| Nebraska State Legislature | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | Unicameral |
| Term limits | 2 terms (8 years) |
| New session started | January 5, 2011 |
| Leadership | |
| Speaker of the Legislature | Mike Flood since January 3, 2007 |
| Structure | |
| Members | 49 |
| Political groups | Nonpartisan |
| Length of term | 4 years |
| Authority | Article III, Nebraska Constitution |
| Salary | $12,000/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last election | November 2, 2010 (24 seats) |
| Next election | November 6, 2012 (25 seats) |
| Redistricting | Legislative Control |
| Meeting place | |
| Legislative Chamber Nebraska State Capitol Lincoln, Nebraska |
|
| Website | |
| Nebraska State Legislature | |
The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County.
Nebraska's Legislature is unusual in that it is unicameral and nonpartisan. No other state in the U.S. has a single-chamber legislative body, although the legislatures of two U.S. territories—the Virgin Islands and Guam—are unicameral, as is the Council of the District of Columbia. At 49 members it is also the smallest state legislature (the next smallest is the 60-member bicameral Alaska Legislature).
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The First Nebraska Territorial Legislature met in Omaha in 1855, staying there until statehood was granted in 1867.[1] Nebraska originally operated under a bicameral legislature. However, over time, dissatisfaction with the bicameral system grew due to what many Nebraskans perceived as defects. Bills were lost because the two houses could not agree on a single version, and conference committees that were created to reconcile different versions of bills often met in secret, and were thus unaccountable for their actions. After a trip to Australia in 1931, George Norris campaigned for reform, arguing that the bicameral system was based on the inherently undemocratic British House of Lords, and that it was pointless to have two bodies of people doing the same thing and hence wasting money. He specifically pointed to the example of the Australian state of Queensland, which had adopted a unicameral parliament nearly ten years earlier. In 1934, voters approved a constitutional amendment which dissolved the House of Representatives and granted its powers to the Senate.
Campaigns to consolidate the Nebraska Legislature into a single chamber date back as early as 1913, meeting with mixed success.[2] Many possible reasons for the 1934 amendment's victory have been advanced: the popularity of Nebraska's U.S. Sen. George Norris, a fervent proponent of single-chamber government; the Depression-era desire to cut costs; public dissatisfaction with the previous year's legislature; or even the fact that, by chance, it was on the ballot in the same year as an amendment to legalize parimutuel betting on horse races.[3] This latter coincidence may have aided the measure's passage in Omaha, where the unicameral issue was not a pressing one but horse racing was. (Gambling interests campaigned for "yes" votes on all amendments in hopes of assuring the horse-racing amendment's passage.)
The new unicameral Legislature met for the first time in 1937. Though the name of the body is formally the "Nebraska Legislature", its members are commonly referred to, especially by themselves, as "Senators". In Nebraska, the Legislature is also often known as "The Unicameral" or simply "The Unicam".
The following selection is excerpted from "A Look at Your Unicameral," pg. 1-4 (Lincoln: Nebraska Legislative Council, published annually):
"A common question regarding unicameralism was how to preserve checks and balances to prevent abuse of power. Norris argued there would be checks and balances without a second house. The Supreme Court and the governor would rule on or veto measures deemed improper, he said. More importantly, the people would serve as a check upon the possible abuse of power by their elected officials with the right to vote and petition, Norris said. The Nebraska Unicameral would have easy-to-follow procedures and extend greater privileges to the press to allow for greater public awareness.
'Every act of the legislature and every act of each individual must be transacted in the spotlight of publicity,' Norris said.
In a one-house legislature, Norris said, no actions could be concealed as was commonly done in the conference committee of bicameral legislatures. Conference committees resolve differences when bills passed in both houses vary in content. In Nebraska, the appointed six-member committee met in secret and members' votes were not public record. Norris said these committees had too much power and could be influenced easily by lobbyists.
Once a bill came out of the conference committee, it could not be changed, only approved or rejected. If rejected, another committee had to be formed to work out the disagreements or the measure failed. Today in Nebraska, lawmakers may propose amendments and debate them outside of committee on the chamber floor.
Some say a two-house system with its conference committee prevents hasty legislation. But the unicameral system has safeguards against this possibility. Most bills must get a public hearing; five days must elapse between a bill's introduction and its passage; and bills can contain only one subject
[Nebraska's legislature is also uniquely nonpartisan and has been so since the ratification of the 1934 unicameral amendment.]
Implementation of the unicameral legislature in 1937 cut government costs for obvious reasons. Legislative membership went from 133 in the bicameral to 43 in the new single house—nearly a 70 percent reduction.
Also, the one-house system was more efficient than its predecessor. The number of committees was pared down from 61 to 18, and 581 bills were introduced in 1937 as opposed to twice that many the previous session. The last bicameral session in 1935 ran 110 days, passed 192 bills and cost $202,593. The first unicameral session two years later ran 98 days, passed 214 bills and cost $103,445.
Movements for unicameralism have existed throughout the United States since the nation's independence. There were several pro-unicameral movements in the state before one finally succeeded. The same year Nebraska's unicameral legislature began operating, attempts in 21 other states to become one-house legislatures failed.
Such efforts waned until the 1960s when a Supreme Court ruling revived the movement. It ruled that both houses must be apportioned according to population, instead of one house according to population and the other house according to geographical lines.
The ruling raised doubts about the necessity of having two houses based on population, stirring many states to evaluate their own systems. Many states looked to Nebraska as a model of an effective one-house legislature. Those states included California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas. Nebraska officials visited many states to spread the word about unicameralism. Journalists and officials from other states also visited Nebraska.
The Unicameral's first clerk, Hugo Srb, predicted that lawmakers in other states would not want to legislate their own jobs out of existence. Despite the interest unicameralism has received over the years, Nebraska remains the only state with a unicameral legislature.
The following selection is excerpted from "A Look at Your Unicameral," pg. 2-3. (Lincoln: Nebraska Legislative Council,1994):
Advocates of the unicameral legislature say:
Advocates of the bicameral legislature say:
The lawmaking process in Nebraska officially begins when a senator introduces a bill into the Legislature, which meets each January. But the process actually begins much earlier, when a senator first begins to formulate ideas for new laws.
An idea for a new law may be suggested by anyone: concerned citizens, special interest groups, state agencies or the governor. But before the Legislature can formally consider the idea, it must be introduced as a bill by a senator or legislative committee.
Committees debate and propose amendments to bills, and the full Legislature has an opportunity to debate each bill at least two times before its final passage. Senators may propose amendments to alter a bill at each stage of debate.
Read through the steps below to learn how a bill becomes a Nebraska state law.
Idea First, a senator and his or her staff research a problem and study possible legislative remedies. A senator may introduce a bill to create a new law, repeal an existing law or change a law.
The Legislature has a research division that helps senators with their research projects. Much of their research is done during the period between sessions called the interim. During this time, legislative committees study a variety of issues that have been outlined in interim study resolutions passed by the Legislature.
A senator brings his or her idea for a new law to a bill drafter, who works with the senator to transform the idea into the proper legal form for a legislative bill. Unlike some states, bills introduced in Nebraska may contain only one subject.
Introduction A senator brings his or her idea for a new law to a bill drafter, who works with the senator to transform the idea into the proper legal form for a bill. Unlike some states, bills introduced in Nebraska may contain only one subject.
Most bills are introduced during the first 10 days of the legislative session which begins each January. In order to introduce a bill, a senator files it with the Clerk of the Legislature. The clerk reads the title of the bill into the record, assigns it a number and prints copies of it for public and legislative use.
The Legislative Fiscal Office prepares budget statements that estimate the anticipated change in state, county, or municipal expenses or revenue under the provisions of each bill. This statement is called a fiscal note. The fiscal note contains three estimates. One estimate is calculated by the fiscal office staff; another is prepared by the governor's budget office; and a third is prepared by the affected state agency. In addition, the fiscal office prepares appropriations bills ("A" bills), which accompany bills that have a fiscal impact.
Committee A nine-member Reference Committee then determines which bills will go to each one of the 14 standing committees. With the exception of a few technical bills, most bills introduced into the Legislature must receive a public hearing by a committee. At hearings, citizens have a chance to express their opinions to committee members. Testimony is recorded and transcribed to become a part of the official committee record.
After the hearing, committees may:
Go to the Committees portion of this site for more information on committee membership and the committee process.
General File General File is the first time the full Legislature has the opportunity to debate and vote on bills. At this stage, senators consider amendments, which may be proposed by committees and by individual senators. Many people consider General File to be the most crucial stage of the legislative process because it is where most compromises are reached. It takes a majority vote of the Legislature (25 votes) to adopt amendments or move a bill from General File to the next stage of consideration.
Enrollment & Review Commonly referred to as "E & R," enrollment and review is a process by which previously adopted amendments are incorporated into a bill, and the bill is checked for technical and grammatical accuracy.
Select File Select File is the second debating and voting stage. This step allows another opportunity for amendment, compromise and reflection. Bills on Select File may be indefinitely postponed or advanced to the next stage. After Select File, bills are sent to E & R again to be rechecked. Bills then are reprinted for Final Reading.
Final Reading Before final passage, all bills are constitutionally required to be read aloud in their entirety by the Clerk of the Legislature, unless three-fifths (30 members) of the Legislature votes to waive the requirement. A bill may not be amended or debated on Final Reading, but may be returned to Select File for a specific amendment. Bills may not be voted on for final passage until at least five legislative days after the bill is introduced, and one legislative day after it is placed on Final Reading.
A proposed constitutional amendment requires a three-fifths vote of the elected members (30) to place it on the general election ballot and a four-fifths vote (40) to place it on a primary or special election ballot. All other bills without an emergency clause require a simple majority vote before going to the governor. A bill with an emergency clause requires a vote of two-thirds (33 members) of the Legislature.
Governor After the Legislature passes a bill on Final Reading, it goes to the governor for consideration. The governor has five days, excluding Sundays, to decide what to do with a bill. If the governor signs a bill or declines to act on it, the bill becomes a state law. The governor may veto a bill, and he or she has the authority to strike specific budget appropriations (line-item veto). The Legislature may override any gubernatorial veto, although it takes a vote of 30 senators to do so.
Laws of Nebraska Most bills passed and approved by the governor become law three calendar months after the Legislature adjourns. However, bills may take effect before that date if they contain an emergency clause or a specified operative date.
The budget process is governed and guided by provisions of the Nebraska Constitution, state statutes and the "Rules of the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature." Citations are included in the following description. Other aspects of the process have evolved over time to provide for a comprehensive, orderly budgeting function. The "Rules," primarily Rule 8, address details of the legislative process. The rule also embodies in Section 4 a process authorized by the Legislature for Standing Committee review and activity in formulating appropriations recommendations. This discretionary process in Section 4 has been pursued to a limited degree generally focusing on one or two agencies or issues. The following discussion does not integrate the alternate process since it has not been used extensively. With respect to fiscal notes and drafting of "A" bills that likewise become part of an overall budget process, Rule 5, section 6 controls.
The following is a summary of the typical milestones and processes leading up to authorization of a full biennial (two-year) budget which is enacted during regular legislative sessions held in odd-numbered years (the long, 90-day session).
July 15 - The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) issues forms and instructions to be used by state agencies for their budget requests. The Director of the Legislative Fiscal Office may suggest revisions, changes or additions to the forms before distribution. In recent years, the budget instructions have included a section developed by the Legislative Fiscal Office that restructures the agency budget request into a budget base (a specific percentage of current appropriations) plus a series of prioritized decision/spending packages above the base level up to the total request. The base level generally is some percentage less than 100 percent. The material supplements the standard, detailed line-item, fund account by budget program structure. (RRS 81-1113 and 81-113.01). Prior to a short session, budget forms are typically distributed in September.
September 15 - Agency budget requests are due in DAS Budget by this date; however, late submissions typically are received for several weeks thereafter. The Budget Office requires at least three copies of the official request documents, one of which is sent to the Fiscal Office and forwarded to the analyst on staff that is assigned the agency. Two copies are retained by the Budget Division; one for staff analyst use, the other is kept on file and is available for public inspection. Budget requests do not include personnel cost increases for items or issues that are subject to negotiations with employee bargaining units. Generally, these excluded costs are wage rate changes and other changes to compensation rates but may also include costs associated with benefits, such as health insurance. As these rates become known, costs are factored in to the budget process, usually early in the legislative session. (RRS 81-1113). Prior to a short session, requests are usually due in October.
September to January - From the time of submission of budgets in September to the first week of the legislative session, fiscal office staff analysts devote their time to understanding the requests of all agencies, boards and commissions, questioning agencies, and preparing briefing documents to be used later during the staff review phase with the Appropriations Committee. Actual budget documents are voluminous and detailed, sometimes more than 200 pages for one agency. The analyst must isolate the key issues embodied in the request, analyze alternatives and summarize their analysis. The analysis is presented in a standard format that is readable and efficient in communicating details of what has changed in the request versus current or prior years spending authorization. DAS Budget analysts similarly are engaged in conducting their own review during this time, working with the governor and staff toward formulating the budget recommendation of the governor.
Early Session - In odd-numbered years the governor is required to submit a budget proposal by January 15, except that in the first year of office a governor may submit a proposal on or before February 1. The budget recommendation comes as a bill or bills, and there may be additional explanatory material included such as a budget book or other handouts. The budget bill(s) are introduced by the Speaker of the Legislature at the request of the governor. Appropriations bills routinely are referred to the Appropriations Committee. Substantive bills that are instrumental to the governor's budget recommendation are referred to the standing committee having subject matter jurisdiction. Such substantive bills may or may not be offered at the same time as the appropriations bill(s) and are not subject to the January 15 deadline. During the first ten days of the legislative session other bills are being introduced by senators. Some of these bills will have financial impacts on the state if passed, and may require an appropriation to ensure implementation as planned. (RRS 81-125 to 81-126).
January and February - The Appropriations Committee meets with Fiscal Office staff to review and discuss the staff analysis of each agency budget request. The initial objective is to develop a preliminary recommendation and report to be submitted to the Legislature 20 to 30 legislative days after the governor's budget submission, (Rules of the Nebraska Legislature, Rule 8, section 2). The Appropriations Committee, after staff reviews, prepares a preliminary indication of funding levels considered for each agency and an overall analysis of the spending capacity of state government. These preliminary figures are based on current revenue forecasts, tax rate assumptions and compliance with the statutory reserve requirement. The "Preliminary Report" and the levels of appropriation estimated therein become the basis of discussion during subsequent public hearings with state agencies and other interested parties. During this time, standing comm ittees (including the Appropriations Committee) are conducting hearings on the substantive bills referred to them. An integral part of the material available during the hearing is a Fiscal Note, produced by the staff of the fiscal office. The Fiscal Note is an estimate of the financial impact of the legislation, inclusive of expenditure and revenue impacts. (Rules, Rule 5, section 6) The note becomes the basis for estimating what appropriation may be necessary if the bill becomes law.
March - The Appropriations Committee conducts public hearings on the budget during this time. Hearings notice is published in the Legislative Journal, listed by agency and bills referred to the committee. Agencies, interest groups and the general public are given the opportunity to comment regarding the preliminary recommendation of the committee, the agency request, the governor's recommendation or any new issues or items of request not yet before the committee. Fiscal staff monitor the hearings and are not active participants. During this time, other committees are reporting bills that have had hearings to the floor. New appropriations bills, companions to substantive bills, having the same number but designated with an "A" following the number, are also appearing. These are "A" bills, (appropriations), that accompany the substantive bill and provide for the necessary spending authority to implement the legislation, (Rules, Rule 5, section 6). "A" bills may be introduced at any time and generally are considered immediately following each stage of debate of the substantive bill. However, it is not unusual for a bill to advance to Select File before the "A" bill is introduced--it is not the preferred mode of operation but practical limits in bill drafting, analyzing amendments and refining cost estimates sometimes cause the delay.
April - Immediately following the public hearings the Appropriations Committee meets to review all preliminary decisions, information obtained during the hearings and any other information brought to its attention. By this time, the impact of negotiated wage rates and benefits are known or the range of costs sufficiently narrowed to allow an estimate. For about two weeks the committee meets to complete a recommendation to be offered to the full Legislature. Fiscal staff help review all information. Once finalized, the recommendation is summarized into a budget book and other supplementary material for distribution on the legislative floor. Most importantly, fiscal staff write the budget bill or bills to be offered, (or if the governor's bill or bills are to be used, amendments are drafted). The committee has until the 70th legislative day during a long session to place budget bills on General File. If the 70th day deadline is not met the governor's bills are to be considered. During a short session, the deadline is the 40th legislative day (Rules, Rule 8, section 5). Typically, more than one bill embodies the Appropriations Committee recommendation. One large bill appropriates most state funds, for operations and state aid.
A second bill typically is offered to make appropriations for capital construction projects. Another bill provides for deficit appropriations, i.e. adjustments to appropriations previously authorized for the current year. It is not unusual for this bill to be considered early in the session well before other appropriations bills are on General File since some of these adjustments may be emergencies that apply to the current year and time left in the fiscal year is short.
Other bills also may be offered: Bills making appropriations for salary increases, increased benefits costs or substantive law changes, (such as authorization for a fee and creation of a fund), that implement some aspect of the committee recommendation.
At minimum, three bills must be introduced: The Constitution specifies two, one bill for legislators' salaries; one bill for constitutional officers' salaries (generally, other elected officials and judges). The third bill would appropriate for everything else. However, separation of broad issues by type (construction versus state operations, as an example) has resulted in several bills rather than one all-encompassing bill.
Appropriations bills are exempt from the 10-day limit on introduction of new bills (Rule 5, Section 4). The Appropriations Committee recommendations may be embodied in new bills or existing bills referred to the committee and reported to the floor of the Legislature with or without amendments. Once the bills have been placed on General File, a financial status report for the state General Fund is published to accompany the daily agenda. The status report is produced by the Fiscal Office and is intended to show the probable spending limits given the assumptions embodied in the status such as tax rates, revenue forecasts and the committee's budget recommendation. The status also lists each bill, by stage of debate, that has a General Fund cost impact. From this document it can be determined how much of the funds available are used by the committee recommendation, what funds remain and what total spending can be accommodated within the statutory reserve requirement. The status illustrates financial conditions for the biennium for which the budget applies plus the two following years for planning purposes. Though the Legislature is only considering the first two years for appropriations, simulating impacts for two additional years provides useful information on the state's ability to sustain future obligations.
The appropriations bills as offered by the Appropriations Committee and constituting their budget recommendation are processed much like other bills once they arrive on the floor of the Legislature. On General File, committee amendments (if any) are taken up first followed by other amendments as filed. All other bills having a General Fund expenditure or a General Fund revenue loss are held on Final Reading and may not be read until the appropriations bills as offered by the Appropriations Committee pass. By rule, the bills representing the Appropriations Committee recommendation are to be placed on General File by the 70th day in a long session and by the 40th day in a short session. Failure to do so, according to rule, results in considering, "...the appropriations bills as introduced by the Governor." By rule, the Legislature is to pass appropriations bills by the 80th day in a long session or the 50th legislative day in a short 60-day session (even-numbered years). One exception, during the short session, is that other bills may be read after the 45th day even though appropriations bills have not been passed. There is no penalty for not passing appropriations bills as provided by rule, other than the holding of bills during a long session. Though it is desirable to comply, circumstances such as volume of amendments, length of debate and full discussion of appropriations matters can extend passage of the appropriations bills beyond the prescribed deadlines (Rules, Rule 8, section 5).
Appropriations bills almost always carry the emergency clause, thus requiring 33 votes for passage on Final Reading. This is invariably true of deficit bills since the changes affect the current fiscal year and if the bill passed with fewer votes it would render the appropriation meaningless since the effective date of the appropriation would occur after the end of the current fiscal year. On very rare occasions fewer votes can suffice where expenditures are delayed into the next fiscal year or the appropriations in the bill are small in comparison to the total appropriation to a program.
Late May - Once appropriations bills have passed and been sent to the governor, the governor has five calendar days, excluding Sunday, to sign, not sign (but the bill takes effect), veto in total or line-item veto items of appropriation, (Nebraska Constitution, Article IV, section 15). Within one day of the return of appropriations bills to the Legislature with line-item vetoes, the Appropriations Committee must report on the impact of the vetoes and may offer a motion to override the total or part of the line-item vetoes. Subsequent motions may then be offered by the members of the Legislature (Rules, Rule 6, section 14). The Constitutional requirement for a veto override is 30 votes. All final valid appropriations ultimately enacted take effect July 1 of the designated fiscal year or, if passed without the emergency clause, three calendar months after the end of the legislative session. Deficit bills making adjustments to current year appropriations with the emergency clause are effective immediately on passage (Nebraska Constitution, Article III, section 27).
Short Sessions - Relevant differences with a short session are noted above. Since a short session occurs in the middle of a biennial, two-year period, appropriations already are authorized for the following fiscal year. Consequently, the volume of issues and dollar value of decisions typically is less, though this will vary because of then-current fiscal conditions. Obviously time lines are different, but most of the above elements are part of a short session budget process, compressed into a period that ends with the Legislature's adjournment, typically by mid-April.
The Legislature is composed of forty-nine members, chosen by a single-member district or constituency. Senators are chosen for four-year terms, with one-half of the seats up for election every second year. No person may be a senator unless he or she is a qualified voter, over the age of twenty-one, and a resident of his or her district for at least one year. Currently, senators are limited by law to two terms. However, a former senator is re-eligible for election after 4 years. Senators earn $12,000 a year.
Members are selected in nonpartisan elections. Rather than separate primaries held to choose Republican, Democratic, and other partisan contenders for a seat, Nebraska uses a single nonpartisan primary election, in which the top two vote-getters are entitled to run in the general election. There are no formal party alignments or groups within the Legislature. Coalitions tend to form issue by issue based on a member's philosophy of government, geographic background, and constituency. However, almost all the members of the legislature are known to be either Democrats or Republicans, and the state branches of both parties explicitly endorse candidates for legislative seats.[4] As an illustration of how partisanship can intrude upon the non-partisan Legislature, in January 2010 it was reported that the Legislature debated whether or not there was partisanship in Legislature, and "then finished the talk with a vote that followed party lines."[5] The unofficial partisan makeup of the Nebraska Legislature is 34 Republicans and 15 Democrats.
Sessions of the Nebraska Legislature last for 90 working days in odd-numbered years and 60 working days in even-numbered years.
The Lieutenant Governor is the official presiding officer. However, the highest position amongst the actual members is the "Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature". The Speaker presides over the Legislature in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor.
The day-to-day matters of the body are dealt with by the Executive Board. The Board includes the Speaker, a chairman, a vice chairman, and six other senators. The chairman and vice chairman are chosen for two year terms by the entire legislature.
Senators are classified into three geographically-based "caucuses"; each caucus elects two board members.
The Legislature is responsible for law-making in the state, but the Governor has the power to veto any bill. The Legislature may override the governor's veto by a vote of three-fifths (30) of its members. The Legislature also has the power, by a three-fifths vote, to propose constitutional amendments to the voters, who then decide upon it through a referendum.
Note: The Nebraska Legislature is nonpartisan; members' party affiliations are for informational purposes only.
| Affiliation | Members |
|
| Republican Party | 34 | |
| Democratic Party | 15 | |
| Total |
49 | |
| Majority |
17 | |
Each member represents about 37,000 people.[6]
*Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature
In order to provide high-quality legislative district and state government maps for members of the public and the press, we have provided a selection of downloadable map files on the Nebraska Legislature's website.
The Nebraska Legislature is proud to offer the following programs and features for use in the classroom. To learn more information or participate in one of our civic education programs, e-mail the Unicameral Information Office or call (402) 471-2788.
America's Legislators Back to School Program: Sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures, this program brings senators into the classroom to visit with students about lawmaking and democracy. Since the program's inception in 2000, Nebraska senators have visited more than 38,000 students across the state.
Unicameral Kids: This teaching tool is designed for use in a classroom of fourth-graders. Featuring videos, coloring pages and fun facts about the Legislature, the site prepares students for an upcoming field trip to the Capitol.
Unicameral Youth Legislature: The Unicameral Youth Legislature combines a three-day legislative simulation with leadership-building and social activities to help young Nebraskans better understand the workings of our representative democracy. The youth legislature, designed for students ages 14-17, takes place at the Nebraska State Capitol and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Unicam Focus: UniCAM Focus is an online civics curriculum created for grades 7-12. The curriculum uses video interviews with lawmakers to educate students about representative democracy, state government, and the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature.
Warner Institute for Education in Democracy: Named for the late Nebraska Sen. Jerome Warner, the Warner Institute is a comprehensive collection of civic education programs that includes projects available to teachers and students across Nebraska. It is hoped that students who participate in these programs will gain a greater understanding of their role as citizens and an appreciation for representative democracy.
Publications are available at no charge and can be downloaded from the Nebraska Legislature's website.
The Blue Book is Nebraska's official reference manual, with information about the state's government, geography, economy, history and culture.
Bound, printed copies of the 2010-11 Nebraska Blue Book are available for purchase through the Clerk of the Legislature's Office and may be ordered by calling (402) 471-2271. The cost is $15 plus postage and sales tax as applicable.
More detailed information contained in the Nebraska Blue Book is available for download on the Nebraska Legislature's website.
The Unicameral Update is a daily news source, produced by the Clerk of the Legislature’s Unicameral Information Office since 1977.
The Update covers legislative activity, including floor action and committee hearings. The site provides a searchable archive of news stories for the current biennium.
Clerk of the Legislature Patrick J. O’Donnell, Room 2018, State Capitol Lincoln, NE 68509-4604
Editor Heidi Uhing
Contributors Nicole Behmer, Bess Ghormley, Kate Heltzel, Ami Johnson
For more information about the Unicameral Update, contact the Unicameral Information Office by e-mail or by phone at (402) 471-2788.
For information about the State Capitol, its history, and its visiting hours, please visit the State Capitol website.
For more information about tours, contact the State Capitol Tours Office at (402) 471-0448.
While you are visiting the Legislature, please abide by the following rules:
The Nebraska State Capitol is located at the south edge of downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, at the intersection of 15th and K streets.
From Interstate 80:
Free one and two-hour parking may be found on the streets surrounding the Capitol. Longer term parking may be found in the residential areas south of the Capitol. The nearest public parking garage is located at 12th and L streets. Accessible parking is available on K Street adjacent to the Capitol's north entrance.
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