page 6
tt k1.iv, Miliary 9, 1979
fathom
Former student, now senator, finds legislature life 'exciting'
By Terry Howard
and Shelley Smith
icknamed John-Boy Walton, fresh
man senator Don Wesely said he feels the
hectic pace of the Nebraska Legislature
is one of the most exciting experiences of
his life.
Wesely. 24. a 1977 UNL graduate, said
that even though his job with the Legisla
ture is something he "wouldn't trade for
anything." he still wishes he had more free
time.
"Let's see, free time. 1 went to a movie
last week." he said.
Wesely has introduced 10 of the 535
bills before the Legislature and has co
sponsored 10 others.
He said his bills cover a wide range of
issues, including energy, and problems of
the mentally retarded, handicapped and
elderly.
Wesely was born on a farm in David City
and moved to northeast Lincoln when he
was five. He said he still has many relatives
that live on farms in David City and has
benefitted from them greatly.
"I w as able to cross the boundaries from
the farm to the city. I still have ties with
these people and they have given me an ac
curate rural interest." he said.
w,
'esely's father worked at Goodyear
Tire Co. for 15 years, and Wesely said his
father's experience with strikes and unions
also has given him a background in the
labor area.
By living 20 years in the district which
he represents, Wesely said he has been able
to "react naturally" to how his constitu
ents feel on an issue.
Wesely said he was asked to run for the
Legislature by friends in October 1977,
but didn.'t actually declare his candidacy
until January 1978.
"I was working on a master's degree in
history id then planning on going to law
school.1' Wesely said. "Friends encouraged
me to run and I realized I could be a very
effective person in the Legislature -in a
positive way."
lie said the job isn't as tough as he ex
pected but said lie realized that every
freshman senator is at a great disadvantage
because of his iack of experience.
"Right now 1 have a very small fraction
of the potential I might have." he said, but
added that his effectiveness will increase
with time.
"The reason ou become effective and a
leader is that you work hard." he said. "If
vou don't work. .ij don't get anywhere."
I Ie said the number of bills intro
duced makes it impossible to study
thorough!) each bill, and said he spends a
lot of his dee time jus! thinking about
what eaJ) bill means.
"I'm the kind ot guv who iikes to
review both sides of an issue." he said. "I
ask question and after feeling I have heard
both sides, then I make a decision."
He credits Ins good-woikmg relationship
with the other senators to his low-kev ap
proach in problem solving.
He said his approach is to present an
idea, ask to have it considered and then
look for the best way to reach the goal.
So far, Wesely 's approach seems to be
working. He was elected chairman of the
enroll and review committee and, of his
four bills that have had hearings, only one
of them had even minor opposition.
After the legislative session is over
Wesely said he plans to "sit and relax." for
a while, but then plans to jump right back
into legislative issues.
"I've already blocked off about half of
my time this summer to spend on legis
lative duties," he said.
w
'esely was hired by Geis Investment
and Insurance Co. last year and then given
a leave of absence when the session began.
He said he also plans to earn some money
this summer to supplement the S4,800-a-ycar
senatorial job.
Wesely is not married but said he tries
to keep up his social life between attending
dinners and receptions.
And, he said, he is not sure what he'll be
doing in the future.
"I've been talked to already about
higher political office, but I think it's out
of the question," Wesely said.
He added that the voters would decide
whether he'd be back after this four year
term.
"What I'm learning is that the Legisla
ture needs people with experience. It needs
representatives with experience to provide
some leadership."
'"' "' 1 1 "' 1,11,1 .Mil.... LI. I 1-
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43 W .flip
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Photo by Kathy Chenault
Freshman Sen. Don Wesely confers with a veteran. Sen. Frank Lewis.
Study . . .
'Friends encouraged me to run
and I realized I could be a very
effective person in the Legislature
Continued from page 3.
"A bicameral could outperform a uni
cameral it the latter senators had a negative
view ." Sit tig said.
Nebraska's Unicameral, the once radical
departure from the American two-house
svstem. has become part of the tradition
of the state. Sittig said, so that today "you
can't find a single responsible person in Ne
braska who wants to go back to a
bicameral."
Sittig said there has been no official bill
proposed in the unicameral, no petition
started and no prominent spokesman who
has ever advocated returning to a bicameral
legislature
However, in the last forty years, there
have been contentions over the non-partisan
nature of the Legislature. Sittig said.
Richard Marvel, the speaker of the Legis
lature, said he originally was in favor of
non-partisanship, but has changed his
mind.
"I was perturbed that 60 percent of the
bills introduced are passed because there is
no opposition tt) the bill." Marvel said.
R
artisanship could serve to rally op
position to a bill, he said.
"I'm willing to try it (partisanship) out.
but it will take a constitutional amend
ment to change it," Marvel said.
Eric Sandberg. co-coordinator of state
Sen. Don Wesely's door-to-door canvasing
last fall, said the non-partisan nature of the
Legislature makes name recognition of can
didates important.
"Without parties, theoretically you have
to start from scratch to build a campaign
organization Sandberg said. "Theoretical
ly, with parties you already have the cam
paign organization in place once you win
the nomination of the panv ."
One ot the advantages of non-partisanship.
Sandberg said, is that it makes it
easier to build a broad power base, and
easier for Democratic candidates to appeal
to Republicans for their votes and vice
versa.
While it is possible the state will return
to partisanship, its one-house nature ap
pears to be permanently established. Sit
tig said.
Sittig said it would take a wretched per
formance on the part of the senators in
the Legislature before people would
"swerve from tradition" and vote to re
turn to a two-house legislature. Something
like Watergate would do the trick, he said.
"Barring anything like that." Sittig said,
"the Unicameral is as firmly established as
it can be in this state."