Christensen: Chambers was highlight of freshman year

Working with Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha was one of the highlights of his freshmen year, Sen. Mark Christensen said at the legislative conference call this morning at the McCook Chamber of Commerce.

He cited his discussions with Chambers on LB82, the law that allows inmates at correctional facilities to earn an earlier release if they complete the program at the McCook Work Ethic Camp. Chambers was filibustering the bill and said he wasn't going to support it, as Christensen wouldn't have supported it if it were in Omaha.

Christensen said he responded by offering to support a bill next year that would implement the WEC program, or some other kind of exit program, for state correctional facilities, which Chambers agreed to. Chambers ended up supporting the bill, Christensen said.

"There are people down here who will really work with you," he said and added that he talked with Chambers about three other bills this year that the Omaha senator fillibustered with similar results.

The biggest challenge he faced this year was the way bills can be altered, he said, such as LB701, the water bill that addresses water rights owed to Kansas.

Referring to this bill and others, he said that many people come-on-board a bill only to try to change it, with the result that "you have to settle for something different," he said.

With today the last day of the legislative session, senators still have several bills on Final Reading before the session ends, he said, which he expects all to be approved. But the mood must be festive, as he mentioned a party for senators Wednesday night and another one this afternoon, with today's session beginning at 11 a.m., instead of the usual 8 a.m.

Still, senators may face a veto by Gov. Heineman on LB658, a bill that they approved that would re-create Class I schools after a number of provisions are met.

Christensen said another amendment to the bill showed up on Tuesday that would re-install the Class I Schools as they were before LB126, to honor the intent of voters that repealed the law. That amendment was killed and Christensen said, despite the expected veto, he doubted there were enough votes to override it, although a number of senators have been approached to change their votes, he added.

Duane Tappe commented that after his recent visit to the State Capitol, there really are two houses in the Unicameral -- the senators and the lobbyists, with the lobbyist paid more than the senators. Christensen agreed, and said he was the only freshmen senator who spoke in favor on the constitutional amendment the legislature approved this year, that will increase the salary for senators from $12,000 t0 $22,000, if voters approve it in 2010.

He said that other senators were apprehensive to speak in favor it it as it would appear self-centered. The measure passed 42-0.

But there is a greater issue at stake here than just a higher salary, he argued. A huge segment of the population -- the middle class -- is not being represented, he said.

Without an increased salary, the only ones who can afford to be a senator are "the rich and retired," Christensen maintained.

"We need more of a balance and we can't have that with the way salaries are now," he said. "We're missing the middle class."

Other bills he mentioned were:

* Increased funding for the Omaha Qwest Center with LB551, recently approved by the Legislature. LB551 will allow 70 percent of sales tax collected by retailers doing business at the convention center to be given to the Convention Center Support Fund, with 30 percent transferred to a fund that cities other than Omaha can use for projects. Christensen maintained that this was a local issue and that the state shouldn't have to pick up the tab.

* LB653, up for final reading this morning, that would implement a new statewide testing program for schools in 2009-10 that would allow results to be compared with other schools in Nebraska and with other states. Christensen said he had a number of calls from school administrators on this one, with his own feelings conflicted as well. He favored teachers being allowed to teach on the subject they preferred instead of "teaching to test."

The bill is expected to pass and is tied to some federal funding.