679 Legislative Bills
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Kyle Michaelis over at NewNebraska.net has a nice roundup of the bills introduced to the legislature this cycle. He's got 1-100 up right now, check it out.
OWH Bans Gay Marriage Announcements
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Meet Marc Volenec and Peter Hamel...They're your average everyday Nebraskans. They have jobs, they own a house, I'm sure they have hobbies, and, oh, they're a gay couple that got married in a San Diego courthouse on Sept. 23 and the Omaha World Herald refused to print their wedding announcement.
Why? Well an OWH spokesperson knew the answer (via "The Reader"):
“As a business decision, the Omaha World-Herald does not print same-sex marriage announcements.” company spokesperson Joel Long told The Reader. He said the company’s decision is not based on Nebraska’s law banning gay marriage or a specific corporate policy. “We decided we’re not going to do it.”Let me be the first to say: WTF mate!?
The real reason the OWH didn't publish their wedding announcement is because they are run by conservative wingnuts trying to force their agenda down our throats. What makes this even worse is that Hamel is an 18-year employee of the Omaha World Herald. Now he has to go back to work everyday knowing his own employer doesn't think he's as good as a straight man. That's sick!
On the one hand, I get it: I live in a conservative state where a lot of people aren't ready to accept gay marriage. On the other hand, as Lincoln Journal Star cartoonist Neal Obermeyer reports, the Columbus Telegram, Fremont Tribune, Hastings Tribune, Lincoln Journal Star, North Platte Telegraph, Scottsbluff Star-Herald and the Sidney Sun-Telegraph all publish gay marriage announcements.
That's what makes this unacceptable. All seven of those papers are respectable institutions in this state. In fact, the Scottsbluff Star-Herald is actually owned by the Omaha World Herald which makes the "business decision" argument a little bit weaker.
This is why I'm officially boycotting the Omaha World Herald. I've canceled my daily subscription, I will never link to them again, and I've joined the official Boycott Facebook group. From now on I'll be getting my news from the Lincoln Journal Star -- a highly respected newspaper in Nebraska.
I hope you'll join me in my disgust.
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Let me give a shout out to Neal Obermeyer who brought this issue to my attention on his site Nealo.com. Here's the cartoon he published for the Reader on this issue:
The answer to your question is yes...
Neal Obermeyer is Nebraska's Keith Olbermann. :)
More on Mark Fahleson
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Couldn't sleep last night so I decided to do a bit of political research on the new NE GOP Chairman, Mark Fahleson. The results were interesting:
As the Nebraska Republican Party spokesman, he accused Ben Nelson of "deception and dishonesty" during the 2006 Senate race. Apparently, Sen. Nelson ran "one of the most divisive and deceptive campaigns in Nebraska history." Sure.
As Lancaster County GOP Chairman, Fahleson used the phrase "out of the closet" to attack then Democratic Mayoral candidate Chris Beutler's position on taxes. I wonder how many social conservatives picked up on the "subtle" undertone of said comment.
Campaigned against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act which would make it illegal for employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation. A pattern perhaps?
Fahleson was the Lincoln Journal Star's blogger for the 2008 GOP Convention in Minneapolis. Highlights include his swooning over Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and shamefully admitting he has a "intellectual crush" on Newt Gingrich.
There's plenty to talk about when it comes to Mark Fahleson but I'd venture to say the best is yet to come. Fahleson is your typical cookie cutter conservative and isn't afraid to attack those "liberal elites."
Hopefully his counterpart, Vic Covalt, won't have any trouble taking the fight to Fahleson. He better, otherwise it'll be a long few years for Nebraska Democrats.
There's plenty to talk about when it comes to Mark Fahleson but I'd venture to say the best is yet to come. Fahleson is your typical cookie cutter conservative and isn't afraid to attack those "liberal elites."
Hopefully his counterpart, Vic Covalt, won't have any trouble taking the fight to Fahleson. He better, otherwise it'll be a long few years for Nebraska Democrats.
NE GOP Chairman
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No surprise, it's Lincoln attorney Mark Fahleson.
His priorities include opposing the President-elect's economic recovery plan and lobbying the state legislature to do away with Nebraska's split-vote electoral system.
His priorities include opposing the President-elect's economic recovery plan and lobbying the state legislature to do away with Nebraska's split-vote electoral system.
Lethal Injection: "Not so fast, my friend!"
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It seems that we have a progressive in the legislature:
It's about time someone pushed back against Speaker Flood's unhealthy desire to see our great state kill convicts. The death penalty is wrong -- plain and simple -- and I couldn't be more thrilled to see Senator Council plant her foot in the ground and say enough is enough.
However, Senator Council has a tough road ahead of her...
Last week's AP survey displayed overwhelming support for Flood's lethal injection bill but, there does appear to be an opening to get the 16 votes needed to prevent cloture. Six Senators have already come out against the death penalty, with another 11 refusing to go on the record and 4 Senators on the fence. It's a long shot, but if Council is as persuasive as her supporters say she is, than the freshman Senator might just pull this off.
Let's not forget that Council's predecessor, Ernie Chambers, was a master of the legislature who could lock up legislation just by showing up. Council has said she is seeking Chambers advice so we'll see what tricks he might have up his sleeve. If I were a Senator, I'd make sure to bring a book.
((This post can also be found at NNN and Daily Kos.)
State Sen. Brenda Council says she’ll pick up the fight to keep prisoners from being executed in Nebraska, introducing a bill to repeal the death penalty and vowing to battle a bill changing the state’s method of execution.Since the State Supreme Court ruled the electric chair unconstitutional last year, Republicans like Gov. Dave Heineman have been in a purpectual state of depression. (As depicted hysterically by Lincoln Journal Star cartoonist Neal Obermeyer last February.) Because, you know, someone has to do the killing and we can't ask the National Guard to do it!
Council of Omaha said Thursday that she’s adamantly opposed to capital punishment and assured her constituents she’d pick up where her predecessor — Ernie Chambers — left off.
It's about time someone pushed back against Speaker Flood's unhealthy desire to see our great state kill convicts. The death penalty is wrong -- plain and simple -- and I couldn't be more thrilled to see Senator Council plant her foot in the ground and say enough is enough.
However, Senator Council has a tough road ahead of her...
Last week's AP survey displayed overwhelming support for Flood's lethal injection bill but, there does appear to be an opening to get the 16 votes needed to prevent cloture. Six Senators have already come out against the death penalty, with another 11 refusing to go on the record and 4 Senators on the fence. It's a long shot, but if Council is as persuasive as her supporters say she is, than the freshman Senator might just pull this off.
Let's not forget that Council's predecessor, Ernie Chambers, was a master of the legislature who could lock up legislation just by showing up. Council has said she is seeking Chambers advice so we'll see what tricks he might have up his sleeve. If I were a Senator, I'd make sure to bring a book.
((This post can also be found at NNN and Daily Kos.)
Nelson "likely" to Join Bayh Caucus
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A few weeks ago, Matt Stoller reported (via Roll Call) that Indiana Senator Evan Bayh was forming a new Senate caucus of conservative Democrats. This Senate caucus will mirror the House Blue Dogs led by Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. Targets included Mark Pyror and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Jim Webb and Mark Warner of Virginia, and Nebraska's own Ben Nelson. Nelson is the third most conservative Democrat in the Senate.
Now the Lincoln Journal Star reports:
To be honest, I am more interested to find out how Nebraska's Senior Senator will vote when it comes to important legislation like Universal Health Care, the Employee Free Choice Act, Network Neutrality, an Economic recovery package, etc...
Do you expect a perfect batting average? I don't.
(This post can also be found at the New Nebraska Network.)
Now the Lincoln Journal Star reports:
Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana already plans to form a new caucus of moderate Democrats to fill that role.I can't imagine joining a conservative caucus will change much of anything. Nelson does and says what he wants and has never really cared about party unity or anything like that. In fact, I believe that Sen. Nelson has no affinity for the Democratic Party and if given a worth while reason would seriously consider switching parties. Something he has been rumored to consider before.
Nelson is a likely participant.
To be honest, I am more interested to find out how Nebraska's Senior Senator will vote when it comes to important legislation like Universal Health Care, the Employee Free Choice Act, Network Neutrality, an Economic recovery package, etc...
Do you expect a perfect batting average? I don't.
(This post can also be found at the New Nebraska Network.)
Where do Nebraskans Stand on Abortion?
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In Kyle Michaelis' recent diary, "'The Coathanger Caucus': Almost 1/2 Of Senators Support Abortion Ban", we learned (via an AP survey) that almost half of Nebraska's State Senators support a ban on abortion in Nebraska as long as it included exceptions for life of the mother and in cases of incest/rape. To quickly recap the story, 23 of the 49 State Senators (47%) said they support a ban; only five of whom, however, supported removing all abortion rights giving them Kyle's title of "The Coathanger Caucus."
After reading this alarming story, I took the liberty to research what Nebraskans think about abortion.
In 2000, the Omaha World Herald conducted a poll which concluded that 72% of Nebraskans support abortion in Nebraska but are largely open to restrictions. I can not provide a link because the Omaha World Herald does not have free archives.
I then came across this 2005 Survey USA poll which concluded that 49% of Nebraskans are pro-choice, 47% are pro-life, and 4% are undecided. I had two initial reactions to this poll: first, 47% of Nebraskans according to this poll are pro-life and 47% of Nebraska State Senators support an abortion ban; and, second, that being pro-life does not mean you support a ban on abortion.
I dug a little further and found this August 2008 poll by Anzlone Liszt Research on behalf of Planned Parenthood of Nebraska. This poll was framed differently than the 2005 Survey USA poll asking whether the registered Nebraska voter is willing to vote for a pro-choice candidate. 52% of Nebraskans said they were at least likely to support a pro-choice candidate with 36% saying they were not likely to support such a candidate.
So where do Nebraskans actually stand on abortion? I have no idea. But these polls lead me to believe that Nebraskans are split evenly on this controversial issue and, if put to a popular vote similar to South Dakota, I believe abortion rights would be safe.
As the aforementioned AP article states, there is no indication that such a ban will even be introduced during the 2009 session and, it's worth noting, that there are still 26 Senators who either do not support the ban or are up for grabs. Should this ban pass the legislature and be signed into law by Governor Heineman, this fight would likely move to the state Supreme Court and maybe higher up the legal system. Remember, in 2000, the United States Supreme Court voted down Nebraskan's ban on partial-birth abortion.
Furthermore, it is likely that pro-choice groups will seek to move this fight into the hands of the voters by getting a proposition on the ballot. In my opinion, this would be the best way to handle such an important and controversial issue because it's the most Democratic.
(This post can also be found at the New Nebraska Network.)
After reading this alarming story, I took the liberty to research what Nebraskans think about abortion.
In 2000, the Omaha World Herald conducted a poll which concluded that 72% of Nebraskans support abortion in Nebraska but are largely open to restrictions. I can not provide a link because the Omaha World Herald does not have free archives.
I then came across this 2005 Survey USA poll which concluded that 49% of Nebraskans are pro-choice, 47% are pro-life, and 4% are undecided. I had two initial reactions to this poll: first, 47% of Nebraskans according to this poll are pro-life and 47% of Nebraska State Senators support an abortion ban; and, second, that being pro-life does not mean you support a ban on abortion.
I dug a little further and found this August 2008 poll by Anzlone Liszt Research on behalf of Planned Parenthood of Nebraska. This poll was framed differently than the 2005 Survey USA poll asking whether the registered Nebraska voter is willing to vote for a pro-choice candidate. 52% of Nebraskans said they were at least likely to support a pro-choice candidate with 36% saying they were not likely to support such a candidate.
So where do Nebraskans actually stand on abortion? I have no idea. But these polls lead me to believe that Nebraskans are split evenly on this controversial issue and, if put to a popular vote similar to South Dakota, I believe abortion rights would be safe.
As the aforementioned AP article states, there is no indication that such a ban will even be introduced during the 2009 session and, it's worth noting, that there are still 26 Senators who either do not support the ban or are up for grabs. Should this ban pass the legislature and be signed into law by Governor Heineman, this fight would likely move to the state Supreme Court and maybe higher up the legal system. Remember, in 2000, the United States Supreme Court voted down Nebraskan's ban on partial-birth abortion.
Furthermore, it is likely that pro-choice groups will seek to move this fight into the hands of the voters by getting a proposition on the ballot. In my opinion, this would be the best way to handle such an important and controversial issue because it's the most Democratic.
(This post can also be found at the New Nebraska Network.)
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