Ernie Chambers

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Senator Ernest W. Chambers
Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 11th district
In office 1971 – 2008
Preceded by	George Althouse
Born	July 10, 1937 (1937-07-10) (age 70) Omaha, Nebraska
Political party	Independent
Residence	Omaha
Alma mater	Creighton University School of Law
Occupation	Barber
Religion	Agnostic[1]

Ernest (Ernie) W. Chambers (born July 10, 1937) is a Nebraska State Senator. He represents North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature. He is also a civil rights activist and is widely-regarded as Nebraska's most prominent and outspoken African American leader. As a State Senator, Chambers is considered one of the Legislature's most passionate, controversial and colorful members and has been characterized by some outlets of the national media as "the Maverick of Omaha," the "angriest black man in Nebraska," and "defender of the downtrodden".^[2] He served his final day as a Senator in the Nebraska Legislature on April 17, 2008 due to a term limits law passed in 2000. It is generally agreed that even after 38 years he would have easily won re-election. As he put it, "They had to change the (state) constitution to get rid of me."

Contents 1 Biography 2 Political career 2.1 Legislative service 2.1.1 1986 NCAA student athletes as state employees 2.1.2 1989 "Franklin Coverup" 2.1.3 2006 Omaha Public Schools controversy 2.1.4 2007 Lawsuit against God 2.1.5 Assorted legislation 3 Legacy 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Biography

“

The maverick of Omaha. - Mother Jones

”

Ernie Chambers is a lifetime Omaha resident. He is a graduate of Omaha Central High School and Creighton University School of Law although he is not a member of the bar and does not practice law. He was a young barber when he first appeared in the Oscar-nominated 1966 documentary film A Time for Burning. During this period, he emerged as a prominent leader in the North Omaha community as illustrated in his instrumental role during the 1966 riots, when he successfully negotiated concessions from the city's leaders on behalf of the African American youths of North Omaha.^[3]

[edit] Political career

First elected to represent North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature in 1970, Chambers was successfully re-elected in every ensuing election through 2004. On April 25, 2005, Chambers became Nebraska's longest-serving state senator, having served for more than 35 years.^[4] He will not be allowed to seek re-election in 2008 because of an amendment passed in 2000 which limits Nebraska state legislators to two four-year terms. Sen. Chambers also ran for the United States Senate in 1988 as a New Alliance Party candidate.^[5] He petitioned to be included on the 1974 ballot for Governor of the state of Nebraska^[6] and also ran for Governor in 1994, receiving 0.44% of the vote.

Chambers hosts a weekly call-in public access television show on Omaha Cox Channel 22.

[edit] Legislative service

“

America is basically a hypocritical society and recognizes that hypocrisy is found throughout. The public doesn’t look for politicians to tell the truth or to deliver on their promises... Politicians know this. Even when the public seems to be upset, the politicians know if they can put on a brave face and ride it out, they generally will. - Senator Ernie Chambers[2]

”

Senator Chambers' politics are decidedly liberal. He is a firm opponent of the death penalty, and introduces a bill to repeal Nebraska's capital punishment law at the start of each legislative session. The bill was once passed by the Legislature but could not overcome the governor's veto; the issue remains as a primary focus of his while in office.

Frequently employing legislative rules and filibusters to block proposals, his legislative opposition has caused friction with some of his colleagues in the Legislature. It has, in fact, been suggested by opponents of legislative term limits that the 2000 amendment limiting senators to two four-year terms had been conceived largely to force him from his position.^[7] But despite such friction, he is well-respected by many past and present Nebraska politicians for his intimate knowledge of legislative rules, his persuasive skills as an orator and for wearing his sweatsuits or black or blue T-shirts and denim jeans on the floor of the Senate rather than a suit.^[who?]

[edit] 1986 NCAA student athletes as state employees

Senator Chambers has promoted recognizing NCAA student athletes as state employees since the 1980s, arguing that the athletes are generating revenue for their universities without any legal benefits for doing so, which encourages illegal payments and gifts. A bill on this issue too was once passed by the Legislature and again it was unable to overcome the governor's veto.^[8] After it was revealed that requiring student athletes to be recognized as state employees would jeopardize any university's NCAA standing, the language of the bill was changed such that a university could allow for players to be paid a stipend, a change that allowed for the bill's passage and signature of governor approval in 2003.^[9]

[edit] 1989 "Franklin Coverup"

According to the December 15, 1989 New York Times, Chambers came forward with reports of "boys and girls, some of them from foster homes, who had been transported around the country by airplane to provide sexual favors, for which they were rewarded." Investigating what became known as the Franklin Coverup Hoax, a Nebraska grand jury was convened to investigate the allegations and possibly return indictments; eventually the grand jury ruled that the entire matter was "a carefully crafted hoax," although they failed to identify the perpetrators of the hoax.^[10]

[edit] 2006 Omaha Public Schools controversy

In April 2006, Senator Chambers introduced LB 1024, an amendment to a bill that would divide the Omaha Public Schools district into three different districts. The bill and its amendment were created in response to an effort by the Omaha schools district to "absorb a string of largely white schools that were within the Omaha city limits but were controlled by suburban or independent districts". Omaha Schools claimed that the usurpation was necessary to avoid financial and racial inequity, but supporters of LB 1024 contested the district's expansion, favoring more localized control, especially along racial and ethnic lines. The bill has received national attention and some critics have referred to it as "state-sponsored segregation"^[11].

A bill passed in 2007 repealed LB 1024, restoring pre-2006 Omaha-area school district boundaries, after which a "learning community" was created to equalize student achievement in Douglas and Sarpy counties.

[edit] 2007 Lawsuit against God

On September 14, 2007, Sen. Chambers filed a lawsuit against God, seeking a permanent injunction ordering God to "cease certain harmful activities and the making of terroristic threats...of grave harm to innumerable persons, including constituents of Plaintiff who Plaintiff has the duty to represent".^[12] Sen. Chambers filed the lawsuit in response to another lawsuit filed in the state court that he considers to be frivolous and inappropriate.^[13] When the Broadway musical the Putnam County Spelling Bee was in Omaha, it mocked the lawsuit.

Two responses to the lawsuit were filed. The first was from a Corpus Christi lawyer, Eric Perkins, who wanted to answer the question "what would God say".^[14] The second was filed in Douglas County, Nebraska District Court. The source of the second response, claiming to be from "God", is unclear as no contact information was given.^[15]

[edit] Assorted legislation

Chambers has long advocated on behalf of David Rice and Ed Poindexter, who were convicted of the murder of an Omaha police officer; Amnesty International considers the men political prisoners.

Often clashing with fellow senators, Senator Chambers has taken on several issues of concern to rural Nebraskans during his tenure, such as a bill requiring landowners to manage the population of black-tailed prairie dogs on their property and a proposed constitutional amendment to preserve the right to fish, trap and hunt in the state. Chambers described the latter measure as one of the most "asinine, simple-minded pieces of trash" ever to be considered by the Legislature.^[16] In 2004 Chambers co-authored an opinion piece with U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne opposing a set of initiatives that would allow casino gambling and slot machines in Nebraska.^[17] Chambers also opposed proposed funding of the state's ethanol plant incentive programs, declaring them "a boondoggle".^[18]

In the spring of 2006, Chambers withdrew support from two tax incentive bills which would have provided funding for Omaha and Lincoln civic building projects. Chambers claimed that he withdrew support because Omaha business leaders had insulted the Legislature and the North Omaha community which he represents by criticizing the passage of LB 1024. He was also insulted by the Omaha City Council's refusal to name a North Omaha park after him despite another request by that neighborhood to do so.^[19]

[edit] Legacy

Aside from the long-ranging effects of his legislative service, Chambers has also been honored in Omaha. The apartment complex originally called Strehlow Terrace was renamed the Ernie Chambers Court in the 1990s.^[20]

[edit] See also

• Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska
• Education in North Omaha
• History of North Omaha, Nebraska

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Nebraska Legislature Online - Ernie Chambers

Preceded by George Althouse

Nebraska legislator – District 11 1971 – present

Incumbent