Lower public office age requirement advanced

A measure that would allow an 18 year old to hold any public office in Nebraska was advanced to general file Feb. 20 by the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Introduced by O’Neill Sen. Tyson Larson, LR26CA would place a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2016 general election ballot that would change age eligibility for public office in Nebraska to the federal voting age. Eligibility requirements other than age would not be changed by the proposed amendment.

Currently, an individual must be at least 21 to serve in the Legislature and 30 to serve as governor, lieutenant governor or as a Nebraska Supreme Court judge.

The right to vote should be accompanied by the ability to run for office, Larson said, adding that removing age restrictions would broaden the pool of potential candidates and ensure that young people can fully participate in the democratic process.

“Nebraskans should be able to choose who would best represent them in the Nebraska Legislature as well as any constitutional office,” he said.

The committee voted 7-1 to advance the measure to general file.