Summary
The Nebraska onAir Hub supports Nebraskans to become more informed about and engaged in local, state, and federal politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow citizens.
- Nebraska onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to help reinvigorate US democracy. This post has short summaries of current state and federal representatives with links to their complete Hub posts. Students curate post content from government, campaign, social media, and public websites. Key content on the Nebraska Hub is also replicated on the US onAir nations Hub at: us.onair.cc.
- Nebraskastudents will be forming onAir chapters in their colleges and universities to help curate Hub content. As more students participate and more onAir chapters are started, we will expand to include more state and local content as well as increase the number of aircasts – student-led, livestreamed, online discussions with candidates, representatives, and the public.
Find out more about Who Represents Me in Nebraska
Learn more about the US onAir Network
Source: Wikipedia
OnAir Post: Nebraska onAir
About
All hub content in onAir hubs is free to the public. Hub ontent is under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license which permits content sharing and adaptation by nonprofit organizations as long as proper attribution is given to its author(s) and is used for non-commercial purposes. Content and moderation guidelines reinforce our commitment to fact-based, comprehensive content and civil and honest discourse.
To participate in aircast and post discussions, email usdemocracy@onair.cc and include your first name last name, and zipcode. Your real name and any other profile information will not be displayed unless you choose to do so. Your personal information is not shared with any other website or organization.
Hub membership will enable you to:
- Participate in issue and interview aircasts (student-led livestreamed discussions);
- Interact directly with post authors and curators giving them feedback, content suggestions, and asking questions;
- Ask questions, make suggestions, and give endorsement to representatives
State -wide Representatives
Nebraska is located in the Midwestern region of the USA with Lincoln as its capital. Pete Ricketts (R) is Governor.
The Nebraska legislature, as a unicameral body, has 49 General Assembly members.
Office | Name | Party | Assumed office | Next election | Term limited | Maximum term length | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | Pete Ricketts | Republican | January 8, 2015 | 2022 | Yes | Two consecutive terms | |
Lieutenant Governor* | Mike Foley | Republican | January 8, 2015 | 2022 | No (retiring) | No limits | |
Secretary of State | Bob Evnen | Republican | January 10, 2019 | 2022 | No | No limits | |
Attorney General | Doug Peterson | Republican | January 8, 2015 | 2022 | No (retiring) | No limits | |
Treasurer | John Murante | Republican | January 9, 2019 | 2022 | No | Two consecutive terms | |
Auditor of Public Accounts | Charlie Janssen | Republican | January 8, 2015 | 2022 | No (retiring) | No limits |
Pete Ricketts
Current Position: Governor since 2015
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position(s): TD Ameritrade executive from 1994 – 2006
Featured Quote:
“Nebraska governor Pete Ricketts is publicly feuding with the state’s department of education. The governor calls the curriculum unworkable and is hosting town halls across the state for hundreds of parents to voice their concerns about the sex education standards.”
For more information, go to this post.
US Senators
Deb Fischer
Current Position: US Senator since 2013
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position(s): State Delegate from 2005 – 2013
Featured Quote:
Nebraska is so fortunate to have @UNMC and @NebraskaMed, which lead the nation in research and development of new techniques in health care. Thank you for showing me around your cardiac catheterization lab. The work you do is so important!
For more information, go to this post.
Ben Sasse
Current Position: US Senator since 2015
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2022 US Senator
Former Position(s): President of Midland University from 2010 – 2014; Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation from 2007 – 2009
Featured Quote:
This is not how we peacefully transfer power.
For more information, go to this post.
US House Members
Jeff Fortenberry
Current Position: US Representative for NE 1st District since 2005
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position(s): Lincoln City Council from 1997 – 2001
Featured Quote:
My brother-in-law’s death from #ALS connected me to so many courageous persons suffering from this cruel disease. The @US_FDA just shattered hope, not approving the treatment NurOwn because it only helped some. We can’t take much more. Is our government here to help?
For more information, go to this post.
Don Bacon
Current Position: US Representative for NE 2nd Distrrict since 2017
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position(s): US Senator from 1984 – 2015
Other Positions:
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations
Featured Quote:
The #ALLIESAct provides 8,000 more visas for the Afghan Special Visa Program. It’s imperative that we protect our Afghan translators and interpreters from the malignant forces present in Afghanistan.
For more information, go to this post.
Adrian Smith
Current Position: US Representative for NE 3rd Disrrict since 2007
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position(s): State Delegate from 1999 – 2007
Other Positions:
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures – Committee on Ways and Means
For more information, go to this post.
US House Members
Nebraska’s 3 US House members are also shown in the US House Members “Top Posts” slider.
Jeff Fortenberry
Don Bacon
Adrian Smith
Wikipedia
Contents
The Government of the U.S. State of Nebraska, established by the Nebraska Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal Government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. Through a system of separation of powers, or "checks and balances," each of these branches has some authority to act on its own, and also some authority to regulate the other two branches, so that all three branches can limit and balance the others' authority. The State Government is based in Lincoln, the capital city of Nebraska.
Executive Branch
The statewide elected officers are:
Governor
The Governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential elections. The governor may be elected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row. Governors of Nebraska must be at least 30 years old and have been citizens and residents of the state for five years before being elected. Before 1966, the governor was elected to a two-year term. In 1962, a constitutional amendment extended the gubernatorial term to four years, effective with the 1966 election. In 1966, another amendment imposed a term limit of two consecutive terms. The lieutenant governor is subject to the same limitations and runs on a combined ticket with the governor. Charles W. Bryan is the only Governor of Nebraska to serve non-consecutive terms. Dave Heineman holds the record as Nebraska's longest-serving governor, with 10 years. The current officeholder is Jim Pillen, a Republican, who was sworn in on January 5, 2023.
Lieutenant governor
The Lieutenant Governor is the second-highest official in the Nebraska government and the first in line to succeed to the governorship in the event of a vacancy. The lieutenant governor is elected for a four-year term that runs concurrently with that of the governor. In the absence of the governor, the lieutenant governor assumes all powers and duties of the office of the governor. However, this only happens when the governor leaves the state or becomes incapable of discharging his duties as governor. The current Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska is Joe Kelly, who assumed office on January 5, 2023.
Secretary of State
The Secretary of State has responsibilities over the following areas: elections, business registrations, occupational licensing, state rules and regulations, records management, international relations and youth civics programs. The current Secretary of State is Bob Evnen.[1]
Attorney General
The Nebraska Department of Justice/Office of the Attorney General operates, in many respects, as the “State’s law firm.” The office is headed by the Nebraska Attorney General, an independently-elected constitutional officer, and is a diverse organization of highly specialized attorneys and support staff. The Attorney General’s Office is the largest “law firm” in Nebraska outside of Omaha.[2] The current Attorney General is Mike Hilgers, who assumed office on January 5, 2023.
State Treasurer
The Treasurer of the State of Nebraska is the chief financial officer of the government of Nebraska. The treasurer is responsible for maintaining the state funds by investing and maintaining the state budget. The department's main purpose is to invest state funds and maintain accurate records of transactions enacted by the state. The state office also disperses funds to local governments as needed, keeps track of unclaimed property and helps with investments.[1] The current Treasurer is Tom Briese, who assumed office on November 1, 2023.
Auditor of Public Accounts
The Auditor of Public Accounts has the constitutional authority to audit all state fiscal activity and the fiduciary responsibility to promulgate audit standards applicable to all state agencies and local governments.[2] To this end, the Office of the Auditor of Public Accounts (APA) engages in financial audits of every state agency, officer, board, bureau and commission, conducts the annual single audit of federal awards received by the state, and investigates both reported and alleged waste, fraud, and mismanagement throughout state and local government.[3] The current Auditor of Public Accounts is Mike Foley, who assumed office on January 5, 2023. Foley previously served in this role from 2007 to 2015.
State Agencies
Nebraska's executive branch includes the following 18 code agencies, all under direction from the Governor.
- Department of Administrative Services (DAS)
- Department of Agriculture (NDA)
- Department of Banking and Finance (NDBF)
- Department of Corrections (NDCS)
- Crime Commission (NCC)
- Department of Economic Development (NDED)
- Department of Education (NDE)
- Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE)
- Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
- Department of Insurance (NDOI)
- Department of Labor (NDOL)
- Department of Military (NENG)
- Department of Motor Vehicles (NDMV)
- Department of Natural Resources (NDNR)
- Department of Revenue (NDR)
- State Patrol (NSP)
- Department of Transportation (NDOT)
- Department of Veteran's Affairs (NDVA)
Legislative branch
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral)[4] is the unicameral state legislature of the state of Nebraska. Its members are called "senators", as it was originally the upper house of a bicameral legislature until the Nebraska House of Representatives was dissolved in 1937. The legislature is unicameral and officially recognizes no party affiliation, making Nebraska unique among U.S. states. With 49 members, it is also the smallest state legislature of any U.S. state. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln.
General powers
The Legislature is responsible for law-making and appropriating funds for the state. The governor has the power to veto any bill, but the Legislature may override the governor's veto by a vote of three-fifths (30) of its members. The Legislature also has the power, by a three-fifths vote, to propose a constitutional amendment to the voters, who then pass or reject it through a referendum.
Selection, composition, and operation
The Legislature is composed of 49 members, chosen by a single-member district or constituency. Senators are chosen for four-year terms, with one-half of the seats up for election every second year. In effect, this results in half the chamber being elected at the same time as the President of the United States, and the other half elected at the same time as other statewide elections. Senators must be qualified voters who are at least 21 years old and have lived in the district they wish to represent for at least one year. A constitutional amendment passed in 2000 limits senators to two consecutive terms. However, a former senator is re-eligible for election after four years. Senators receive $12,000 a year.
Rather than separate primary elections held to choose Republican, Democratic, and other partisan contenders for a seat, Nebraska uses a single nonpartisan blanket primary, in which the top two vote-getters are entitled to run in the general election. There are no formal party alignments or groups within the Legislature. Coalitions tend to form issue by issue based on a member's philosophy of government, geographic background, and constituency. However, almost all the members of the legislature are known to be either Democrats or Republicans, and the state branches of both parties explicitly endorse candidates for legislative seats.[5]
Speaker
The highest position among the members is the Speaker, who presides over the Legislature in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor. The Speaker is elected by floor ballot (or secret ballot) for a two-year term. The Speaker, with the approval of the Executive Board, determines the agenda (or the order in which bills and resolutions are considered on General File). The Speaker's agenda may be changed by a three-fifths vote of the elected members of the Legislature. The Speaker is not a member of any committee, but is an ex-officio member of the Rules Committee and the Executive Board. The current Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature is John Arch, who was elected to the office on January 4, 2023.
Judicial Branch
The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The court consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. Each justice is initially appointed by the governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each justice is then subject to a retention vote for additional six-year terms. The six justices each represent a Supreme Court district; the chief justice is appointed (and retained) at-large.
Unlike most other states, with the exception of North Dakota, the Nebraska Supreme Court requires a supermajority of five justices of the seven to rule unconstitutional a legislative provision (the 48 other states require a simple majority).[6]
Selection of justices
The court consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. The six justices each represent a Supreme Court district. If a position becomes vacant, the judicial nominating commission, made up of four lawyers and four non-lawyers, holds a hearing to select potential candidates. The commission then submits two names to the Nebraska Governor, who then determines the replacing judge. If the Governor does not follow through with this responsibility within 60 days of receiving the nominees, the responsibility then goes to the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court. To retain the office, a judge must run in a retention election after serving three years. Additionally, the judge must run every six years to retain his seat. If the judge receives less than 50% of the affirmative vote, the judge is not retained. Nebraska judges do not have a mandatory retirement age, but they are granted retirement at age 65 or earlier, if it is due to disability.[7]
Current members of the Nebraska Supreme Court are:
District | Justice | Born | Term start | Next retention election | Appointing governor | Law school | Party |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chief Justice | Michael Heavican | August 4, 1947 | October 2, 2006 | 2022 | Dave Heineman (R) | Nebraska | Republican |
District 1 | Stephanie F. Stacy | April 23, 1962 | September 28, 2015 | 2024 | Pete Ricketts (R) | Nebraska | Republican |
District 2 | Lindsey Miller-Lerman | July 30, 1947 | September 1, 1998 | 2026 | Ben Nelson (D) | Columbia | Democratic |
District 3 | William B. Cassel | September 20, 1955 | April 26, 2012 | 2022 | Dave Heineman (R) | Nebraska | Republican |
District 4 | Jonathan Papik[8] | January 7, 1982 | May 7, 2018 | 2022 | Pete Ricketts (R) | Harvard | Republican |
District 5 | Jeffrey J. Funke | April 15, 1969 | June 27, 2016 | 2026 | Pete Ricketts (R) | Nebraska | Republican |
District 6 | John Freudenberg[9] | November 12, 1969 | July 6, 2018 | 2022 | Pete Ricketts (R) | Nebraska | Republican |
References
- ^ "Nebraska Treasurer". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
- ^ State of Nebraska Legislature. "2020-2021 Nebraska Blue Book" (PDF). p. 425-426.
- ^ "Mission, History, and Major Duties". Nebraska Office of the Auditor of Public Accounts. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- ^ LTC. "Nebraska Legislature - About the Legislature".
- ^ See, e.g., lists of endorsed candidates for the Legislature on the webpages of both the Nebraska Democratic Party Archived 2010-12-28 at the Wayback Machine and the Nebraska Republican Party Archived 2011-05-04 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Nebraska Keystone Ruling May Not Help Transcanada". Newsweek. 9 January 2015.
- ^ "Supreme Court of Nebraska Courts Guide".
- ^ Pilger, Lori. "Ricketts' pick for Nebraska Supreme Court 'operating on higher level,' colleague says".
- ^ Johnson, Riley. "Newly appointed Lancaster County judge tapped for seat on Nebraska Supreme Court".