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Tuesday January 19 Call to Action - Do it today!

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Range Mom:
REQUEST A PUBLIC VOTE FOR UNICAMERAL COMMITTEE CHAIRS
This week, Nebraska’s 49 state senators will approve the rules governing Unicameral procedures. This is the ideal time to change a practice that should never have been allowed to happen - secret ballots for committee chairs.
1. Committee Chairmanships are highly prized for one reason: POWER. Senators who are committee chairs control hearing dates, closed-door debate, and have the potential power to kill any bill they – or their party – may not support.
2.  Because the election of committee chairs is now conducted in secret, the people are not allowed to know HOW committee chairs were selected - or WHO voted for them. All we know is the name of the senator in control.
3. Secret votes are a major reason why we have not been able to pass more 2A supporting legislation
4. Secret votes for the chairs of the legislative committees also block transparency. They allow backroom deals and legislative gridlock.
5. Last but certainly not least, secret ballots are in violation of the Nebraska Constitution, which specifies public voting. That fact alone ultimately undermines a government of – by – for the people.

Elected officials are to be accountable for their votes.   BY 5 PM Tuesday, please email your Senator and others ask them to vote YES - to change the rule and make votes for committee chairs a public vote.


Senator                     Email               City
Albrecht, Joni   jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov   Thurston
Aguilar, Raymond   raguilar@leg.ne.gov   Grand Island
Arch, John   jarch@leg.ne.gov   La Vista
Bostelman, Bruce   bbostelman@leg.ne.gov   Brainard
Brandt, Tom   tbrandt@leg.ne.gov   Plymouth
Brewer, Tom   tbrewer@leg.ne.gov   Gordon
Briese, Tom   tbriese@leg.ne.gov    Albion
Clements, Robert   rclements@leg.ne.gov   Elmwood
Dorn, Myron   mdorn@leg.ne.gov   Adams
Erdman, Steve   serdman@leg.ne.gov   Bayard
Flood, Mike    mflood@leg.ne.gov   Norfolk
Friesen, Curt   cfriesen@leg.ne.gov   Henderson
Geist, Suzanne   sgeist@leg.ne.gov   Lincoln
Gragert, Tim   tgragert@leg.ne.gov   Creighton
Groene, Mike   mgroene@leg.ne.gov   North Platte
Halloran,  Steve   shalloran@leg.ne.gov   Hastings
Hansen, Ben   bhansen@leg.ne.gov   Blair
Hilgers,  Mike   mhilgers@leg.ne.gov   Lincoln
Hilkemann, Robert   rhilkemann@leg.ne.gov   Omaha
Hughes, Dan   dhughes@leg.ne.gov   Venango
Kolterman, Mark   mkolterman@leg.ne.gov   Seward
Lindstrom, Brett   blindstrom@leg.ne.gov   Omaha
Linehan, Lou Ann   llinehan@leg.ne.gov   Elkhorn
Lowe, John S., Sr.   jlowe@leg.ne.gov   Kearney
Moser, Mike   mmoser@leg.ne.gov   Columbus
Murman, Dave   dmurman@leg.ne.gov   Glenvil
Pahls, Rich   rpahls@leg.ne.gov    Omaha
Sanders, Rita    rsanders@leg.ne.gov   Bellevue
Slama, Julie   jslama@leg.ne.gov   Peru
Stinner,  John P.   jstinner@leg.ne.gov   Gering

eelstrebor1:
deleted

josher89:
I have emailed all of our state senators and have heard back from seven. Six have indicated they support open and transparent government with one even including in their response an 'op-ed' of the practice of secret ballots within the Unicam and why it needs to be abolished.

The remaining senator that did respond, from South Omaha, indicated that they would take my comments into consideration. We shall see.

This vote on the rule changes will occur tomorrow, Jan, 21st, and I truly hope that not just the NFOA members contacted their senators, but that all Nebraskans that were aware are doing something about this.  We need government that we can hold accountable and this is one way to do that.

Keep your powder dry!

Range Mom:
Thank you Josher89!

josher89:
These senators are on the naughty list as they voted against the rule change to make officer elections a vote and not a secret ballot!

Aguilar, Day, Hansen, M., McCollister, Stinner, Blood, DeBoer, Hilkemann, McDonnel,l Vargas, Bostar, Dorn, Hughes, McKinney, Walz, Brandt, Flood, Hunt, Morfeld, Wayne, Cavanaugh, J., Friesen, Kolterman, Pahls, Williams, Cavanaugh, M., Gragert, Lathrop, Pansing, Brooks, & Wishart.

Flood their inboxes and phone lines with distain for voting to conduct business in secret - a direct violation of the Nebraska Constitution!  Hold these people accountable!!!

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