Senators advanced a measure to select file Feb. 1 that would allow an 18-year-old to hold any public office in Nebraska.<\/p>\n
Introduced by O\u2019Neill Sen. Tyson Larson last session, LR26CA would place a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2016 general election ballot that would change age eligibility for public office in Nebraska to the federal voting age.<\/p>\n
Currently, an individual must be 21 to serve in the Legislature and 30 to serve as governor, lieutenant governor or as a Nebraska Supreme Court judge.<\/p>\n
Larson said the age to hold office should be the same as the voting age.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole point of LR26CA is equality,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you\u2019re old enough to chose your representative, you\u2019re old enough to be your representative. It\u2019s as simple as that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld supported the measure, saying Nebraska voters should decide who is mature enough to hold high office in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the voters decide that an 18-year-old is competent enough, smart enough, hard-working enough to represent them, who are we to tell them no?\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just simply giving voters the choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoskins Sen. Dave Bloomfield opposed the bill\u2019s changes to the age requirement for governor and members of the state Supreme Court, saying an individual in one of those positions needs more life experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I said last week, I don\u2019t have a problem with 18-year-olds serving in the Legislature,\u201d he said. \u201cIf that were the bill, I would probably support it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus expressed concern that the ballot question would address the age requirement for several different public offices. The result, he said, is that the Nebraska Supreme Court likely would deem the proposal a violation of the rule that a ballot measure contain only one subject.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt bundles different, separate things,\u201d Schumacher said, \u201cand I think [the court\u2019s] message has been that you can\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larson said supporters would work on the proposal between general and select file to address concerns regarding the ballot language.<\/p>\n
LR26CA advanced on a 27-11 vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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