1 week Ago
Sen. Lippincott called Nebraska’s split electoral system a “failed experiment.” The hearing room erupted in laughter.
Republicans’ recent attempt to revert Nebraska to a winner-takes-all electoral state was foiled by progressives, joined by Republican Sens. Riepe and Wordekemper. I testified against LB3 back in January at age 17.
Hardly a dozen proponents testified as a line of over a hundred opponents wrapped around multiple hallways of the Capitol. There are clear reasons that the attempt to eliminate this system has failed so many times. The split electoral vote brings the state revenue and media attention, but most of all it is the will of the people.
Nebraska is not a paragon of Republicanism. I reminded our senators that our state has unique progressive institutions, such as the Unicameral, publicly run electrical grid, and robust public education system, because we as Nebraskans are fiercely independent. On both sides of the aisle, we value voices.
The truth is, Nebraska is more populist than Republican. People are also reading..
. As Nebraskans, we are hard workers and fighters. The Unicameral can try to circumvent the will of the people with bureaucratic malarkey, but we won’t let them succeed.
As progressives around the country sulk in hopelessness, let Nebraska show them that even in red states, we are more than a footnote; we are a force for change. That hearing room laughed at Senator Lippincott because he thought the GOP could override the will of the people. He forgot our state motto: “Equality before the law.
” Grover Korn, Lincoln Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!.
