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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1996)
Bill would move cigarettes behindNebraska’s counters By Erin Schulte Staff Reporter Anti -smoking advocates say a bi 11 introduced to the Nebraska Legislature would keep teen - agers from illegally obtain Legislature inS Cigarettes from vending ■HI? machines. But a tobacco lobbyist said Monday that the bill was not just aimed at teen-agers—it would move cigarettes behind counters everywhere. Sen. Donald Preister of Omaha, who introduced LB1151, said he hoped it would prevent lifelong ad dictions to tobacco. The bill would prohibit cigarette machines in public areas. Businesses and factories not open to the general public and bars still could have the machines. Preister said he had introduced the bill four years in a row—every year he’d been in office. The bill has a better chance of passing this year, he said, because it has been reworded in simpler language. “Even if it doesn’t pass, I’ 11 always try to help kids,” Preister said. Teen-agers have told him the easiest way they can get cigarettes is from vending ma chines, Preister said. Jamie Fassnacht, southeast area executive director of the American Cancer Society, said enforcing laws that prohibit use of tobacco for those under age 18 would be difficult if ma chines were available. “The machine just can’t check an ID,” Fassnacht said. Fassnacht said she also thought there should be a ban on all machines, not just ones in public areas. Several groups, including the American Can cer Society, American Heart Association and American Lung Association, are in full support of the bill, Fassnacht said, and will send lobby ists to talk to legislators about the bill. Opponents of the bill said the problem in volved much more than just vending machines. Bill Peters, a lobbyist for the Tobacco Insti tute, said language in the bill made retailing of tobacco products extremely difficult. He said the bill would force stores to remove cigarette displays and products from the aisles and put them all behind the counter. “Anytime someone wanted to buy cigarettes, they would have to have a clerk hand them to them,” Peters said. “This makes retailing very difficult if not impossible. There wouldn’t be any storage area for cartons.” That portion of the bill, Peters said, is the main focus of the legislation, not the removal of vending machines. Vending machines already are banned in most public places in Nebraska, he said. The bill is scheduled to be presented today to the Health and Human Services Committee. Crime bill Continued from Page 1 • The bill would require manda tory drug testing of prison inmates and parolees and require offenders on pa role to remain drug free. • Persons on parole and probation would be allowed to be used as under cover agents to help infiltrate gangs. Stenberg said he believed Nebraska to be the only state to have such a “ridiculous restriction.” He said the idea of the boot camps also was not meant to be a soft social program. “These should be run as places no one ever wants to go back to,” he said. The only major difference between this measure and last year’s crime bill, said Sheri Apking, Fisher’s legislative aide, was the aggravated circumstances provision surrounding the murder of law enforcement officials. Stenberg said the bill was needed for all Nebraskans. “LB 1182 is a diligent and sincere effort to make substantial and lasting changes in our criminal justice system in order to protect the safety of all Nebraskans,” he said. Duringhis opening remarks, Fisher fielded questions from Omaha Sens. Ernie Chambers and John Lindsay on whether tougher penalties were the answer. Lindsay told Fisher he did not un derstand how if the laws have gotten tougher, the crime could continue to go up. “Maybe we need to get tougher then,” Fisher responded. “Have harsher penalties reduced crime?” Chambers asked. “Statistically speaking, do you know for sure?” Fisher said no. But Stenberg cited FBI and Ne “LB 1182 is a diligent and sincere effort to make substantial and lasting changes in our criminal justice system in order to protect the safety of all Nebraskans. ” j: DON STENBERG attorney general i, lj - braska Crime Commission statistics that said murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults had increased 70 percent from 1984 to 1993. Stenberg said that in a recent poll conducted by the National Research Corporation, 23 percent of all Nebras kans feel their communities are more dangerous than a year ago. Fisher’s measure also would repeal a bill that required crime bills to fea ture a cost est imate and appropriations bill. Stenberg said that LB507 had put last year’s crime bill under a “legal cloud.” Most of the questions from the com mittee focused on treating juvenile offenders. Sen. Carol Hudkins of Malcolm said it had become apparent that young people today were getting “worse and worse” and had less respect for their own parents. “Don’t you see our frustration?” she asked Stenberg. “We are trying to write laws and enact laws that people will obey, and they have no respect for anything. What makes you think they are going to obey the laws?” The committee took no action on the bill. Regents Continued from Page 1 sive rights to broadcast Nebraska Comhusker athletic events. Great Plains has guaranteed UNL $8.6 million over a five-year period for the rights to broadcast Husker foot ball, volleyball and men’sand women’s basketball games. Blank said he expected the regents to approve Great Plains’ proposal. “It looks like a solid bid,” he said. “It was examined thoroughly by the Athletic Department, and the UNL vice chancellor for business went over it with a fine-toothed comb.” 1 DOUGLAS THEATRES I Movie Info: 441-0222 Call for Showtimes! PRESS: <D | CINEMA TWIN 0 » DOUGLAS 0 | EAST PARK 3 0 » EDGEWOOD 3 0 » THE LINCOLN 0 * PLAZA 4 0 | STARSHIP 0 | STUART 0 | COMING SOON Students like union plans By Todd Anderson Staff Reporter The plans for the Nebraska Union expan sion, displayed in the union’s main lounge, caught the eyes of several students Wednes _day and Thursday. The Nebraska Union offices set up the displays, which show how the plaza will look after renovation. The plans show the ex tension of the union to the south, the addition of a convenience store and the placement of the new foun tain and stage area. Completion of the en tire project is planned for summer of 1998, said Daryl Swanson, director of the Ne braska Unions. The displayed plans have been shown to the Architectural Review Board, the Union Board and the Student Affairs Advisory Council. Overal 1, students stopping to examine the plans responded positively. Craig Wellbrock, a junior business ma jor, said he liked the addition of the trees and seating. “It’s a good place for students to sit out side and study,” he said. Diane Wilson, a graduate student who works with Landscape Services, said she liked the placement of the fountain and stage area in the plaza. “I think it’s an excellent way to extend the union out into the green space and to use our campus for more events,” she said. The architects designing the plaza reno vation used input from several organiza tions, including Landscape Services, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska and the Union Board. 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