebraska Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors | $53,643 |
| Nebraska Realtors Association | $49,850 |
| Nebraska Optometric Association | $49,242 |
| Nebraska State AFL-CIO | $37,929 |
| Associated General Contractors of Nebraska | $37,765 |
| Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys | $35,500 |
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Nebraska Senate, a candidate must be:[8]
- At least 21 years of age
- A resident of Nebraska, and specifically a resident of the legislative district he or she wishes to serve, for at least one year prior to the general election
- Must not have ever been convicted of a felony
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
If there is a vacancy in the Legislature, it is up to the Governor to select a replacement. If a vacancy happens in the last 60 days before a general election, the replacement appointed by the Governor serves the remainder of the term until a new representative is elected. If the vacancy happens more than 60 days before the general election, the replacement serves the remainder of the unfilled term until the next general election[9].
Term limits
- See also: State legislatures with term limits
The Nebraska State Senate is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Nebraska Term Limits Act in 2000. That initiative said that Nebraska senators are subject to term limits of no more than two four-year terms.
The first year that the term limits enacted in 2000 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2008.[10]
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Nebraska
In Nebraska, the state legislature's Executive Board sets up a Redistricting Committee to draw the new district maps every ten years. This committee must be comprised of three representatives from each of Nebraska's three Congressional districts and no more than five members of one political party.[11]
2010
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Nebraska's population rose from 1.71 million to 1.83 million between 2000 and 2010.[12] The area around urban Omaha grew substantially, while western Nebraska's population continued to decline. Despite the need to reshuffle, Nebraska had enough population growth to keep its three Congressional seats.[13]
Early in the 2011 redistricting process, several senators proposed legislation that would change the number of senators in an effort to either keep western representation robust (by adding a senator) or decreasing costs and giving the savings as a travel stipend (by subtracting four senators). Western representatives attempted to find a means for preserving their senators, but the population growth in the East precluded any solution beyond changing the number of senators. A public hearing also attracted many complaints concerning the manner in which previous districts were split.[14][15] However, the legislative map, with some changes, was passed 39-0 on May 20, 2011 as LB 703.[16][17]
History
Nebraska originally operated under a bicameral legislature. Over time, defects in the bicameral system became apparent. Bills were lost because the two houses could not agree on a single version, and conference committees that were created to reconcile different versions of bills often met in secret, and were thus unaccountable for their actions. After a trip to Australia in 1931,[18] George Norris campaigned for reform, arguing that the bicameral system was based on the inherently undemocratic British House of Lords, and that it was pointless to have two bodies of people doing the same thing and hence wasting money. He specifically pointed to the example of the Parliament for the Australian state of Queensland, which had adopted a unicameral parliament nearly ten years earlier.[19] In 1934, a constitutional amendment was passed revoking the House of Representatives and adding all its former duties to the Senate (the amendment also legalized betting on horse races). The new unicameral Legislature met for the first time in 1937. Though the name of the body is formally the "Nebraska Legislature," its members are commonly referred to as "Senators." In Nebraska, the Legislature is also often simply known as "The Unicameral".
Partisan balance 1992-2013
With a non-partisan legislature, Nebraska’s Senate was controlled neither by the Democrats nor the Republicans during this 22 year study period.
Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states have divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Montana, the Montana State Senate and the Montana House of Representatives from 1992-2013.
.PNG)
Selection, composition and operation
The Legislature comprises forty-nine members, chosen by a single-member district or constituency. Senators are chosen for four-year terms, with one-half of the seats up for election every second year. No person may be a senator unless he or she is a qualified voter, over the age of twenty-one, and a resident of his or her district for at least one year. Currently, senators are limited by law to two terms. Senators earn $12,000 a year.
Non-partisan
Members are selected in nonpartisan elections. Rather than separate primaries held to choose Republican, Democratic, and other partisan contenders for a seat, Nebraska uses a single nonpartisan primary election, in which the top two vote-getters are entitled to run in the general election. There are no formal party alignments or groups within the Legislature. Coalitions tend to form issue by issue based on a member's philosophy of government, geographic background, and constituency. However, almost all the members of the legislature are affiliated with the state affiliate of either the Democratic or the Republican party and both parties explicitly endorse candidates for legislative seats.
Meetings and Leadership
Sessions of the Nebraska Legislature last for 90 working days in odd-numbered years and 60 working days in even-numbered years. The Speaker presides over the Legislature in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor, but the day-to-day matters of the body are dealt with by the Executive Board. The Board includes the Speaker, a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and six other senators. The chairperson and vice-chairperson are chosen for two-year terms by the Legislature as a whole. Senators are classified into three geographically-based "caucuses"; each caucus elects two board members. Finally, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee serves, but cannot vote on any matter, and can only speak on fiscal matters.
Current leadership
| Current Leadership, Nebraska State Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Representative | |
| Speaker of the Legislature | Greg Adams | |
| Executive Board Chair | John Wightman | |
| Executive Board Vice Chair | Bob Krist | |
| Executive Board Member | Bill Avery | |
| Executive Board Member | Kathy Campbell | |
| Executive Board Member | Ernie Chambers | |
| Executive Board Member | Mark Christensen | |
| Executive Board Member | Russ Karpisek | |
| Executive Board Member | Steve Lathrop | |
| Executive Board nonvoting member ex officio | Heath Mello | |
General powers
The Legislature is responsible for law-making in the state, but the Governor has the power to veto any bill. The Legislature may override the governor's veto by a vote of three-fifths (30) of its members. The Legislature also has the power, by a three-fifths vote, to propose constitutional amendments to the voters, who then decide upon it through a referendum.
Senators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2013, members of the Nebraska Senate are paid $12,000/year. Per diem is $123/day for members living outside a 50-mile radius of the Capitol. Per diem is $46/day for members living inside the 50-mile radius. Rates are tied to the federal rate.[20]
Pension
Nebraska does not provide pensions for legislators.[21]
When sworn in
Nebraska legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January.
List of current members
Legislature Committees
The Nebraska Legislature has 14 standing committees:
- Agriculture Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Appropriations Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Business and Labor Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Education Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- General Affairs Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Health and Human Services Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Judiciary Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Natural Resources Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Revenue Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, Nebraska Legislature
- Urban Affairs Committee, Nebraska Legislature
External links
- The official site of the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature
- Official list of members of the Nebraska State Senate (Unicameral)
- Unicameral Votes Online
- History of the Nebraska Unicameral
- The Nebraska Legislature on Wikipedia
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Sioux City Journal, " Big Decisions Ahead," January 9, 2013
- ↑ Lincoln Journal Star, "As session begins, child welfare reform a priority," January 3, 2012
- ↑ NebraskaLegislature.gov, 2011 legislative session
- ↑ 2010 session dates for Nebraska Senate
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Nebraska Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Qualifications to serve in the Nebraska Legislature
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature "Nebraska Revised Statutes"(Referenced Statute 32.566)
- ↑ State legislative term limits
- ↑ Fremont Tribune "Dealing with redistricting challenges," February 22, 2011
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2010 Census: Nebraska Profile," 2011
- ↑ Omaha World-Herald "Lawmakers face redistricting puzzle," March 3, 2011
- ↑ Lincoln Journal Star "Redrawn legislative boundaries draw interest from east to west," May 13, 2011
- ↑ The Independent, "Redistricting proposal meets with mixed reviews", May 13, 2011
- ↑ Journal Star, "Senators advance legislative redistricting committee proposal", May 19, 2011
- ↑ Omaha World Herald, "Plan for legislative districts advances", May 19, 2011
- ↑ George Norris state historical information
- ↑ History of the Queensland Parliament
- ↑ NCSL.org, "2012 State Legislator Compensation and Per Diem Table," accessed March 18, 2013
- ↑ USA Today, "State-by-state: Benefits available to state legislators," September 23, 2011
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