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News Digest
Editorial
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Classified
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April 22, 1987
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Vol. 86 No. 144
1 jvUUU (PlJjcPlU. L
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Around the
Joe Kirby, left, and Harald
track workout Tuesday.
ASUN
By Amy Edwards
Staff Reporter
John Bergmeyer resigned from his
position on Union Board Tuesday night.
In a letter addressed to Union Board,
Bergmeyer said he regretted his resig
nation but felt it was the only option for
both himself and Union Board.
"It is because of my true respect and
concern for the unions and for the
eumttoFS
By Michael Hooper
Senior Reporter
State senators Tuesday eliminated a
5-mph cushion from a bill that would
raise the speed limit to 65 mph on most
of Nebraska's interstate system.
On a 32-9 vote, senators attached an
amendment to the bill eliminating the
5-mph cushion that would have pre
vented the assessment of points on the
driving records of people exceeding 65
mph by less than 5 mph.
LB430, sponsored by Sen. Ernie Cham
bers of Omaha and two other senators,
had been up for final approval Tuesday,
but senators voted 29-10 to return the
bill to second stage of debate, where
:Jm
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bend
Graham warm up by jumping hurdles before they start their
qiaits Union
importance of the issues that the Union
Board deals with, that I must give up
my position to someone who can better
give of their time, concern and effort
that the Board demands, expects, and
deserves," said Bergmeyer. "My main
motive for this action concerns only my
desire to be the best ASUN 2nd vice
president and AGS rush chairman that
I can be."
Union Board will notify ASUN of the
mt m Chambers9
Bill to raise speed
they later attached the amendment
eliminating the 5-mph cushion.
Sen. Jerome Warner of Waverly, spon
sor of the amendment, said that the
5-mph cushion would encourage some
drivers to exceed the speed limit. This
would make the interstate more dan
gerous, he said, because the flow of
traffic would not be the same.
Warner said that a consistent law
will make it easier for traffic officials to
enforce the new speed limit. Penalties
would be issued in a uniform manner,
he said.
Senators later voted 36-7 to re-advance
. J'
Andrea HoyDaily Nebraskan
opening position and the ASUN appoint
ments board will look at applications
for the position.
Union Board also accepted the pro
posed space allocations for the Unions
at the meeting. Union Director Daryl
Swanson and Assistant DirectorOpera
tions Frank Kuhns will decide on the
allocations which will go into effect
July 1.
limit to 65 advances
LB430 to final reading.
Two weeks ago, Chambers attached
an amendment to the bill that would
have allowed speed-limit violators a 5
mph cushion. There now is a 10-mph
cushion for those people who exceed
the 55-mph speed limit by less than 10
mph.
Violations under the 5-mph cushion
would not include court costs in the
fines, Chambers said.
After senators approved Chambers'
amendment, two weeks ago Gov. Kay
Orr threatened to veto the speed-limit
DNSTA's 2nd cliance
siDTOves debate round
By Michael Hooper
Senior Reporter
State lawmakers Tuesday gave second-round
approval to a bill that
would require the Nebraska Legisla
ture to keep the NU School of Techni
cal Agriculture at Curtis open for the
next two years.
On a 28-0 vote, senators advanced Lb
656 as amended, which would give $2.5
million over a two-year period to the NU
Board of Regents for maintaining UNSTA.
After July 1, 1989, the two-year techni
cal school would separate from the
university budget and be governed by a
separate board.
Although the NU Board of Regents
recently chose to close UNSTA, which
reduces the university budget by $1.2
million, LB 656 would provide the uni
versity money from the state's general
fund to keep the school open for
another two years.
No senator Tuesday opposed the
quality and importance of UNSTA, but
several senators were concerned about
the source of funds for the school.
Money for Morrill
included in budget
By Michael Hooper
Senior Reporter
The Legislature's Appropriations Com
mittee Tuesday informally approved a
1987-88 state budget that includes a
2-percent increase in general funds for
the University of Nebraska and $4 mil
lion for the renovation of UNL's Morrill
Hall.
On a 5-1 vote, the committee approved
an amendment that earmarks .5 cents
of the 4-cent tax increase on cigarettes
to raise $4 million over a two-year
period for an air-conditioning system in
Morrill Hall and revitalization of its
permanent displays.
The committee's recommendation
for the university is $169.6 million for
fiscal year 1987-88 and $171 million for
fiscal year 1988-89. The Legislature's
current appropriation to the university
is $166.2 million.
A total of $880 million is available
for appropriations. The committee's
budget also includes a 3-percent pay
raise for state employees and a 1.6 per
cent increase in general appropria
tions for higher education. The total
budget recommendation for public edu
cation is $417.7 million for fiscal year
1987-88.
Expected revenue for fiscal year
1987-88 is about $924 million. About 5
5 - mnrih otsMom
with amendment
bill.
Chambers said Tuesday that sena
tors bowed to the governor, whom he
called "the whip cracker," when they
changed their minds about the 5-mph
cushion.
"She (Orr) needs to show the wealthy
people that she can dominate this
Legislature," Chambers said. After Orr
threatened to veto the bill with the
5-mph cushion, he said, senators "ran
for cover, but I didn't," he said.
Sen. Scott Moore of Strornsburg said
he changed his mind about the 5-mph
cushion because his constituents told
Sen. Owen Elmer of Indianola said
after the vote that while many univer
sity graduates leave the state, more
than 90 percent of UNSTA graduates
stay in the state and benefit it econom
ically by working and paving taxes.
Sen. George Coordsen of Hebron said
he had received many letters from
UNSTA graduates saying they wouldn't
have gone to college in Lincoln if
UNSTA didn't exist. Coordsen said the
graduates were from western Nebraska
and they didn't want to travel all the
way across the state to attend the
university.
Coordsen said that during the two
year period when the university will
continue to run UNSTA, the Legislature
will try to see where UNSTA fits in with
either the community colleges or the
state colleges.
State senators also voted 25-1 to add
an amendment that says no state col
lege or community college money would
be used to finance UNSTA.
Elmer said that the debate over
UNSTA basically boils down to whether
or not Curtis is worth funding. 'I think
"I think it is," he said.
percent of that will be kept in reserve.
The amendment that earmarks funds
from the cigarette tax increase- also
includes using 1.5 cents for two other
construction projects at Peru State and
Kearney State Colleges.
Although the cigarette tax increase,
which goes into effect July 1, will not
raise the necessary revenue to finance
Morrill Hall renovation right away, the
amendment assumes financing over a
10-year period. The funding for the pro
jects begins in 1988 but the projects
could begin before then if they are
approved by the NU Board of Regents
and the State Board of Trustees.
Sen. Chris Abboud of Ralston said he
understands the need for renovation of
Morrill Hall, but he opposed the fund
ing because it will increase the state
deficit until all the money is collected
from the cigarette tax increase.
The federal government chose to go
into deficit spending, and appropriat
ing money for Morrill Hall is the same,
thing, he said.
Sen. Jerome Warner of Waverly, the
committee chairman, said that while
the money for the project is not already
available, it will be eventually.
Sen. Gary Hannibal of Omaha said
there probably is no better place to use
the cigarette tax money than for the
renovation of Morrill Hall.
him there is no need for a 5-mph
cushion.
"They feel 65 mph is plenty fast,"
Moore said.
LB430 would increase the speed
limit to 65 mph on most of Nebraska's
interstate system. It carries an emer
gency clause, allowing it to become law
almost immediately if signed by the
governor.
Officials at the Nebraska Depart
ment of Roads have been preparing
signs for the 65-mph speed limit on the
interstate.
LB430 probably will come up for
final approval by the Legislature this
week or early next week.