Category Archives: News

Sen. Ken Harr: Planning is better than name-calling on climate change

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From the Lincoln Journal Star:

Instead of engaging in demagoguery around climate change like (George Will in his April 25 column), Nebraska scientists and policy makers are taking steps to address climate change. This session I introduced LR455, which created a special legislative committee to address both the risks and the opportunities from climate change for Nebraska’s people. This committee is composed of seven members from all across the state representing a wide spectrum of political views. The committee will create the framework for a Nebraska Climate Action Plan based on a consensus of scientific evidence, including input from nationally recognized experts from UNL who assembled the 2014 report on the impacts of climate change in Nebraska (Climate Change Implications for Nebraska).

Read the full Local View op-ed.

Former Nader campaign manager: Revolution is difficult and necessary

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From Theresa Amato writing for Vox:

Every four years, we come to this point: Dissatisfaction with the major party candidates cries for alternatives, and then reality comes crashing in. As an initial matter, the problem can be squarely laid at the feet of voters themselves as they are unwilling to take a risk outside the two parties once their nominees lose inside the two major parties.

I know because I tried twice to open up the system to candidacies outside the two parties: first, in 2000 as the national campaign manager for Ralph Nader when he was the Green Party nominee, and then again in 2004, when Nader ran on a potpourri of third-party and independent ballot lines.

Until we fix our Byzantine ballot access system, our partisan electoral administrations, our campaign financing system, our inexplicably exclusive Commission on Presidential Debates, and a media fixated on horse-race politics, it is a myth that anyone can run — successfully — for president outside of the two parties.

Read the full First Person essay at Vox.

Lawmakers OK proposals to plan for climate change, boost wind energy

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From the Lincoln Journal Star:

Environmentalists notched a pair of victories in the Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday, with measures aimed at boosting wind energy development and preparing the state for the effects of climate change.

More people are beginning to acknowledge climate change exists, said Sen. Ken Haar of Malcolm, a longtime champion of environmental issues.

“I think that’s progress,” he said.

Haar’s proposal establishing a special panel of lawmakers to examine climate change was adopted on a 28-3 vote. Because the resolution doesn’t carry the weight of law, it does not require approval from Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The wind energy bill sponsored by Omaha Sen. John McCollister overcame a filibuster for the second time to pass on a 34-10 vote, and now awaits the governor’s OK.

Both measures faced some opposition.

Read the full story.

LJS Editorial: The only way to “fix” the death penalty is to end it

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From the Lincoln Journal Star:

Before voters go to the polls on Nov. 8 to vote on whether they want to put the death penalty back on the books in Nebraska, they ought to think about the learning process undergone by Christy Sheppard.

If voters are able to put themselves in her shoes, they too are likely to reach the same conclusion Sheppard did: the death penalty should be abolished.

Sheppard shared her story last week in appearances in Omaha, Grand Island, Kearney and Hastings.

Sheppard was a supporter of the death penalty when here cousin was raped and murdered in 1982.

She was a supporter of the death penalty when two men were arrested in 1987 and charged with murdering her cousin. Upon conviction, Ron Williamson was sentenced to death, and Dennis Fritz was sentenced to life in prison.

Then 11 years later DNA testing proved that Williamson and Fritz had been wrongfully convicted.

Read the full editorial.

Get involved in the campaign to end Nebraska’s death penalty once and for all.

Unicameral Approves Protections Against Fracking Waste, Reforms at Oil & Gas Commission

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From BOLD Nebraska:

Bold Nebraska applauds the Nebraska Legislature today for approving LB 1082 by a 48-0-1 vote, a bill to reform the Nebraska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (NOGCC) and put stronger protections for our water and land in place against fracking waste.

Although Bold Nebraska believes the bill could have gone much farther, LB 1082 is a step in the right direction.

“Citizens stood up and demanded more transparency on risky fracking waste being dumped into our land and water,” said Bold Nebraska director Jane Kleeb. “Wastewater injection wells are the result other state’s reckless fracking practices and should be banned. While we did not achieve everything citizens think must happen to protect our land and water, we once again took a major step forward, because every day folks are standing up to Big Oil.”

Read more about the impact of LB 1082.

Charles E. Richardson: 1935-2016

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Founding Co-chair of the Nebraska Green Party, Dr. Charles Richardson, died on Monday, March 7, 2016, in Hastings. Thank you, Charles, for your early Green Party support, your tireless District 3 work gathering hundreds of signatures in each petition campaign, convening meetings, and providing NGP visibility where we needed it most. Members of the Nebraska Green Party extend sympathy to your family and friends.

Read Charles’ obituary.

LJS Editorial: Reconsider noise restrictions for wind turbines

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From the Lincoln Journal Star:

The Lancaster County Board should heed the request of a local coalition that it take another look at the super-strict noise limits it approved last year for wind turbines.

As John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, told the board last week, the regulations “make it next to impossible to develop wind energy in our county.”

The county board’s action takes a sizable bite out of property rights, and imposes an undue regulatory burden on industry.

The new regulations set a noise limit of 40 decibels in the day and 37 at night for wind turbines.

To put the limit in perspective, the board members probably exceeded the daytime limits in their own meeting room when they were discussing the issue.

Read the full editorial.

Super Tuesday: The empire strikes back, but the rebellion lives

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From Jill Stein and Jill2016.com:

Super Tuesday was a big win for oligarchy, as the Democratic Party establishment delivered over 60% of available delegates for Hillary Clinton and billionaire demagogue Donald Trump stomped to victory in 8 states.

But despite the dominance of Clinton and Trump, the millions of votes for Bernie Sanders show that Americans are hungry for sweeping changes to a broken system that’s throwing workers, students, the middle class and the poor under the bus.

I agree with Bernie and his supporters that we must take our democracy back from the billionaires, win economic justice for the 99%, confront the existential threat of climate meltdown, adopt an improved Medicare For All healthcare system, provide a welcoming path to citizenship, and end racist violence in our criminal justice system.

On many issues, we must go further – for example, by canceling all student loan debt, urgently transitioning to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030, nationalizing the Federal Reserve, and reforming the electoral system with measures like proportional representation. And we must roll back the military-industrial-surveillance complex that is undermining our liberty and security while bankrupting us financially and morally.

Read more at Jill2016.com.

Anti-death penalty campaign kicks off

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From the Lincoln Journal Star:

A group of Nebraskans who want voters to uphold the Legislature’s repeal of the death penalty kicked off a statewide education campaign Wednesday.

The group scheduled a news conference at the Capitol to launch the campaign and unveil its new name: Retain a Just Nebraska.

The name change from Nebraskans for Public Safety reflects the action needed to support the death penalty repeal (LB268) passed last session, said spokesman Dan Parsons.

Support for abolishing the death penalty is diverse, he said, and includes fiscal conservatives, law enforcement officials, faith leaders and murder victims’ families.

Senators won a hard-fought battle in passing a repeal bill introduced by Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, one he had introduced 37 times during his tenure in the Legislature. The bill advanced through three rounds of debate, was vetoed by Gov. Pete Ricketts, and then senators voted to override the veto.

Before the repeal could go into effect, Nebraskans for the Death Penalty launched a petition drive to stop the repeal until Nebraska voters could weigh in in November on whether or not the state should continue to have capital punishment.

Now those who supported the repeal want voters to endorse it.

Read the full story.