Legislature advances, adjusts Micron bills
By Matthew Waite
Senior Reporter
After much debate Thursday, two
of the three “Micron bills” gained
second-round leg
islative approval.
The Nebraska
Legislature ad
vanced LB828and
LB829, bills that
would offer incen
tives to lure a new
Micron Inc. plant
LEGISLATURE anu lls
LKLulOLMI URC t0 Omaha. A simi
lar bill, LB830, advanced to final read
ing Wednesday night.
An announcement on where the
plant will be located is expected March
1. In addition to Omaha, the company
is considering sites in Oklahoma City,
Okla., and Utah County, Utah.
The Legislature played hokey
pokey with LB829 by adding an
amendment, pulling it out and shak
ing support for the bill in the process.
The bill would allow qualifying com
panies to use income tax money for
job training.
The bill passed 27-10. LB828
passed 26-3 after only one amend
ment.
An amendment proposed by Sen.
Kermit Brashear of Omaha that would
have eliminated net incentives from
cost-benefit analysis had a short, but
damaging life.
The amendment originally passed
25-15, but after an amendment to
repeal Brashear’s amendment and a
speech by Revenue Committee Chair
man Jerome Warner of Waverly, it
was repealed 27-3.
Brashear’s amendment said that
in current cost-benefit analysis com
putations, a company was charged
twice for the net incentives that they
received. A cost-benefit analysis is
done to determine if an investment is
profitable.
See LEGISLATURE on 3
Micron bills try patience of politicians
oy Mannew wane
Senior Reporter
In only its 32nd day in session,
the Nebraska Legislature was hard
at it Thursday for a second night in
a row.
With Speaker of the Legislature
Ron Withem pushing the “Micron
bills” through the Legislature,
members were again asked to work
into the night. A Saturday session
was rumored to be on the horizon if.
the bills did not pass.
Some members grew tired of
the debate, with tensions erupting
Thursday morning when Sen. Ernie
Chambers of Omaha lashed out at
Withem for “bastardizing” the leg
islative process.
Odd for only 32 days into the
session? Yes, Withem said Thurs
day night.
“I’m not a very good person to
ask,” he said about the mood of the
Legislature. “I’ve come down from
See DEBATE on 3
Panel studies
benefits for
gay partners
| |
By Ted Taylor
Staff Reporter
The UNL Committee for Gay and Lesbian
Concerns is asking the employee benefit com
mittee to look into a proposal that would allow
homosexual partners of UNL employees to
receive benefits.
Barbara DiBemard, co-chairwoman of the
Gay and Lesbian Committee, said the commit
tee did not have a concrete proposal, but would
ask the benefits panel to look into the situation.
“All we want is for the committee to make a
commitment to study the issue closely,” she
said.
The possibility of providing unmarried het
erosexual partners benefits also has been raised.
“That issue has been debated, too,” she said.
“The senate could come up with a policy they
feel appropriate, when and if it comes to that.”
DiBemard, an associate professor of En
glish and director of women’s studies, cited the
University of Chicago, the University of Iowa
and Stanford University as having similar pro
grams in place.
“There are dozens of schools who have dealt
with this issue,” she said. “UNL is not a leader
in this area.”
DiBemard said that benefits for homosexual
partners fell under the university’s nondis
crimination policy, which says sexual orienta
tion is not a basis for denying employee-related
services and benefits.
“Research shows that the people’s biggest
fear is that insurance costs would skyrocket,1’
she said, “but in similar programs, costs have
added up to less than .3 percent.”
Football star i f
arrested for
noncompliance
From Staff Reports
Lincoln police arrested NU football player
Abdul Muhammad after he allegedly refused to
cooperate with an officer.
Police were responding to a Tuesday after
noon disturbance call in which a weapon may
have been involved. The man allegedly wield
ing the gun has refused to give his name.
Also cited for not cooperating with officers
in the incident was Brian Knuckles, a junior
running back from Charlotte, N.C., who
redshirted with the Comhuskers this year.
Sgt. Ann Heermann gave the following
account of the incident:
See ARRESTS on 3
Color my world
Damon Lee/DN
Jpnet Bringewatt, a graduate student in speech pathology, helps a student with a drawing at Barkley Preschool at
the Barkley Memorial Center Thursday morning.
Classroom gives
graduate student
new opportunity
By Julie Sobczyk
Staff Reporter
Janet Bringewatt has learned a lot this
semester.
But much of it hasn’t been from her
professors — it’s been from children.
Bringewatt, a first-year graduate student
in speech pathology, teaches at the Barkley
Preschool at the Barkley Memorial Center
on UNL’s East Campus.
Her teaching position began in January
as part of her clinical practicum as a gradu
ate student.
Linda Crowe, a clinical instructor in
speech pathology, supervises Bringewatt and
three other students teaching at the pre
school.
Crowe said the school, in its second year
at UNL, was part of Lincoln Public Schools
and had 26 preschoolers enrolled.
Working at the preschool offers the gradu
ate students practical experience in the class
room, Crowe said.
“It’s like an internship for graduate stu
dents,” she said. “They not only get to
participate, but they get to collaborate with
other professionals and team members as
well.”
Bringewatt said teaching had been a
learning experience.
“So far this semester, I’ve gotten a good
idea of preschoolers’ language develop
ment,” Bringewatt said. '
One enjoyable part of teaching, she said,
is just being with the children.
“I get exposure to a different setting,” she
said.
Bringewatt said she had worked with the
elderly in the past, and working with chil
dren had made her see a different side to
speech pathology.
“I get to see another aspect,” she said. “I
get a good picture at this end, and I’ve
gained knowledge.”
The majority ofBringewatt’s day is spent
planning activities with the children. She
helps the children organize activities, plays
games and sings songs with them.
Bringewatt said there was one part of
teaching she enjoyed most.
“My favoritejjart is talking with the
kids,” she said. “They’re so honest, and they
have some fun ideas.”
Bringewatt said it was important not to
play favorites with the children.
“I like them all,” she said. “They’re all so
different.”
Although Bringewatt said she found
teaching enjoyable, sometimes it could be
trying.
“The most challenging thing for me is
dealing with behavior problems,” she said.
