The Legislature concluded new bill introduction for the 2012 session on Jan. 19. There were 468 new bills introduced and six proposals to amend the Nebraska Constitution.
Each new bill and proposed amendment will receive a public hearing by the end of February, a pretty remarkable testament to the openness of Nebraska's legislative process and the opportunity for Nebraskans to influence public policy.
Many of these new bills propose to slightly alter existing law. A select few other bills ask for major policy shifts that can positively or negatively influence our state's future.
One of the proposals that I fear would take us in the wrong direction is LB 1098. This bill calls for the repeal of the Build Nebraska Act.
The Build Nebraska Act, passed in the previous legislative session, was a major state commitment to fund and improve our state's roads and infrastructure network.
Nebraska's previous mechanism for financing existing road projects was woefully inadequate to meet current and future transportation needs. As a member of the Legislature's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, I was very aware of the troubling downward trend lines in Nebraska's ability to finance maintenance and improvements. My colleagues and I devoted three years of study to identify the optimum way of investing the necessary resources to meet our state's needs.
The consensus solution that we reached was the Build Nebraska Act. The Act called for the allocation of .25 percent of the state's existing 5.5 percent sales tax proceeds to improve the state's expressway system and high priority surface transportation projects.
By making this commitment of resources, progress on Nebraska's four-lane expressway systems is finally possible. Among the first of the expressway projects scheduled for attention after Build Nebraska Act funding becomes available is Highway 30 from Fremont to Schuyler. This project would have been on the drafting board for decades without this legislative action.
What is particularly important about the Build Nebraska Act funds for the Highway 30 project is that they permit our state to undertake major road projects without having to combine federal and state dollars. Since state funds can cover the entire projected cost of the Highway 30 improvement, Nebraska does not have to go through both state and federal environmental reviews. This will noticeably speed up the planning and construction process.
We must not go back on policies and commitments that improve and invest in our state. LB 1098 is an ill-advised bill and I have urged my colleagues to defeat it. Improvements to Highways 30, 77 and 275 are too important to Nebraska and to our future.
On Jan. 19, the Legislature also received Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican's State of the Judiciary address. The chief justice applauded the Legislature's actions last year to enhance protections for elderly Nebraskans that have guardians and conservators. Security measures including background checks, financial reporting requirements and bonding provisions have noticeably improved our laws in these areas.
He also devoted much attention to child welfare. The judicial branch plays a key part in finding safety and permanency for families and children. It will take a great cooperative effort between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to make improvements in our child welfare system. It was good to hear of the chief justice's devotion and attention to this important area.
Court system technology improvements were also noted. As of this year, we are one of only a few court systems in the United States of America that have a statewide comprehensive case management system. We can electronically file cases, pay fines and view court records 24 hours a day.
Charlie Janssen represents the 15th District in the Nebraska Legislature. He can be reached at District 15, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509, 402-471-2625; email: cjanssen@leg.ne.gov.
