Withdrawal from rail compact membership advanced

A bill that would withdraw Nebraska’s membership in the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact advanced from general file April 23.

Papillion Sen. Bill Kintner, sponsor of LB317, said Nebraska’s dues outweigh any benefits the state gains from membership in the compact. Nebraska has paid $197,650 in membership dues over 14 years, he said.

Kintner said Nebraska could coordinate with neighboring states on rail issues without being part of a compact. In addition, he said, the state does not have the population density required to sustain passenger rail service.

“Passenger rail is going to happen based on economic factors and concentration of people, not because taxpayers advocate for it,” he said.

Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash supported the bill, saying the Legislature has been debating Nebraska’s continued membership in the compact for years. He said the time has come for the state to extricate itself.

“At the end of the day, nobody has come to me and shown me the value of remaining in this compact,” Coash said.

Omaha Sen. Jeremy Nordquist opposed the bill, saying future generations will pay the price for current lawmakers’ refusal to invest in passenger rail. Billions in federal grant funds are available to states to invest in passenger rail, he said.

“And we are just turning our backs [and] saying that we don’t even want to be part of that discussion,” Nordquist said.

A Transportation and Telecommunications Committee amendment, adopted 37-0, added an emergency clause and an effective date of July 1, 2015. An amendment offered by Omaha Sen. Brett Lindstrom would move the effective date to July 1, 2018.

Omaha Sen. Burke Harr supported the Lindstrom amendment. The $30,000 in dues required to stay in the compact for three additional years should be seen as an investment rather than a liability, he said. Nebraska should fully participate in the compact and assess the state’s position regarding the future of regional passenger rail service, he said.

“I think it’s important that we do have a seat at the table. It’s important that we’re there and that we’re a part of it,” Harr said.

Sen. Dave Bloomfield of Hoskins opposed extending the sunset date. He said the state could find another use for the dues and should remove itself from an organization that has provided no benefit to taxpayers.

Senators voted 31-4 to adopt the Lindstrom amendment and 37-0 to advance the bill to select file.