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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1990)
WEATHER INDEX News.2 Monday, mostly sunny and cooler, high in the Editorial.4 mid-50s, northeast wind 5-15 miles per hour, sports 7 Monday night, low in the upper-20s. Tuesday, Arts & Entertainment.9 sunny, high in the low-60s. Classifieds.11 IHH ~ ~ VoT89No:^^j^ Survey results show some UNL policies concern employees By Pat Dinslage Staff Reporter Managerial and professional employees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are concerned about job classification, maternity-leave policies and parking, according to a survey by the Univer sity Association for Administrative Development The survey was started in Novem ber 1989 by a UAAD committee to determine areas of concern to the managerial and professional staff at UNL. The committee plans to use the results to make recommendations to administrators and work on issues important to employees, according to Donna Liss, committee member and information management coordina tor at UNL. One important result in the survey shows employees' problems with the job classification system, which was established July 1,1989, Liss said. The system assigns a grade to each managerial and professional position and corrects job and salary inequities between departments, she said. Survey results indicate that about 25 percent of the employees surveyed were unaware of their current job grade. In addition, the survey found that nearly 55 percent of the employees were concerned whether their jobs were classified correctly and whether salaries were comparable between departments within UNL. As a result of the survey, Liss said, the committee has requested that UNL establish a method for employees to compare their job responsibilities, grade levels and salaries to similar jobs within the university. Survey results also have been for warded to the UNL personnel depart ment to clarify the classification sys tem and specific job level concerns for the employees, she said. Employees surveyed also were disappointed that UNL doesn’t have a maternity-leave policy. The survey showed that more than 50 percent of the employees surveyed think a separate maternity-leave pol icy must be established. Liss said maternity leave currently is included in sick leave and vacation time. The amount of leave given is “up to the supervisors.” New fathers and mothers wishing to take leave must use either vacation or sick time, she said. The survey indicated that about 19 percent did approve of the flexibility in the current system, in which the university could allow up to three months of leave, Liss said. But a separate policy still could allow flexibility because it probably would specify “a minimum of six weeks,” she said. More than 55 percent surveyed thought alternative child-care issues should be explored. Liss said the child-care issue cur rently is being addressed by UNL. See SURVEY on 6 NU retirement plan members get two new investment options By Victoria Ayotte Senior Reporter The 7,800 employees in the Uni versity of Nebraska’s retire ment plan have new options for investing their money, according to John Russell, NU assistant vice president for administration. NU’s pension company is the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and College Retirement Equities Fund. On March 1, TIAA ('RI F started allowing member higher education institutions to offer the new options, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Russell said NU officials have not decided yet whether to offer some of the options. But they have decided to add two CREF options, called social choice and bond market accounts. The social choice account will put money into investments that follow certain criteria. An investment will be banned if the company invests in See RETIRE on 6 Butch Ireland/Daily Nebraskan Sparks of battle ... LincoJnite Eric Doerr, left, and Randy Eliason, a junior speech communication major, are silhouetted against the sun as they practice their sword work outside Selleck Residence Hall on Sunday afternoon. Senators pass bill to repay depositors By Victoria Ayotte Senior Reporter Only the governor’s signature stands in the way of enact ment of several measures passed during Spring Break by the Nebraska Legislature. Among the measures passed was a bill to partly repay some depositors of the now defunct Commonwealth Savings Company. Senators also passed the budget bill, LB 1031, a recycling bill, LB 163, and a bill to tax marijuana, LB260. Senators approved the common wealth bill 29-19. Depositors of the failed company, which closed Nov. 1, 1983, eventu ally would be paid up to $30,000, the amount guaranteed by the Nebraska Depository Institution Guaranty Cor poration. The Legislature appropriated $16.9 million in 1989-90 and S16.9 million in 1990-91 to the Department of Banking and Finance to pay the claims. The budget bill provides deficit appropriauons for 1989-91, adding to amounts appropriated in last year’s biennial budget. The bill passed Thursday 39-1. The bill provides the NU Board of Regents with S350,000 for instruc tional equipment at the College of Engineering and Technology in 1989 90 and $525,000 in 1990-91. The regents also would receive S1 million for health insurance in 1989 90 and $1.9 million in 1990-91. About SI million in 1989-90 and $1.3 mil lion in 1990-91 was appropriated for NU’s retirement program. The Legislature also passed a bill to create a Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Fund to be ad ministered by the Department of Environmental Control. The bill would put a $1 tax on each tire sold in Nebraska and a $25 to $50 fee for businesses depending on the amount of their retail sales. The rest of the fund would be made up of $500,000 in state money. The fund would be used to create a comprehensive waste reduction plan for the state and to provide for re search and grants to local govern ments to help them bring landfills up to licensing standards. The bill passed 27-14, but Sen. Rod Johnson of Sutton, the bill’s sponsor, said he is concerned Gov. Kay Orr may veto it. Senators also approved 36-8 a measure to put a tax on marijuana of $100 per ounce, $150 per gram or $500 per 50 dosage units on other drugs. The provision would apply to dealers who sell six or more ounces of marijuana, seven or more grams of any controlled substance sold by weight or 10 or more dosage units of any controlled substance not sold by weight. The tax would be paid to the De partment of Revenue, which would issue certificates to dealers verifying the tax had been paid. A bill to establish a nursing schol arship incentive program with S60,000 in 1990-91 and $120,000 in 1991-92 passed 41-4. The bill is designed to keep nurses practicing in Nebraska with up to $2,000 in scholarships. The governor has five legislative days to sign or veto the bills. Spire: Education bill provision may be proved unconstitutional By Victoria Ayotte Senior Reporter__ Nebraska Attorney GeneralRobert Spire issued an opinion Wednesday, stat ing that a provision of die bill to restructure higher education may be uncon stitutional. LB 1141 would implement a proposed constitutional amendment, LR239CA, to abolish the NU Board of Regents and Ne braska State College Board of Trustees and create seven boards of trustees, one for each university and state college, and a Board of Regents for Nebraska Higher Education. Section 7 of the bill would create a Nebraska Commission on Higher Educa tion. Spire’s opinion says the appointment procedures of the commission are what may be unconstitutional. The commission would have 12 mem bers. One would be a citizen appointed by the governor, eight would be appojnted hy and from the Board of Regents for Nebraska Higher Education, the technical community college boards and the governing boards or independent colleges and universities in Nebraska. One member would be appointed by the governor from a private school The gover nor and Commissioner of Education would be the final two members. The Legislature could appoint members * from public governing boards to serve on the commission based on past court rulings, the opinion staled, but appointment from boards of private colleges and universities could be unconstitutional. Another constitutional problem could arise from the provision that commission mem bers be appointed from the public governing boards. It appears to go against a precedent that said the Legislature is taking away the governor’s power if it only allows an ap pointment to be made from a limited num ber of possibilities. Because the public governing boards have “ limited membership,’ ’ that appears to be a “clear violation” of the Nebraska Constitution, Spire's opinion states. Five days left in session Filibuster blocks abortion bill By Victoria Ayotte Senior Reporter Time is running out for proponents of a bill requiring minors in Nebraska to notify a parent if they intend to have an abortion. With five days left in the legislative session, Omaha State Sens. John Lindsay and Bern ice Labedz on Friday failed in their attempt to pul LB769, which would require parental notifica tion, into another bill, LB688e. It is unlikely LB769 will be on the agenda again before the session ends. Labedz filed a motion ■ i to return LB688e, on final 1 u 1 reading, to the second round of consideration for a specific amendment. That amendment would drop the provisions of LB688e and adopt the provisions of LB769. But before Labedz could file her motion, Sen. David Landis of Lincoln, an opponent of LB769, filed his own to return the bill to the second round tor an amendment. Senators never got to consider Labed/.’s motion, as Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha started senators at about 10 a.m. on a “mara thon” filibuster that lasted until about 11:20 p.m. A session can run until midnight LB688e was not on the agenda today. Chambers brought volumes of reading material as he sought every opportunity to speak during the filibuster. Chambers said he had the “stamina” to hold on until midnight and would pace himself during discussion. Sen. Don Wesely of Lincoln, a proponent of LB688e, urged senators to defeat both mo tions. LB688e would allow day-care centers to perform routine health care for individuals with developmental disabilities. “We are wasting time,” Wesely said. “1 just ask for some understanding here.... 1 wish we could get back to the agenda.” But both sides stood entrenched, as Lindsay said the Legislature should be allowed to come to a vote on the parental notification issue. But Sen. Dianna Schimek of Lincoln said the minority against the parental notification bill needs to be heard. See ABORTION on 5
