Summer NebVaskan, Tuesday, June 12, 1979
Page 3
Seuto Wesely
gears
By Douglas Klrcher
When freshman Sen. Don Wesely
describes the legislative bills he intro
duced or played a major role in, his
listener catches a common theme: all are
people oriented.
He points to the "Older Nebraskans
Act", aimed at expanding rights of and
services to the aged.
And to the Certificate of Need bill,
designed to hold down health costs while
maintaining the quality of service.
And to a proposal to remove cancer
causing asbestos from schools and public
buildings.
And to his support of district elections,
saying that they bring city governments
closer to the people.
"And one of the things I have always
been interested in is how to draw more
people into the political process," Wesely
said.
Wesely, 25, Northeast Lincoln, men
tioned the Lincoln breakfast meetings with
the public and the forums he has with
other north Lincoln public officials, school
and business organizations as two current
attempts to draw pwople into government.
"I hope I will continue to be able to
come up with some of the more innovative
ideas. That's really important to me. I felt
sort of left behind in those years before I
got actively involved. I think that it is the
role of elected officials to not wait for
people to come to them but to go to (the
people) for ideas and opinions."
Active senator
The Nebraska native said, "I think I
probably am one of the more active
senators, involved in lots of legislation,
introducing many (bills) myself and
getting involved in the energy issues.
I just think that the mora you do, the
better representative you are. I think that
my part of town does not want someone
who goes down there and votes and that's
it. I think they want somebody who is
actively working on their behalf."
He said he also is active in city and
national politics and the Democratic party.
Wesely pointed out that if the people
want a different kind of senator, they have
that choice.
"But I am confident I am doing okay."
Six months ago in January, Wesely
began his first session representing the
people of northeast Lincoln. Although he
said he was thinking about 20 bills for
possible introduction, a limit of 10 bills per
senator forced him to choose what he
called the most important 10.
He said five passed and he had an
important role in four or five bills from
other senators.
The Legislature killed two of his bills
and pulled three for interim study.
"I guess in terms of what I was able to
accomplish in terms of legislation, I took a
key leadership role on the Certificate of
Need bill, LB 172."
Wesely described the Certificate of
Need bill as a requirement for hospitals
and nursing homes to go through a review
process before building or spending any
large amount of money. Unless the project
or expenditure is needed, it isn't built or
bought.
"Because right now we have a problem
in Nebraska, especially in Omaha, where
they are building hospital beds that will
cost almost as much to maintain as if they
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toward people
were used, which means the empty beds
are an extra cost that is borne by
everybody.
"And so hospital costs go up fanatic
ally." Freshmen sign bill
Wesely said the legislation's goal was to
ensure that the state has the hospital care
it needs but doesn't overbuild.
Four fellow freshmen co-signed Wes
ely's Interim Study Resolution. The bill's
purpose was to study the work of the
Legislature and suggest reforms.
"Now maybe nothing will come of it,
but we are going to raise some issues
about the legislature. . .a question of
whether we could do better."
Wesely said the legislature does an
incredibly good job, much better than he
realized during his campaign but he said it
could still do better.
"Amongst the bills I introduced that
were passed was the 'Older Nebraskans
Act'," he said. "That will help older
people in the state in a number of ways."
The act would raise the mandatory
retirement age and the anti-discrimination
law to 70 years. It also provides for an
annual comprehensive plan that he said
Cont. on page 6
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