Special investigative committee reauthorized

Senators passed a resolution on Feb. 4 to reauthorize a special investigative committee.

LR20, introduced by Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop, reconstitutes the Developmental Disabilities Special Investigative Committee of the Legislature through the current biennium. The committee first was assembled in 2008 to address a number of issues at the Beatrice State Developmental Center (BSDC) that led to a loss of federal funding.

Lathrop said he introduced the resolution because the BSDC must still make considerable progress.

“We were doing such a poor job at BSDC that the Department of Justice found that we were violating the civil rights of the people living there,” he said. “BSDC has made substantial progress, but we’re just not there yet.”

Senators voted 39-0 to adopt the resolution.