Bills offer help for landlords
By Brian Carlson
Staff Reporter
Landlords could charge tenants
twice as much for security deposits if
a bill heard on Thursday passes in the
Legislature.
The Legislature’s Judiciary Com
mittee heard testimony on LB504,
sponsored by Sen. Jim Jensen of
Omaha.
LB504 would increase the maxi
mum security deposit landlords could
charge tenants from one month’s rent
to two months’ rent. It would also al
low uncontested eviction proceedings
to begin five to seven days after a sum
mons is issued.
The larger security deposit could
be used by landlords to cover prop
erty damages caused by tenants, which
several proponents said was a grow
ing problem.
But Malcolm Kass, representing
the Association of Students of the
University of Nebraska, said larger
security deposits could place off-cam
pus college students in a pinch.
He said the bill’s provisions would
cause “a particular strain to students.”
Wavering time schedules, academics
and the lack of a full-time job would
inhibit their ability to fight an evic
tion notice in the shorter period of
time, he said.
“It would definitely hamper that
student’s ability to concentrate on aca
demics,” he said.
But the bill was supported with
extensive proponent testimony.
Frank Kucirek, president of
Omaha’s Property Owners Associa
tion, said the bill would boost the
economy by allowing landlords to put
their property back on the market
sooner following an eviction.
He said if tenants have to move out
soon after their eviction notice it would
minimize the property damage they
could do out of frustration in that time.
'Kucirek said most actions for pos
session are not contested by the ten
ants, and the proposal would speed up
the process.
Other bill proponents said the state
risked creating a further shortage of
rental availability if landlords weren’t
granted further options for ensuring
the profitability of their rentals.
In a joint hearing, the Judiciary
Committee considered LB533 and
LB779, similar bills sponsored by
Speaker Ron Withem of Papillion and
Don Wesely of Lincoln, respectively.
The two bills would allow land
lords to more quickly terminate rental
agreements for dangerous tenants or
those who committed felonies or other
infractions.
Withem’s LB533 would allow
landlords to seek law enforcement
help to immediately terminate a rental
agreement following a “material and
irreparable” breach.
Under Wesely’s LB779, landlords
would be able to terminate a rental
agreement after three days’ notice if a
tenant created a “serious and clear
danger” to another tenant.
Nadja Wright of Lincoln testified
in support of the proposed legislation.
A resident of a local apartment com
plex, Wright said she had received
repeated harassment and death threats
from a fellow female resident.
She said the complex’s manage
ment had ordered the woman to quit
threatening her, but held no real power
to correct the situation.
“1 live in a state of fear,” she said.
“I do not like having to come home to
a place where I pay rent and have to
fear for my life.”
The Judiciary Committee heard no
opposition testimony on the propos
als.
Blood drive draws big turnout
By David Welch
Staff Reporter
More than 600 students found their
way to the Centennial Ballroom
Wednesday and Thursday to lend a
helping arm.
The Red Cross Blood Drive drew
about 500 pints of usable blood in re
turn for satisfaction for some of the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln stu
dents who participated.
Micheal Ziska, a sophomore ac
counting major, said he donated be
cause he wanted to help.
“I was glad I had an opportunity
to help others who are in need of
blood,” Ziska said.
Senior biology major Jeana
Schmid, member of the Campus Red
Cross and co-chairwoman for the
blood drive, called the drive a success.
“Tie blood drive’s motto, ‘Saving
the World One Drop at a Time,’ helped
generate our motivation, and I am
pleased witn tne success oi mis year s
donor turnout,” Schmid said.
After students donated, they were
offered snacks from Subway, Burger
King and Papa John’s Pizza, which
donated food for the blood drive.
About 120 volunteer nurses, health
aides and students also helped with the
drive, Schmid said.
Students who want to donate blood
before next year’s drive can set up an
appointment with the local Red Cross
or Lincoln’s Community Blood Bank.
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Competing ASUN candidates
attend government convention
By Kasey Kerber
Staff Reporter
Curt Ruwe, presidential candidate for the
ADVANCE party, and Mark Meyer, first vice
presidential candidate for the KEG party, never
expected to be spending four days together.
But when Ruwe and Meyer were offered the
opportunity to brush elbows with student gov
ernment leaders at the Council of Student Gov
ernment Associations convention, they put their
election differences aside and traveled to Texas
A&M University in College Station.
“It was a unique experience having to room
with (Ruwe), considering our competing posi
tions,” Meyer said. “Yet we got along fine.”
While at the CSGA convention, Ruwe and
Meyer learned ways to improve student gov
ernment.
They attended workshops, listened to speak
ers, participated in round table discussions and
spoke with student government representatives
from coast to coast.
Ruwe said the council gave him a chance to
learn things that could be used in the current
ASUN. He said some of the best ideas centered
on enhancing ASUN’s Freshman Action Com
MfiiliiUiaUiiiliiS W8£
mittee.
In Texas A&M’s fish aids and fish camps
programs, the university boasts a 91-percent
retention rate for freshmen, Ruwe said.
Meyer said this program also had an im
pact on him.
“It’s an impressive accomplishment for
A&M,” Meyer said. “I think such a program
here could be very beneficial.”
Meyer also said he learned about how to
make student government financially stronger
and use technology for easy and effective com
munication.
Both Ruwe and Meyer agreed that A SUN
should continue to send election candidates to
the CGSA.
“I’d send more than two candidates for this,”
Ruwe said, adding that the University of Ne
braska at Omaha sent four representatives.
Both candidates also agreed the council of
fered a good chance to see what worked for some
governments and what might work for ASUN.
“You got to see how certain programs could
be successful,” Meyer said, “and it made you
consider your own.”
KEG gets wired with web page
From Staff Reports
The KEG party is online.
For the first time in ASUN history, a stu
dent government election party has its own web
page.
The page at <http://www.unl.edu/KEG>
features a list of KEG candidates, a copy of the
party’s platform, voting information and loca
tions, and information on KEG’s “Write-In”
campaign. It also allows web viewers to send
mail to the KEG party.
KEG presidential candidate Scott Brauer
LULHXHSr
said getting the web page was far from easy.
“It took us three days,” Brauer said. “There
was a lot of bureaucratic process involved.”
But after lining up an adviser, authoriza
tion and finally the page itself, Brauer said it
was worth it.
‘Technology is becoming more and more
of a part of this university,” Brauer said. “We
wanted to recognize that.”
Brauer said he hoped the page would soon
include photos of KEG candidates and updated
information on next week’s debates.
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