Telephone conference

report held on

Tuesday, April 3

By Russ Pankonin

The Imperial Republican

With the governor approving budget bills sent to his desk on Monday, other bills remaining on the floor over spend the budget by about $7 million. That means Sen. Mark Christensen’s LB 950 could be in jeopardy.

In his weekly teleconference call held Monday, Christensen said he doesn’t know what to expect on the fate of the bill.

The bill would move this year’s loan repayments to the state by Republican Basin natural resources districts from the general budget to the Water Resources Cash Fund.

This year’s repayments will total $2.4 million, with $4.8 million remaining for two more years.

The state loaned the money to the NRDs to enable them to buy surface water to keep Nebraska in compliance with the Kansas compact settlement.

If the Legislature approves the bill, they will have to make some cuts in other places.

However, Gov. Dave Heineman used his line-item veto to strike out nearly $2.5 million in LB 1072, one of the budget bills forwarded to him Monday.

This appropriation was to pay subcontractors of The Boys and Girls Home, one of the private companies who took over foster care for the state.

Christensen said this represents money owed to businesses, mostly in western Nebraska, who did work for the Boys and Girls Home, relating to foster care needs.

Christensen said that veto represents the amount of money needed for his bill, LB 950.

He said he doesn’t want to see the businesses in western Nebraska get stuck for expenses they incurred for the foster care companies.

As a result, he said it will be difficult to put his bill in front of getting those people paid.

He noted in the call that he killed his bill, LB 653, which sought to create legislative authority for interbasin transfers of unappropriated, unallocated flood waters.

When it looked like that bill wouldn’t fly, he amended it to look at constructing three small dams below Harlan for time releases to Kansas. He also added a study using wells of Nebraska Public Power near the Gentleman generating station at Sutherland as another source for transfers.

When it looked like the bill had no hope, Christensen chose to kill it.

He was discouraged the bill faced opposition from the “same old water groups” that oppose everything. “You can’t get anything done,” he noted.

The Legislature advanced historic horse racing to final reading. Even if it gets the 25 votes to pass, he expects the governor to veto it.

This week’s letter back home

By Mark Christensen

Senator

The 102nd Nebraska Legislature is fast approaching the last day of session. Thursday, April 12 is the scheduled 60th day but it looks like there could be a delay in Sine Die, due to the large number of bill’s being passed.

In order to prevent the possibility of the governor vetoing a last minute bill following Sine Die, it appears the speaker will wait five days following the last bill that reaches the governor’s desk.

That would make the final day April 18.

The past week at the Legislature consisted of several days of lively debate and a disappointing end to LB 239.

LB 239, also known as the photo ID bill, was introduced by Senator Charlie Janssen of Fremont. LB 239 requires an individual to present a photographic identification in order to vote in elections.

The Government, Military and Veteran Affairs Committee attached an amendment to the bill that would allow individuals who lacked identification the ability to receive a registration card for voting purposes.

After a lengthy debate and filibuster, the cloture motion failed by 3 votes, 30-16-1 and 2 excused, taking the bill off the agenda.

Tightening voter ID laws, is legislation that has been passed in several other states as a prevention for voter fraud and to protect the integrity of the voting process.

In years past, elections have ended with extremely close results between candidates, which is why I viewed this bill as important and needed. Candidates deserve an election process that does not allow fraudulent voters the ability to vote.

I would like to thank all my constituents that voiced their thoughts and concerns regarding LB 239.

Questions or comments? Contact, Senator Mark R. Christensen at the information below.

SENATOR MARK CHRISTENSEN holds weekly teleconferences at 7 a.m. MT/8 a.m. CT each Tuesday morning. The public is invited to attend the conference calls. Hosts of the conference calls are Imperial Republican in Imperial, Southwest Public Power District in Palisade and Midwest Electric in Grant. Christensen can be reached at 402-471-2805, or by mail at P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509, or via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

By Mark Christensen

State Sen. 44th District

Late night debates at the Legislature are in full swing and we are nearing the pinnacle of the 2012 Legislative session.

We began debating on consent calendar bills last week, which are bills that have been deemed non-controversial and are allowed no more than 15 minutes of debate. My bill, LB 1126, is one of the bills that passed first round on consent calendar. (Bill allows villages to square off their jurisdiction outside its village limit.)

This past week a bill that was advanced to select file triggered my interest and the importance it has on my district. The bill I am referring to is Legislative Bill 959, a job reference immunity bill, introduced by Senator Charlie Janssen of Fremont and prioritized by Senator Colby Coash of Lincoln.

LB 959 provides employer job reference immunity for current and previous employers that provide employment information, of an employee, to prospective employers. AM 1020, a committee amendment, was passed and incorporated into the bill. AM 1020, allows a former or current employer to provide certain information to a future employer upon written consent of the future employer. The employer is not required to provide, but may provide the following information of an employee:

• Date and duration of employment;

• Pay rate and wage history;

• Job description and duties;

• The most recent written performance evaluation;

• Attendance information;

• Results of drug or alcohol tests within the past year;

• Threats of violence, harassment or threatening behavior in the workplace or toward another employee;

• Whether the employee was voluntarily or involuntarily separated from employment and the reasons;

• Whether the employee is eligible for rehire.

The employer providing such information is immune to civil liability, as long as they are acting in good faith and that there is no false information given recklessly or in spite.

Nebraska is one of the few states that does not provide protection to employers from civil liability for disclosing job reference information. Therefore, many employers are hesitant to disclose details of an employee’s references.

Encouraging employers to communicate relevant and factual information is an important tool for the hiring process. It allows for effective job screening and prevents a high employee turnover rate.

In return, employees are more likely to perform more efficiently. As a former business owner I see the importance of, LB 959, and the benefits it creates for both employers and employees.

I intend to continue my support of this bill and I am open to hearing any comments or concerns my constituents may have regarding LB 959.

Tuesday teleconference

In his call Tuesday, Christensen noted the Legislature was in day 50 of the 60-day session.

There’s a lot left to cover with only 10 days remaining, the senator said. “There’s a lot of heavy hitters on the agenda.”

He said final reading on the budget bills was scheduled for Tuesday so they could get them to the governor 10 days before the end of the session.

Christensen’s bill, LB 950, to move the loan repayment from Republican Basin natural resource districts to a water cash resources fund was also scheduled on Tuesday’s agenda for second round debate.

Christensen wanted the repayments to the state for loans to buy surface water for compliance purposes to being used for addressing water issues in the state.

His bill was amended by Sen. Lavon Heideman who wants the state to appropriate the remaining $7.2 million in loan payments to the fund this year.

However, Christensen said the governor has already indicated he will veto the bill if it carries a $7.2 million price tag, even though the NRDs will be paying that money back over the next several years.

As a result, Christensen plans to offer an amendment that would change the appropriation to $2.4 million this year, which would equal the loan repayment from the NRDs this year.

Even if it passes, Christensen said the governor has indicated he will veto that as well.

Can Christensen get the votes to override a veto? He said he didn’t know but was hoping to get the needed 30 votes at passage, which is the same needed for an override.

Another of his bills, LB 1125, would give the Lower Republican Natural Resources District the power to refund occupation taxes paid on property enrolled in conservation programs.

The LRNRD collected occupation taxes on those acres although no irrigation occurred. Prior to this bill, the NRD had no statutory authority to refund the tax.

This bill was scheduled for first round debate late Tuesday or Wednesday.

Questions or comments? Contact, Senator Mark R. Christensen at the information below.

SENATOR MARK CHRISTENSEN’s address is c/o State Capitol, P.O. Box 94604, Rm. 1000, Lincoln, NE 68509, Phone 402-471-2805, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .