Lawmakers gave second-round approval March 6 to a bill that would authorize district elections for the metropolitan utilities district (MUD) board of directors.<\/p>\n
LB1014, introduced by Omaha Sen. John Murante, would authorize the MUD board of directors to divide the district\u2019s territory into seven election subdivisions.<\/p>\n
Under the bill, the board would have until Feb. 1, 2016, to establish districts composed of substantially equal population and compact and contiguous territory. The board would assign each member a numbered subdivision for the remainder of their current term of office.<\/p>\n
Assignments would be made so as to stagger elections to the new districts until 2023. The board would be responsible for redistricting following each federal decennial census.<\/p>\n
Murante said MUD is the only remaining political subdivision in Omaha to utilize at-large elections. He said a similar bill in 2013 changed the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) board from at-large to district elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reasons were pretty clear,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the history of OPPD and MUD, never once had a minority ever been elected to either board.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murante said every political subdivision in Omaha with district elections has elected at least one person of color.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a problem that this Legislature has recognized and that we have corrected,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The bill advanced to select file on a 27-0 vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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