Public vote requirement stalled

A bill concerning the record of public officials’ votes was bracketed April 10.

LB649, introduced by Papillion Sen. Bill Kintner, would have clarified that all votes taken by public officials in the course of their public duties should be considered public record. This would include any voting procedures for internal leadership positions that currently are private. Kintner said that public officials still are allowed to hide behind secret votes.

“People in Nebraska need to know whom their elected officials are voting for and supporting within any public body,” he said. “The public would be better served if the light of public scrutiny is shone on all votes taken by public officials.”

The Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee proposed an amendment to provide an exception allowing leadership position votes to be cast secretly as long as each public official’s vote is recorded and becomes public record afterward. The bill was bracketed before senators voted on the amendment.

Committee chairperson Sen. John Murante of Gretna said allowing a secret ballot only during the vote on leadership positions would preserve working relationships among public officials.

“In institutions like ours, collegiality and friendship is very important to maintaining a high functioning level of government,” he said.

Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers moved to bracket the bill until June 5, saying that the Legislature’s Rules Committee already rejected the idea.

“I have an obligation to rescue this institution from [a bill] that is so obviously irrational that it ought not be given serious consideration,” Chambers said.

Sen. Beau McCoy of Omaha supported LB649 and opposed the bracket motion. He said the bill would preserve the Legislature’s tradition of nonpartisanship while also promoting transparency.

“Transparency is a hallmark of good government in Nebraska,” he said. “[The committee amendment] is an attempt to preserve what we hold dear while still achieving transparency so voters know what’s going on.”

Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld supported the bracket motion, saying that Nebraska has one of the most transparent legislatures in the country.

“In my district, there was no one who contacted me wanting to know how I voted. They want to know what I’m voting for in terms of which laws we are or are not passing,” Morfeld said. “Intent matters and I believe the intent of this legislation is to create the ability to settle political scores.”

Senators voted 31-15 to bracket the bill. It is unlikely to be debated again this session.