Republican platform calls for ending nonpartisan Legislature

By   /   July 26, 2012  /   17 Comments

Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature has been hailed for being uniquely nonpartisan, but the Nebraska Republican Party would like to see that change.

Although overshadowed by the Ron Paul drama, the platform adopted by Republicans at their state GOP convention earlier this month includes support for moving from a nonpartisan Legislature to a two-party Legislature.

GOP chairman Mark Fahleson said that’s been in the platform for at least eight years. Why? He believes many Republicans have concluded the nonpartisan Legislature is a façade. The Nebraska Legislature is partisan, he said.

And the Democrats realize that, as evidenced by their “caucusing and plotting ways to undermine Governor Heineman’s agenda,” Fahleson said.

“Pretending there are no party labels inside the rotunda only benefits the Democrats,” he said via email. “If the Democrats were required to list their party affiliation on the ballot, their membership in the Legislature would dwindle even farther, since the vast majority of Nebraskans do not support the Nebraska Democratic Party’s agenda of higher taxes and a more expansive and costly government.”

The state Democratic Party’s chairman-elect, Vince Powers, said that pretty much sums up how Republicans look at everything through a political lens.

“It’s unfortunate that they view everything out of this fierce partisanship,” he said. “They want to be able to exercise complete control over members of their party who are in the Legislature. … Look how good that’s working out for the country. They want to bring Washington, D.C., gridlock partisanship to Lincoln Nebraska. Bad idea.”

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Deena Winter

  • Biff

    Mr. Fahleson: Nebraskans don’t care about either party once inside the Rotunda. They want senators who will do good work for the good of all Nebraskans. We’re tired of the ‘Party First’ approach you and your counterpart on the other side of the aisle espouse. This platform plank does NOTHING to improve the lives or well-being of any Nebraskan. Excuse my alliteration, but it is nothing more than pure, pitiful partianship.

  • Ct1Catfish

    Biff you are correct, we are tired of the “Party First” attitude. The issue comes into how things actually work once inside the rotunda. The Dem’s caucus and work as a group to block legislation or ram through other legislation that their “party” wants. If thats the way it’s going to work it just as well work that way for both parties and get rid of the false premise of bipartisanship.

  • Truth-or-Dare

    Gosh Biff, I am almost positive if I step outside I will be struck by lightning!!! WHY? Because for the first time I actually agree with you!

    It is way past time for our elected officials to decide that they work for ALL citizens, regardless of party affiliation, in a manner which benefits all who live in our fair State. Apparently this is a really difficult concept to grasp because as far as I can tell we have basically few elected officials who are not “I or WE-oriented” . . . and to h*ll with what is good for the State or the country!

    Whatever happened to “love thy neighbor as yourself” and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” Where is the measure of civility that allows me to disagree with you without becoming disagreeable by resorting to name calling and slanderous statements?

    I don’t know about you, but I wonder what our ancestors would think about the disintegration of our governing process! They are probably all rolling over in their graves!

  • http://aaronhouseholder.net Aaron

    May I add another word to your phrase, Biff?

    It is pure. It is pitiful. It is partisan. It is politics.

    Both sides need the other. Foolish people always need someone else to blame or vilify. We need leaders of wisdom & statesmanship to rise above.

  • Patrick

    If there were a no party system then the best ideas would benefit the most. Sound absolutely refreshing. Actually, it sounds too eutopian to be true-it’s the perfect world scenario. It would require one side to put their guns down first. Who would be willing to do that?
    Let’s just get back to the figure pointing, name calling and character bashing!

  • Patrick

    Sorry-meant “Finger pointing”

  • Jeff Poley

    Deena:

    The state Republican party may well rue the day they get what they wish for. When the Nebraska Unicameral becomes a partisan legislature, the Democrats will be guaranteed that a candidate will be nominated in every district in the primaries. As is stands now, two Republicans are usually nominated in very conservative districts. This will provide a great opportunity for the Democratic party to begin grass roots recruiting and rebuilding at the state level. The state Democratic party should thank Fahleson for the unexpected gift.

    Jeff…

  • http://popomark@cox.net D. Mark

    Need people who think of the people they represent, don’t care which party they belong to! We have to many in Lincoln who do not listen to their constituents.

  • Ikon

    Fahleson is spot on with his assessment of the way things are in the NE legislature. To delude yourselves of things not being totally partisan is well, delusional!

    What he is calling for is to lift the veil on the Not virgins face. This doesn’t mean that true reps won’t do what’s right or that the self-centered will do what the lobbist tells/bribes them to do. For Dems to pretend that they are more fair than the GOPERS is a bad joke because they both have, in most cases, totally different viewpoints, agendas and people bribing them as well.

    Like Woody Allen once said; “Politicians are one rung up the social ladder from child molesters!” Of course quite a few politicians are also child molesters as well now, aren’t they!!

    The concept of a Unicameral political body is both childish & fantastical.

    BTW; everyone interested knows exactly what party each member represents. You all should take his advise, grow up & stop playing children’s games!!

  • Dan

    This is just hilarious. Remember when cosmic bob heaped praise on the non-partisan unicam and lavishly praised “non-partisanship” and even ran website ads with the phrase “not the party but the man”, OF COURSE with drooling and slurping praise from stealth liberal hacks like Joe Jordan, and yet he has not even considered leaving the Democrat party and run as a total independent? It’s because he IS a RAGING LIBERAL DEMOCRAT basically the carbon copy ideology of Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, Chuck Schumer, you name em. I just point out cosmic Bob’s hypocrisy.

  • Norris grad

    Time to bring the peoples second house as well!

  • Katie

    I think that’s a great idea. I don’t agree with all of a political party’s platforms, but someone from the other political party came to my door and said he voted pro-life. Good I did my homework. He did not tell the truth. If I hadn’t taken the time to research it, I may have voted for him since there is one–only one–issue on which I agree with him. He didn’t vote pro-life–he voted in support of immigrants. Two issues wrapped up in one bill–it is not right to claim having voted for both when his voting history clearly shows he supported only one of those issues.

  • Watching From Lincoln

    “Ct1Catfish says:
    July 26, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    Biff you are correct, we are tired of the “Party First” attitude. The issue comes into how things actually work once inside the rotunda. The Dem’s caucus and work as a group to block legislation or ram through other legislation that their “party” wants. If thats the way it’s going to work it just as well work that way for both parties and get rid of the false premise of bipartisanship.”

    If that is the case, then please try to explain to me just how this Democratic minority caucus that is barely 1/3 of the non-partisan Unicameral managed to achieve the necessary 2/3′s majority to over ride several of Governor HeineyMan’s vetoes the last day of the 2012 Regular Session? Could it be that over half of the Republican majority caucus broke ranks from what Uber Furher HeineyMan wanted them to do in locked goose step obedience to the Party Line and instead voted truly non-partisan for the GOOD OF THE PEOPLE OF NEBRASKA INSTEAD OF THE DOGMA OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY?

    Megalomania seems to be contagious in the upper echelons of the NEGOP, first Herr HeineyMan thinks HE’S in charge of the Party, then Herr Failsagain. First one tries to whip the Party into uniformity at the State convention, then the other unilaterally suspends Party elections to maintain his grasp on the levers of power. Then they try to spread this poison to a system that heretofore had functioned quite nicely for what was in the best interests of the people of Nebraska, not one Party or the other? Hey Failsagain, if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it! Hey HeineyMan, some of your HeineyMan Youth just don’t blindly follow you around like flies to sh*t just because you smell the most Repugnant!

  • Dan

    Watching, you are so insane that you don’t recognize your own insanity. Go get help.

  • minervus joyner

    America loves nebraska with the corn fields and helping to feed america

  • Joe Sixpack

    How could this change happen? Wouldn’t the Nebraska Constitution have to be changed? If so, why bother talking about this until someone is trying to put that issue on the ballot?

  • Dale Gribble

    Party affiliation for Campbell and Ashford? RINO