monday, january 15 1078 lincoln, nebraska vol. 102 no. 62
Legislature to consider gambling, taxes, drinking age
By Randy Essex
While most UNL students relaxed in their home
towns or left the plains in search of sunshine between se
mesters, the wheels of the Nebraska Legislature began to
turn for the 86th time.
During the first seven days of the 90-day session more
than 200 bills were introduced, including a bill that would
raise the legal drinking age from 19 to 21, a bill reducing
all gambling crimes to misdemeanors and a plan to set a
maximum level for property taxation.
Sen. Ralph Kelly of Grand Island introduced LB221
to raise the drinking age, citing the deaths of 50 Nebraska
youths in alcohol related accidents last year.
The bills dealing with gambling and property taxes
were introduced by Neligli Sen. John DeCamp, who,
on the first day of the session, emerged as a major power
among the lawmakers.
DeCamp and Bellevue Sen. Frank Lewis, who are legis
lative allies, captured the top positions on the Legis
lative Council Executive Board, the Legislature's admini
strative body. Lewis was elected chairman of the board,
and DeCamp was elected vice-chairman.
Another Lewis ally, Sen. Gerald Koch of Ralston, was
elected chairman of the Education Committee.
But Kearney Sen. Martin Kahle, who was nominated
by DeCamp for chairman of the Public Health and Welfare
Committee, was defeated by Sam Cullan of Hemingford.
Sen. Bill Burrows of Adams, another member of the
DeCamp coalition, lost his bid for the chairmanship of the
Business and Labor Committee to incumbent chairman,
Richard Maresh of Milligan .
Marvel elected
Sen. Richard Marvel of Hastings was unanimously elec
ted speaker of the Legislature.
Marvel said he would like to improve the image of the
body during this session. He explained that the public
generally does not like government, and in some cases
there is distrust.
In order to remedy that, Marvel said he would like the
Legislature as a body, and senators as individuals, to carry
on public relations activities.
For example, he said, someone (not a senator) should
greet visitors to the Legislative Chamber and explain what
is happening.
"There is usually a lot of commotion on the floor, and
it seems (to a visitor) like nobody is paying attention, and
that creates a bad impression," Marvel said.
The senators have been criticized for not moving
through their business as quickly as they should, but
Marvel disagreed.
"We move things more rapidly than other state legisla
tures," he asserted. "Very few bills here don't get public
hearing, which is not the case in other states."
Heated debate
The most heated debate during the first days of the ses
sion occured when the position of legislative chaplin was
decided.
Rev. Robert Palmer of Lincoln has held the S300-a-month
position for 13 years, but this year he was chal
lenged by Rev. Alvin Peterson, a retired campus minister.
The chaplin begins each legislative day with a brief prayer.
Omaha Sen. Ernest. Chambers wanted to eliminate the
chaplin position and the daily prayer. During the debate
Chambers nominated himself for the position and
suggested the body hire a chorus composed of every de
nomination and let them nabbie at the same time.
But, when the discussion was over, onlv Chambers
voted against retaining Palmer as the chaplin.
Of the bills introduced so far, DeCamp's LB 188,
which proposes a maximum property tax rate of 1 .5 per
cent of actual value, promises to be one of the most dis
cussed. Nebraska's property tax has been calculated to average
2.4 percent of actual value, and Waverly Sen. Jerome
Warner said the rate of taxation is too high and sub
stantially greater than most states.
Some senators, however, have criticized the measure
as a political gimmick that will be popular with voters.
Besides DeCamp, 12 senators signed the bill.
Most senators agree the bill is only one part of a pos
sible solution to the state's property tax woes. Unequal
assessments and tax bases statewide prompted DeCamp to
file suit as a citizen this summer against the State Board
of Equalization for its order to counties to use 70 percent
of appraised value as the tax base.
DeCamp said LB 188 is only one of several bills
designed to deal with the tax problems.
Koch (of Ralston) has introduced LB8, which would
establish a central computer system to annually update
and equalize property values and tax bases in the state's
93 counties. A similar bill was defeated last year.
Infraction concept
Another DeCamp proposal, LB152, which eliminates
felony penalties for gambling, is also part of a series of
bills DeCamp can be expected to introduce.
In December DeCamp said he is planning to introduce
legislation that will apply the infraction concept to "a
dozen areas." DeCamp said he plans to "refine and better
define" the concept.
The infraction concept is what DeCamp incorporated
in his marijuana bill last year. Possession of less than one
ounce of marijuana is no longer a criminal offense in
Nebraska.
It is a civil offense, or an infraction.
However, the gambling legislation, if passed, may make
it impossible for federal authorities to conduct gambling
investigations in Nebraska.
A federal statute requires that state laws against gamb
ling carry penalties of more than one year in prison before
federal authorities can investigate illegal activity.
But all misdemeanor penalties, by definition, are less
than one year in prison.
Other bills introduced so far include:
LB46-Participation in aid to handicapped options.
LB54 -Terminate the Political Accountability and
Disclosure (Sunshine) Commission (Defeated last year).
LB74-Require use of gasohol in certain vehicles.
LB80-Change terms based on gender.
LB93 -Reduced utility rates for the elderly.
LBIOO-Repeal park entry fee.
LB 101 -Create commission for the deaf.
LB 109 -Allow independents to vote on a partisan
ballot.
LB222-Establish State Coroner's Office.
LB23 1 E-Change mandatory retirement ages to 70.
LB214E-Place a seven percent ceiling on state
appropriation increases.
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but, wnen me discussion was over, oniy uiamoers Photo by Mary Anne Gokn
voted against retaining Palmer as the chaplin. Jack Herndon and Marion Lowell give cross-country skiing lessons to interested observers at Pioneers Park.
Regents approve 9,000 seats for stadium and raise dorm rates
By Brenda Moskovits On the basis of costs versus benefits, "the 9,000 (seat "Student ticket prices are also very high. The
addition) is the worst possible alternative the university charge for student seats would be an injustice," he
A 9,000-seat addition to the east section of Memorial could have," Prokop said. Marienau said students want to be assured that
A 9,000-seat addition to the east section of Memorial
Stadium should be completed by the 1980 football
season.
The NU Board of Regents Saturday gave the go-ahead
for the seats, which will cost about $6 million. The
regents also approved an S80 increase for room and board
contracts for residence hall students in 1979-80.
The stadium addition was approved in a split vote, 5
to 3. Regents Robert Prokop of Wilber, Kermit Wagner of
Schuyler and Robert Simmons of Scottsbluff opposed the
expansion, favoring Prokop's recommendation of building
a new 105,000-seat stadium near the Lincoln Air Park.
Prokop said his stadium proposal would cost between
$10 and $12 million, based on the cost of a similar struc
ture at Kansas State University.
His estimate came from a presentation made to the re
gents by Topeka architect, John Frazier.
Prokop made nearly an hour-long slide presentation to
the board's business affairs subcommittee on the stadium
proposal. The new stadium would be built into the ground
using dirt fill in place of as much concrete and steel. Pro
kop said the air park was a logical location because the
water table is 150 feet below ground level.
The 9,000 seat expansion will cost about $575 per seat
according to its specifications. Prokop said a new stadium
would cost about S75 per seat.
Regent Kermit Hansen of Omaha said Prokop's
estimate, taken from Frazier, did not include land acqui
sition, a press box, v.i.p. section, nor Astroturf.
Student regent Ken Marienau told the board that stu
dents are "very strongly opposed to an increase in the size
of the stadium."
Marienau said he assumed that included opposition
toward building a new stadium.
aiuaeni ticKei prices are also very men. ine sur
charge for student seats would be an injustice," he said.
Marienau said students want to be assured that their
section would not be moved to the new addition.
Continued on Page 9
ODDS
fnondsy
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