As of this date, we are on day forty-seven of a sixty day session. We have thirteen legislative days left. Of the 593 bills introduced this session, there are 106 priority bills. If a priority bill is advanced by the committee, it is normally guaranteed to make it on the agenda. There has been a lot of filibustering going on this session, more than I have ever seen. This has wasted a great deal of time. For the first time in my six years in the Legislature there will be quite a few bills that will not make it to the agenda before we adjourn Sine Die. This will hurt bills on both ends of the political spectrum. With no end in sight to the ongoing filibusters, the speaker has a very tough job trying to sort out the agenda. 

I’m hoping my bill LB 777 will make it to the agenda in the time we have left. It would require the creation of an indexed video archive of all committee hearings and floor debate. Forty-six other states, and our federal congress, already do this. One of the very unique aspects of our unicameral system is every single bill introduced in the Nebraska Legislature receives a public hearing. Nebraska is one of just a few state legislatures that do this. 

George Norris, the father of our unicameral system, said; “To get good government and to retain it, it is necessary that a liberty-loving, educated, intelligent people should be ever watchful, to carefully guard and protect their rights and liberties.” I don’t think waiting four to six months for a copy of the written transcript is what Senator Norris had in mind.

It is really hard for the people to be “ever watchful” if you are at work all day and you don’t have a chance to watch the legislature in session. Senators have to leave their committee hearings to testify on bills they introduce in other committees. When they do this they miss everything that happened in their absence with no way to go back and watch the testimony. People in western Nebraska often cannot get the Nebraska Public Media (public television) channel because the local channels in their television package are from either Rapid City or Denver.

Shareable on-line video is everywhere today. Nebraska has had the technology to make these recordings available to the public for a very long time. When I introduced this bill I was stunned to learn nearly every state in the country already provides this service to the public. I can watch virtually anything I want on the internet – except our legislative sessions. Norris said, “Every act of the legislature and every act of each individual must be transacted in the spotlight of publicity.” It’s time to fulfill his promise to the people and pass LB 777.