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TI there's tryths INre larsei fcom fc: years rgn it's est to fce a cc!n:i mcmI;eEX.
aHovcd alcchel on campus, but it didn't pass. The
Unicameral and the Dcard of Regents are involved cow in
a court fight concerning the Legislature's riht lo make
such laws (prohibiting alcoholic beverages on state
property). As long 23 it's in court the Legislature won't
do anything about the issue, Fowler said.
"It's going to hr.e to coins from the Coard of
Regents.
Fowler still keeps contacts with university students
and knows many faculty members, he said, so he is in -touch
with university issues. He recently acted as an
adviser to NUFIRG, a student public interest research
group.
Fowler's work as a senator keeps him busy. Between
his investigations, reports, and legislation, the senator
claims, he has little spare time. And now he has to run
a campaign. Fowler said that campaign is going "pretty
well".
In a recent short speech to the Lancaster County
Democratic Women's Oub, Fowler gave a clue to his .
campaign attitude: "IT there's anything I've learned from
four years ago it's not to be a complacent incumbent."
He was speaking of his opponent in the last election, Sen.
William Sz&nson, who campaigned modestly against
Fowler.
In the same speech Fowler said he wants to raise an
additional $2jDC0 for his campaign, the money to be
spent on brochures and newspaper and radio time. Fowlei
also said he wants to "build up to 130 canvasses" of the
27th district. Fowler said he has spent $6,500 so far in
his campaign. -
The major goal of his campaign, of course, is his
re-election. And the reason he gives is there are "issues I ,
want to continue working on."
Last Saturday Fowler threw a party at what is claimed
to be the oldest building in Lancaster County. It is a farm
house south of Lincoln, near Crete. Music, food, beer,
and soda were served free in an attempt to get people
interested in working on the Fowler campaign.
Despite his age, Fowler said some of his support in the
"I'm not comforfeb!3
bsing fisry"
last election came from young people, but they weren't .
necessarily students. The 27th district is a cross section of
all kinds of people with a sizeable amount of elderly and
low income individuals, so he can't try to appeal to just
one group, he said.
Steve Fowler is basing his re-election campaign on his
accomplishments in the Legislature. The senator said he
has been involved in investigating the programs and
facilities of the state institutions. He has toured the state
penitentiary and talked with penal complex employes and
inmates. As a result, he has supported legislation to
improve conditions there. Specifically , he has supported
bills dealing with parole and the handling of grievances
within the institution.
Fowler also introduced a resolution to examine the
Lincoln Regional Center. The Regional Center is in his
district, and several of its employees came and talked to
hirn about conditions there, he said.
Fowler recently toured the Regional Center with
legislators. ,
"Basically the facilities ... are adequate, but some of
the programs need to be revised," he said, lis is working
on a report to the Legislature.
As a senator, Fowler hasn't tried to represent just one
group, just as one group didn't elect hen to office. He
doesn't work for only the young, but also for the elderly.
Evidence of this is the Nebraska Public Transportation
Act, which he sponsored. This bill provided a state
subsidy for public transit and required a dime fare for
senior citizens on regularly scheduled buses.
(Contimxed on p. 6)
' i
r n 'n
After returning home from a Canadian vacation she
was swamped with work at her desk in the juveniSe court
office. The phone jangled at least five times in an hour;
two persons were waiting to see her.
She hugged the receiver between tilted head and .
hunched shoulder as she dialed. Aside:
"I'm calling a foster parent. They need all the support
they can get."
Marilyn Eeggs, 46, a probation officer for the Lincoln
Lancaster County JuveniHe Court, is in the habit of giving
support. In ten years time, she was a foster mother to
more than 20 white, Indian and Mexican-American teen
agers. Essides being a natural mother to five children.
"Somebody hes to tskafhssa
kids in. What ere they going
i " to do? Lhro at tho YfiICA the
rent of titoirl!v3, hit trio ctrooto
ct fh3:vn in prison .titer?" "
liar history of trcrkig with the yourg rnri hsrs
she counted troubled youths through the
Iced FTA, cr far tie Lmcchi Action Prcgrrn. It ccstisah
ci when she helped ycurg pec-rb fisd jobs tiroi!i the
4.00 Yciiti Ocrpft
In 1559, thrcv work en the rTitraa Common
for Children and Ycth, Mrs. Egs helped to pvh
through kgttion vhii cctlhed separate jvsnHIe
courts for Lancaster and Dous Ccunti:s. In 1971 she
V.Tjit CI she VJ1 the fesr mother cn the Ihe this dry?
Ill call the mother's k-s?ycr this ailcniccn . . . Cjs
ycurhtsrt
QIs lis thit go cn ccniastly in the Lttb comer
office cn the fourth fkscr cf the County-City bcildlrs.
Mrs. LzzZ ks.
UGJUlIU
O r
"It's hectic and it's interesting," she said of her job.
"The biggest thing is to think that the decisions we are
making affect kids lives."
The youngsters she places are up to 19 years of age.
They may be infants. Cases involve custody problems
. after a divorce, child abuse crimes or behavioral problems
rathe child.
' Mrs. Eeggs and her husband Bob, a photo engraver for
Capital Engraving Co., have dealt with many behavioral
problems under their own roof.
- They saw their foster children through their troubled
teens, helped them with frigh school and planning for
college. -
They cooked Mexican food on Saturday niits and
bacon and egs at 5:30 ajm. They saw their experience as
straitening out what society might call the Snessed up"
youth.
THERE WAS GEORGE, 16.
Embittered after his mother deserted him, he found
hhssdf in the Dengs' home. In a few months he had msds
it his home, as he never really had his own.
On Mother's Day the Des had company, and
throughout the hectic day cf cooking dinner and cele
brating, Mrs. Ergs noticed that George kept 'fcssgxg
around" as if he were trying to teU her something.
After everyone had gone to bed that rA, George .
csZIcd her into his room, rnakirg small talk at first. hrs.
Esgs had had many talks with George before, trymg to
point cut to kra Cut his mother had needs too, th& he
This nlt, alUr a few moments, George rolled OTsr in
his bed, facing the wa2, PuIHg the sheet over his face,
I love you, Mother.
Thit is the best Mother's Dy present ever,"
h!ari!yn recalled.
TLJ XI AS ALSO 1 6. He decided to drive his motor
cycle up the steps of the Nsbraa Cspitcl one niht after
crhfcg. The Degs were called to pick him up at the
police station.
The Dc-gs have no foster chirtn with them now srre
both parents work full time. Tt"o cf thaar four sons, Strrs
21 , and Sccit, 19, live at home.
Pfcrhrs because cf thefr tome erriionmcnt, all the
IXrgs children are interested in woikirg with sockty's