Baker says Hergert debate 'too personal'

In his final teleconference call to the McCook Chamber of Commerce Sen. Tom Baker explained his recent vote against impeachment of Regent Dave Hergert.

The Legislature voted Wednesday to impeach Hergert 25-22 and suspend him until a trial before the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Baker said this morning that the heated debate on the floor between senators over the vote was inappropriate and became "way too personal," and the 10 articles of impeachment that came out of the Executive Board were not the direction he wanted it to go.

"It should have stuck to the basics," Baker said, citing one charge, mail fraud, as one that was not necessary. "They need to keep personality and politics out of this."

Baker said that although he believed Hergert had violated some campaign finance laws, he didn't know whether that had influenced voters.

"I made this decision on my own," he added, and said that Hergert's lobbyists had not talked to him, probably because he was a member on the the Task Force to investigate whether there was sufficient reason to start the impeachment process.

The impeachment now moves to the State Supreme Court, which he thinks will address the issue fairly quickly.

"We have not heard the end of this," Baker predicted, adding that two senators must also be appointed to represent the Unicameral for the proceedings.

Baker also talked about the controversial LB1024, which is scheduled for final reading today and which Baker called "a rollercoaster ride."

The bill would divided the Omaha Public School system into three separate learning communities, with local school boards for each district. Opponents have said the bill will enforce segregation; advocates of the bill said it would lead to more local control.

"There's enough pain in that bill for everyone," he joked, as no one will be 100 percent satisfied with the bill.

Baker, who supported the bill, said it was a foundation point to get people to the table and talk about the issues instead of heading to court.

"This is not the final answer," he said, as there was a good possibility that senators would be called back for special session for this bill or for the Hergert impeachment proceedings. Even with a special session, he said the issue will be addressed again next year .

Bills that passed this week include LB1222, which concerns Public Service Access Points, as well as LB79, which will close unguarded railroad crossings in small communities.

This recent 60-day session was one of the busiest -- and most difficult -- one he's been through, he said, with a number of firsts for the legislature, such as the impeachment proceedings and the OPS dispute.