Opinion

Many bills ready for action

Friday, April 1, 2005

Upon reaching Day 54 of the legislative session, members of the legislature continue to move forward with full-day deliberations. The status of legislation approved by the Governor now exceeds ninety bills with approximately two hundred bills currently on General File awaiting an opportunity for debate. A number of bills remain in their respective committees held separate from the one hundred and forty-one bills that have been indefinitely postponed in committee. Time dedicated this morning to Final Reading legislation will soon increase the tally of bills to be enacted into law.

Recent highlights for the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee include the advancing of Legislative Bills 274 and 276 from General File to Select File. These two bills will completely reorganize the Department of Motor Vehicles' registration and titling statutes. The passing of this legislation, some of which has remained unchanged for up to fifty years, will result in a much more user friendly system.  Companion bills LB 275 and 277, which remain held by the committee, contain any and all substantive changes to these areas of law.

Another area of interest that could potentially affect much of Legislative District 44 involves LB 401. This bill that was introduced by freshman Senator Deb Fischer will amend current provisions for conducting elections by mail.

The bill allows the Secretary of State, upon request of the local county clerk or election commissioner, to designate any or all of the precincts in a county with a population of less than 7,000 as a mail in only precinct. Under such a designation, there would be no polling place within the precinct.

Every registered voter would receive a ballot via mail 20 days prior to the election, and that ballot would need to be received by the county clerk or election commissioner by 8 p.m. on the day of the election. A committee amendment that was adopted included provisions from four other bills. LB 401 was advanced to Select File.

A controversial bill that made its way out of the Judiciary Committee to General File this week includes LB 454. This legislation, which would adopt the Concealed Handgun Permit Act, has been presented before the legislature for a number of years.

Senator Jeanne Combs, a new introducer who is full of fight and ammunition, has made this bill her priority for the session. 

Senator Tom Baker

Legislative District 44

State Capitol Building

P.O. Box 94604

Lincoln, NE 68509

402-471-2805

tbaker@unicam.state.ne.us

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