Final pays Matt Miller/DN Sophomore psychology major Lawrence Black and freshman environmental studies major Natalie Teaford cool their feet in Broyhill Fountain as it fills with water Thursday afternoon. Temperatures reached 93 degrees as UNL employees worked to get the fountain running for what may be the last time. Construction is scheduled to begin early next fall on a water sculpture and an expansion of the Nebraska Union. Measure allows brewpubs to market their own beer By Ted Taylor Senior Reporter Although the timing wasn’t spec tacular — preceding a bill to raise speed limits—the Nebraska Legisla ture passed a bill Thursday that would give local brewpubs a little more freedom to expand. Senators voted 31-10 to pass Sen. David Landis’ brewpub bill that would would allow brewpubs to sell their product outside their establish ment beginning March 1,1997. Other provisions include: • putting brewpubs and microbrewerics under the blanket la bel “craft brewery,” • allowing brewpubs to increase annual barrel production from 5,000 to 10,000, • eliminating the requirement that brewpubs must sell 50 percent of their product on premise. The news from the Capitol was music to the ears of Linda Vcscio, owner of Lincoln’s Crane River Brewpub & Cafe. “We’re thrilled,” she said. “We’re real ly, real ly happy.” .wi Vescio said the bill would stop her establishment from continually run ning up against walls. “We’ve had lots of customers whc have expressed interest in having our beer more accessible. Now we can gc out and see if there is a market oul there,” she said. Landis introduced the brewpub bill earlier in the session as LB 1088, but because of time constraints, it never made it to first-round debate. That forced the Lincoln senator to insert the bill as an amendment to another bill during the second round of debate. Sen. John Lindsay of Omaha rose Thursday to return the bill to second round debate, saying “out of frustra tion, anger and disappointment, Fve filed enough amendments to keep us going for a while.” But after calling the bill “horribly unfair” and “not good policy,” lie with drew the amendments and let the final reading of the bill ensue. Opponents of the bill said it would di srupt the “three-tier” system of manu facturer, retailer and wholesaler. Legislature passes 51 bills On the next-to-last day of the 1996 session, the pace was fast and furious ~ . . . I Thursday as the Legislature Legislature passed 51 bills in eight W hours. • SPIRIT PLATES Corn husker spirit plates won a champion ship of their own Thursday after a 39 - i M vote passed Omaha Sen. Kermit Brashear’s LB 1264. The license plates will feature a scarlet “Cornhuskers” or “Huskers” on a cream-colored plate. They will cost $70 each, with $30 of the cost going to the Department of Motor Vehicles cash fund and the remaining $40 to a Spirit Plate Fund. • LOAN DEFAULTS A bill de signed to move responsibility for stu dent loans in default from the state to the individual schools passed 42-1 Thursday. Revenue Committee Chairman Sen. Jerome Warner of Waverly introduced the bill so the money from the loan defaults would not come from the state’s general fund. The bill stems from legislation en acted by Congress two years ago that punished institutions with default fees of 20 percent or higher. That legislation holds the slate re sponsible for the funds needed to re imburse the government. Warner’s bill also says a university that had the 20 percent default fee would have to pay its share back to the government plus 200 percent as a pen alty. That institution also would be sub ject to aliearingthat could result in the revocation or suspension of the school's license. Senators will take a recess until next Thursday, when they will attempt to override any vetoes handed down by Gov. Ben Nelson. — Ted Taylor Candidates share similar visions Stenberg, Hagel agree on issues in Senate race By Kasey Kerber Staff Reporter Candidates for the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate race emphasized issues such as welfare re form, tax cuts, term limits and states’ ri gilts Thursday afternoon—and didn ’ t disagree on much. “We don’t disagree on many is sues,” said Chuck Hagel, speaking af ter Don Stenberg in a discussion be fore the Nebraska Press Association Annual Convention. “Possibly on how to administer a few of them, but we have the same Bob Dole philosophy on most issues.” Stenberg and Hagel each had 20 minutes to speak and answer questions from the media. Nebraska’s Attorney General Stenberg said he was dedicated to a balanced budget. “If in the U.S. Senate, I will vote for a balanced budget amendment,” he said. “First because it would be good for the economy, and second because it’s the morally right thing to do. “I believe that instead of leaving a debt for our children, we should leave an inheritance.” Stenberg said he also supported private property rights, eliminating delays in the death penalty and reduc ing the amount of violence and sex on television networks. “I think the time has come to put whatever legal pressure we can on the TV networks and force them to quit polluting the minds of our youth,” Stenberg said. Hagei, wno nas served in tlie ad ministrations of former presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, said he was dedicated to cutting down regu latory government. “Many regulatory agencies have gone too far,” he said. “Regulation of health issues is critical, but many agen cies have overdone their responsibili ties. “I’ve said before that I want to cut each regulatory agency’s budget by 20 percent, and I still mean it.” Increasing economic growth was another issue Hagei emphasized. “Tlie answer for this country is growth,” Hagei said. “Two percent growth a year is not enough — our country is capable of a lot more than that.” Either Hagei or Stenberg will rep resent the Republican ticket against Democrat Gov. Ben Nelson in the November election for U.S. Senate. Property tax package passed By Ted Taylor Senior Reporter Fi fly-nine days after the 19961egis lative session began, the entire Ne braska property tax relief package now -.sits on Gov. Ben Leqislature Nelson s desk Hi/ r awaiting his signa m turc. “yes” vote would be tough for some senators but said it would be best for the state. “You really are doing a service to the state,” he said, “even though at times, it may be painful to do.” Even more debate was stirred by LB1114, which lowers and limits lax rates that local governments can apply to real estate beginning Jan. 1, 1999. Chairman of the Revenue Commit tee, and the senior member of the Leg islature, Jerome Warner of Waverly said the 36-12 vote for the bill would reinstate public confidence in the Leg islature. Warner refuted claims from Sen. David Bernard-Stevens of North Platte that the bill was on a crash course for failure in the future. “We’re not goingto have adisaster here,” Warner said. Blair Sen. Bud Robinson said the package was better than nothing. / “What if we hadn’t done any thing?” he asked Bernard-Stevens. “Of Eddie Jaksha might be out there in front.” ; Omaha tax activist Ed Jaksha, who heads the Omaha-based Nebraskans for Tax Relief organization. Jaksha’s group arranged for the Nebraska Taxpayers Bill of Rights to appear as one of the three citizen peti tions on the November ballot. Jaksha said the Legislature’s pack age should be discounted because it was political and lacked guarantees. “I characterize this package as a feel-good, look-good, smell-good package that misleads the public into thinking the Legislature has finally done something,” he said from his home in Omaha. “It hasn’t done any thing but confuse the public.” Jaksha said the Legislature passed the package to divert attention from the petitions. The final part of the package, LB 1177, passed 42-3. That bill creates a Municipal Equal ization Fund to smaller cities with lower per capita values. It also provides a five cent levy authority to small cities and counties as incentive to coordi nate city and county public safety ser vices. Gov. Nelson has said he supports the package and is expected to sign the bills into law next week. Senators passed the final three bills in the package — LB1114, LB299 and LB1177 —on Thursday. I_II 1IJ Sen. Doug 11 ma Kristensen of Minden, however, said the passage of the package didn’t mark the end of the extensive property tax debate. “This will help shape it, but it will not end it,” he said of LB299, which passed 36-11. “It is not the one bill with the answer.” Considered one of the more contro versial bills of the package, LB299 limits spending by local governments for rite next two years. Kristensen acknowledged that a Yes? Well then WIN your friend a prize. The Daily Nebraskan will give your friend a fea ture story and photo in the April 23,1996 Gifts for Grads section .Your friend will also receive a special graduation gift from Helping Hands • 8th & p • 475-4122 But first, YOU have to tell us your most creative idea for a graduation gift. The gift has to fall within a $50 budget and you have to tell us why you chose the gift for your friend. ■ Fill out this form and return it to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 ■ ■ Nebraska Union by April 15, 1996. I ■ Your Name:_ ■ ■ Your Address:___ " ■ Your Phone No.;___ I J Your Friend's Name:_4_:_ ■ 2 Your