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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1994)
Term limits win big; Chambers will fight By Kara CL Morrison Senior Editor Nebraskans for Term Limits got its wish on Tuesday. For the second time in two years, Nebraska voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of a constitutional amendment limiting the number of congressional and state terms Ne braska politicians could serve. With 96 percent of the precincts reporting, 68 percent of Nebraskans had voted in favor of term limits. Thirty-two percent of voters opposed limiting terms. Maine, Nevada and the District of Columbia also voted Tuesday for congressional term limits. These states and Nebraska will join the 16 other states that already have term limit laws. Meanwhile, Nebraskans returned two multiple-term Republican incum bents—3rd District Rep. Bill Barrett and 1st District Rep. Doug Bereuter — to Washington. Barrett will serve his third term in the House, while Bereuter will return for his ninth. Ally Milder of Nebraskans for Term Limits received the victory with joy but little surprise. “We feel really good about it,” Milder said of the 67 percent margin. “It’s the first step toward political reform in the state.” Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, a leading opponent of term limits, also wasn’t surprised that the term limit amendment passed. Chambers said he predicted all along that term limits would pass “overwhelmingly.” He said the ac tual percentage voting in favor of the amendment was lower than the 82 percent he had expected. Yet, he said the vote didn’t guar antee the amendment’s enactment. Nebraskans’ first vote to adopt term limits was thrown out when the num ber of petition signatures needed was miscalculated in 1992. “This vote doesn’t really mean anything, because I believe it will ultimately be overturned,” Chambers said. Chambers said he would file an appeal on the amendment with the Nebraska Supreme Court in the next 30 days to challenge a decision made Monday by Lancaster County Dis trict Judge Paul Merritt. Merritt on Monday rejected 12 challenges of the petition filed by Chambers, Tim Duggan, John Hasenaur and Lincoln City Council man Ken Haar. Merritt ruled the ini tiative petition complied with state law. Chambers said the draft of the provision was filled with flaws, which violated the standards required to produce the ballot amendment. Though Chambers said he thought the amendment would be struck down, Milder said she was confident Ne braskans for Term Limits would win any appeals. “We feel it was a strong opinion issued by (Judge Merritt),” Milder said. She said the strong voter ap proval also would help their cause. Milder maintains that term limits will even the playing field in politics by eliminating career politicians and giving citizens a greater role in gov ernment. Chambers said the argument was nonsense. “Serious people who understand it takes time to become effective in an office will not waste their time run ning,” he said. He said the term limits would encourage only those inter ested in personal gain and those eas ily swayed by special interests to run for office. Chambers said the vote reflected the average citizen’s misunderstand ing of government and inability to think deeply about public issues. Stoney Continued from Page 1 and volunteers gathered at her post election party that it was time to move to other battles. She said voters had spoken with a voice that carried across the state. “We must not think this campaign was in vain,” Stoney said. She said the campaign showed Kerrey what Nebraskans thought about health care and tax increases. If she persuaded one person who normally would not vote to make a statement about what kind of govern ment represents Nebraskans, then her campaign was successful, Stoney said. Stoney asked her faithful backers to support Kerrey and said America couldn't move forward with the poli tics of division. America should be a beacon of democracy for the world, Stoney said. She said citizens should be able to live here without the burden of gov ernment intervention and unsafe streets. Stoney also thanked all the Ne braskans who voted. “That’s what makes this the best country in the world,” Stoney said. “I believe individuals do count.” She said the campaign did the best it amid with the resources it had. “We knew that in the beginning it was going to be a challenge,” Stoney said. uAn incumbent is a tough thing to overcome.” Andy Abboud, Stoney’s campaign manager, said he was disappointed with the results of the election but proud the campaign began and fin ished with dignity. “There are not goi ng to be any sour grapes from the Stoney campaign,” he said. Kerrey was a tough opponent, Abboud said. Campaigners did ev erything thesy could. Delores Dunn said she and her husband, Bob, both of Lincoln, had volunteered to campaign from the beginning. She said Stoney’s loss was a disappointment. Kerrey Continued from Page 1 “The difficulty in being in politics today is the fear of telling the truth. Not that there’s a disagreement... but others are trying to gain a political advantage. The most difficult part is not reaching an ideological agree ment ... it’s political.” Kerrey said he saw his role in the Senate as a responsibility and an op portunity. Having two Nebraska sena tors with seniority gives the state a greater opportunity to shape the di rection of the nation in the coming years. Kerrey said the race was tougher than he expected. He said he wished the campaign had not taken the tone it did during the final weeks, but it was unavoidable. Mike Fahey, chairman of Kerrey's campaign, said he would remember this race for a long time. Unfortu nately, he said, that’s because it was one of the most negative he has been involved with. Kerrey said the campaign adver tisements that ran during past weeks cast the race in a negative light. But Kerrey said the resulting 10-percent age-point win was a big one. The senator said he would focus on entitlement spending in his up coming term, along with health care and welfare reform and education. “This evening I say to you that Nebraska must accept responsibility to lead in Washington, D.C.,” Kerrey said. “And 1 i oin you with great sin cerity to lead that charge.’’ Travis Heying/DN Dev. Ban Nelson, center, It congratulated by a supporter while Me wife Mane, left, watches. Nelson defeated Republican challenger Bene Spence Tuesday night. Nelson Continued from Page 1 He also said Nelson tried to run a positive campaign. “We ’re very proud we were able to win without running one single negative advertisement,” Foster said. Scott Holthus, Nelson’s cam paign coordinator for the state’s 3rd District, said the governor made a strong showing in western Ne braska. He said Nelson’s campaign in the Republican-dominated dis trict focused on his strengths as governor. “He’s done such a good job in the last four years,” Holthus said. “It’s easy to focus on his accom plishments. We were up strong early on, and we just kept the pres sure on. There was no way his opponent could overcome that.” Nebraska Sen. James Exon also spoke at Nelson’s victory party. “What a great, big, wonderful victory for a great, big, wonderful governor,” Excn said. Two essential ingredients for a perfect date: A date and tHis. It's everyv^nere you -warn to be © V1m U.S.A. Inc. 1994