Baker expects water to be top issue

The top issue for the Nebraska Legislature may not be budget deficits in the future -- it may be water, State Sen. Tom Baker said this morning during his weekly conference call.

Baker said concerns have been raised that a plan to run water from Lake McConaughy to purge waterways could leave Nebraska's largest man-made lake dry by 2005.

If that plan goes through, it would be necessary for Nebraska Public Power District to drill 40-50 wells in the Sutherland area to cool the Gerald Gentleman Station, depleting already low ground water levels.

Baker said a plan has been presented to allow 4 inches of water from the Swanson Reservoir. The lake near Trenton is experiencing its second lowest February on record.

Baker said that rather than using the water for irrigation, it will most likely be used to recharge the alluvium under the Republican River. Angus Garey voiced his concern over the plan, saying irrigators would be forced to pay for the water without having the opportunity to use it.

Baker said that while the state most likely will end up paying the judgment on the low-level nuclear waste site, he is sure there will be another appeal, if for no other reason than to buy time.

Baker said he would like to see a change in the state's appeal process, however, by using the Nebraska Attorney General to file the appeal.

He said he believes the state will pay an additional $6-8 million in attorney fees, plus $7,000 in daily interest on the judgment.

Jim Coady pointed out the state could have settled out of court with the four states participating in the Low Level Nuclear Waste Compact for around $32 million.

Baker said two issues which have caused some controversy in the state will most likely not be heard during this session.

While the bill asking for the repeal of LB775 offered by Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha was voted down, Baker said the Legislature still needs to address disclosure issues. He said the State Chamber has agreed to work on those issues through the summer break and he hopes the issue will be back in the Legislature in 2005.

Baker also said the consensus in Lincoln is to delay addressing term limits until voters can be better educated on the issue.

He said as it stands now, most voters do not approve a repeal of the term-limit law and if it went to a vote and failed, it would most likely be eight to 10 more years before it was brought back to the legislature.

Baker pointed out than when his term expires in 2006, there will be four senators with more than two years experience. He said 12 of the 14 committee chairs will be gone.

"People haven't realized yet, what's going to happen," Baker said. He used the example of the judgment on the low level nuclear waste case. "If we try to pay it with 25 new senators, the lobbyists will be in charge of the bill."

Baker also told the group after the State Forecasting Board meets later this month, lawmakers will most likely be looking at a $250 million deficit instead of the original $211. "I don't know where that will come from," he said. "It's going to be difficult. There's no support down here to raise taxes."