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Chambers vows to fight Spire’s decision
By victoria Ayotte
Staff Reporter
State Sen. Ernie Chambers said Wednesday
that he plans to file charges against the secre
tary of slate for accepting Attorney General
Robert Spire’s decision that Chambers cannot
legally run for both the Nebraska Legislature
and the U.S. Senate.
“This is really just the beginning” of the
fight, Chambers said.
In his decision to Secretary of Stale Allen
Beermann, Spire cited a Nebraska statute
which says “no individual shall be eligible to
file for two or more elected public offices to be
filled at the same election.”
Chambers said Spire’s decision reflects
“pretty poor research.” Chambers said he has
traced the statute in question back to 1925,
where it is clear that the statute refers to prima
ries and to incumbents. “None of which applies
to me,” he said.
“He evaded the issue,” Chambers said. “He
wants to avoid my being able to get into court
quickly, but I intend to get into court anyway.”
Chambers said this legal action would
probably be taken against the secretary of state
and possibly other state officials if Beermann
accepts the decision.
Beermann said he accepted the decision the
“minute it was laid in my hands” and said he
will obey it “to the letter.”
Spire said Wednesday at a press conference
that Chambers will remain a candidate for the
Nebraska State Lcgislqpirc.
“Sen. Chambers’ New Alliance Party nomi
nation is legally defective,” Spire said, since
Chambers wotPd have had to change his party
affiliation to th; New Alliance Parly 90 days
before being eligible to be a nominee of that
party.
Chambers ciangcd his party on June 15,
rendering him ineligible to become a candidate
of the party until Sept. 15, Spire wrote in his
decision. Chambers would have to file for the
senate 60 days before the general election to get
on the ballot under Nebraska law.
“This prevents Sen. Chambers from being
eligible to be the party’s nominee in time to
meet the filing deadline for the general elec
tion,” Spire said.
“In my judgment, these are not technicali
ties. This is the law,” Spire said.
Chambers said this part of the decision is
also defective, since it only applies to incum
bents and that he was never affiliated with a
party in the first place.
Spire said he would not press charges
against Chambers since there “simply isn’t
evidence of criminal intent.”
Chambers said the attorney general should
have filed criminal charges because the statute
Spire cited is a criminal statute.
Chambers said Spire, who was appointed by
former Gov. Bob Kerrey, favors Kerrey for the
senate seat and is protecting him by raising the
legal question.
See CHAMBERS on 2
WELCOME
7
Eyes right Connie Sheeh.n/D.ily Nebraskan
Lincoln Mayor Bill Harris, Nebraska Gov. Kay Orr and other members of the Cornhusker
State Games Committee view the opening ceremonies of the games last weekend. See
photo story on Page 8.
House considers
new student loan bill
By Larry Peirce
Stall' Reporter
A bill which would allow de
faulted and delinquent student loans
to be repaid without penalty is
“moving rapidly” through the U.S.
House of Representatives, according
to a spokesman for the bill’s sponsor.
The bill, HR4d86, is aimed at
reducing the climbing rate of student
loan defaults,as well as increasing the
amount of money for Pell Grants to
low-income students.
David Roach, press secretary to
Rep. Patrick Williams, D-Mont., said
the bill was approved July 12 by the
House Education and Labor Commit
tee, just five days after it was intro
duced. Williams and 11 other sena
tors sponsored the bill.
t he bill has two “amnesty provi
sions” which would allow students
who arc delinquent or defaulton loans
to begin repaying them without pen
alty, Roach said.
Students could repay the entire
balance of the loan in six months, or
set up 12 timely installments with
their financial institution.
Roach said that under the install
ment method, students would not pay
the entire loan in 12 payments, but
would get back in “good graces” with
their banks.
The bill’s sponsors are also trying
to restore the balance between Pell
Grants and Guaranteed Student
Loans that existed before 1981, when
President Ronald Reagan began cut
ting Pell Grant funds, Roach said.
Before the cuts, Pell Grants were
intended for low -income students and
GSLs were intended for middle class
students. When Pell Grant funds were
cut low-income students turned to
GSLs. This increased the burden on
low-income students and led to the
rise in the default rate, Roach said.
The House will give full consid
eration to the bill in late July or early
August.
New General Studies division expected
ny Victoria Ayotte
Staff Reporter
The University of Nebraska Board
of Regents is expected to establish a
new Division of General Studies Sat
urday, formalizing the academic na
ture of general studies, two UNL
administrators said.
With the board’s approval. general
studies will be recognized as its own
division, and not just an advising
office, said James Griesen, vice chan
cellor for student aff airs.
The university already provides a
general studies section in the under
graduate bulletin and a dean’s list for
general studies students, Gricsen
said.
After the division is approved,
responsibility for general studies will
be transferred to the vice chancellor
for academic affairs from student
affairs, Gricsen said, which is its
rightful place as an academic depart
ment.
Robert Furgason, vice chancellor
for academic affairs, agreed that aca
demic affairs is the right place for
general studies.
“There arc some students who are
in the College of Arts and Sciences
but don’t know whether they want to
major in chemistry or biology,” Fur
gason said. “There are other students
who are less certain than that, and this
provides them an academic home.”
Gricsen said events of the past two
years have led to the establishment of
the Division of General Studies.
Undeclared students were advised
by the Office of Admissions and
Advising before the creation of a
General Studies Advising Office.
“We didn’t like the undeclared
label,” he said. “We d like to make
life for the student in general studies
the same as life for any other student.”
Last fall, when the General Studies
Advising Office was created, Don
Gregory, an associate professor of
English, was selected to head up the
office.
Two advisers besides Gregory
were hired for the office, as well as a
graduate assistant and undergraduate
advisors. The office was also moved
to the basement of Administration
North.
Gricsen said the change from an
office to a division will not change
anything in general studies, except
that a 75-hour credit limit was im
posed for the amount of time students
arc allowed to be in General Studies.
The regents arc also expected to
approve an international business
major to be offered by the College of
Business Administration.
Furgason said CBA has been
working on developing the new major
for a several years, “recognizing the
very strong trend in business and
commerce on the international
scale.”
CBA alsodevclopcd other interna
tional requirements, such as requiring
a course in international affairs and
developing a minor in international
business.
The international business major
will give special training in language,
international politics and interna
tional management, Furgason said.