Bill passed to require payment of penalties before candidacy

The resolution of civil sanctions will be required of candidates for public office under a bill passed by lawmakers March 23.

Under LB85, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Carol Blood, any person with outstanding civil penalties issued by the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission (NADC) is prohibited from filing for election to public office.

A candidate with outstanding civil penalties can file for office if they have appealed the penalty and filed a surety bond in favor of the state, pending the appeal.

Candidates will be required to certify on the filing form that they have complied with the civil penalty provisions contained within LB85.

Finally, the NADC will produce a list of all individuals with outstanding civil penalties to election filing officers prior to Dec. 1 each year, with monthly updates through March 1 prior to a statewide primary election. Filing officers can request additional updates to the list as needed.

The bill passed on a 48-0 vote.