The 108th Nebraska Legislature is underway and one of the major early tasks for the Legislature is to consider potential rule changes in the body. Legislative procedures can seem like “inside baseball,” but how the Legislature conducts its business significantly shapes the Unicameral’s 90-year tradition of nonpartisanship.
It’s also worth noting that extensive debate over legislative rules can affect the ability of the Legislature to do the work of the people of Nebraska. In 2017, a prolonged rules debate took up about a third of a 90-day session and saw Nebraska lawmakers confront legislative gridlock that was more rancorous than the collegial discourse that has been the norm in the Unicameral.
In the current session, the Legislature has temporarily adopted last year’s rules package but will soon consider 55 proposed changes. These range from making the legislative redistricting process nonpartisan and providing videos of legislative proceedings available online to restricting the media from covering executive sessions of legislative committees.
The Rules Committee meets Thursday, Jan. 12, at 1:30 p.m. in Hearing Room 1525 at the State Capitol. This hearing is open to the public and anyone may testify on any of the proposed rules changes.