Changes to public power elections approved

A bill that changes election provisions for certain public power districts was approved May 2.

LB646, introduced by Gretna Sen. John Murante, allows the board of directors of a public power district with a service area containing a city of the metropolitan class to be divided into election subdivisions. Omaha currently is the only metropolitan class city in Nebraska.

The bill requires the subdivisions to be composed of substantially equal population, compact and contiguous territory and numbered consecutively.

LB646 takes effect Jan. 1, 2014 and was approved 40-0.