SPOUTS
Just chillin’
But only for more week. Then the NU baseball
team takes its young pitching staff on the road.
1 Part of the spring sports preview. PAGE 16
A&E
Sing us a song
From Japan to Lincoln, karaoke turns the aver
age Joe into a jukebox hero. Lincoln offers a vari
ety of clubs for discriminating tastes. PAGE 8
FRIDAY
January 29, 1999
Turning the Corner
Partly sunny, high 45. Cloudy tonight, low 28.
VOL. 98 COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN SINCE 1901 NO. 90
Johanns’ budget falls short of NU request
ByIevaAugstums
Senior staff writer
University officials said Thursday
they still plan to seek higher salaries
and technology funding, despite Gov.
Mike Johanns' “fiscally conservative
request."
Johanns, in his State of the State
address Wednesday, proposed a 3.7
percent budget increase for the
University of Nebraska. The NU Board
of Regents requested a 6.8 percent
increase.
“I'm not surprised," Regent Chuck
Hassebrook of Walthill said. “But it
does put the university in a difficult
position."
In its budget request, the university
would like to increase faculty salaries,
fund technology and cover general
inflation costs.
Faculty salaries are 5 to 6 percent
below the midpoint of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln's peer institutions.
Additional technology funding
would provide increased distance
learning capabilities and improved
research possibilities.
“It's not going to be easy, but it's a
must,” Hassebrook said.
NU President Dennis Smith said he
was pleased with the governor's budget
but was concerned whether the univer
sity would be able to serve its students
and faculty at full capacity.
“1 think the governor has treated us
as well as he could," Smith said. “But
we still have major needs."
Smith said he was glad to hear
Johanns has made higher education a
priority during his term; however, pro
viding full funding of faculty salaries
still is a top priority.
Regent Nancy O'Brien of Waterloo
said that under Johanns' budget, facul
ty would receive a 3.8 percent salary
and benefits increase.
“It’s not what we requested, but it is
something,” O’Brien said. “I don't
think the governor’s budget means the
university will not ask for anything
more.”
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chancellor James Moeser said if the
NU system does not receive proper
funding, UNL could face serious bud
get reductions.
“I think the governor is trying to be
supportive in every way possible,”
Moeser said. ‘'But we have to protect
our core mission of teaching and
research excellence.”
O’Brien said if Johanns’ budget is
passed as is, the NU system could face
substantial decreases in programming
and significant faculty cuts.
“The most important thing, as
regents, is that we have to be clear that
we are trying to move the university
forward, not backwards,” O'Brien said.
“But we don't want to stand still either.”
Smith will present the university's
budget to the Appropriations
Committee in March.
“The burden is on us to be creative
to find ways to reduce our budget,”
Smith said.
Hassebrook agreed.
“In spite of what we have before us,
we cannot back away from enduring a
quality education,” he said. “We have to
make this an accessible institution to all
of our students.”
Bills would limit
convicts’ appeals
By Shane Anthony
Staff writer
Courts, convicts and constitutional rights came before the
Legislature’s Judiciary Committee Thursday in the form of two
bills.
The committee heard testimony on LB 185 and LB 186.
Both bills - which would attempt to limit time prisoners can
take in court - are part of a joint crime package developed by
Gov. Mike Johanns and Attorney General Don Stenberg.
LB 186 would limit the number of post-conviction pro
ceedings available to prisoners. If the bill passed, prisoners
would have one chance to file a petition for relief based on state
or U.S. constitutional issues. The bill would require the petition
be filed within three vears of
u- conviction.
This lack of
finality breeds a
lack of respect for
the law"
Don Stenberg
attorney general
btenberg, citing several
death penalty cases, said
constant appeals drag out
the judicial process.
“This lack of finality
breeds a lack of respect for
the law,” Stenberg said.
He did not cite the
Randolph Reeves case, but
Reeves' attorney, Paula
Hutchinson, and a brother of
one of Reeves' victims testi
fied Thursday.
Reeves was scheduled to die in the electric chair Jan. 14 for
the 1980 murders of Janet Mesner and Vicki Lamm, but the
State Supreme Court granted a stay to hear motions filed by
Hutchinson.
“The interest of finality should never trump the issue of jus
tice when someone’s life is involved” she said Thursday, testi
fying against LB 186.
Greg Zessin, Vicki Lamm's brother, testified in favor of the
bill. Reeves’ appeals since his conviction in 1981 have dragged
on too long, he said preventing closure for the victims’ fami
lies.
“It just goes on and on,” he said.
Lincoln Attorney Alan Peterson said the bill was offensive
to the U.S. Constitution and disrespected prisoners’ rights.
Versions of the bill from years past at least required competent
counsel for the convicted he said.
“This bill doesn't even wink at that kind ofjustice,” he said.
During testimony on both bills, Omaha Sen. Ernie
Chambers questioned motions Stenberg has filed in several
cases. The court dismissed several motions for lack of merit.
Please see APPEALS on 2
Scott McClurg/DN
DAY-CARE CHILDREN, FROM LEFT, Bridgid Rankin, Donald Washington and Kaitlin Foster climb over a jungle gym Thursday
afternoon at the YWCA. Ninety-four children are enrolled in day care through University Child Care.
-Who _
UNL students, staff struggle with child-care shortage
By Kim Sweet
Staff writer
During finals week more than a year
ago, UNL graduate Emily Elowsky had
something else on her mind besides cram
ming.
Mother to an infant son, Elowsky had
to find a person to take care of him after
her daycare provider had emergency
surgery the week of finals.
Elowsky had to make arrangements to
get care for her infant child quickly. With
her finals during the day, taking him to a
working friend’s or parent’s house was out
of the question.
Calling on a new daycare provider was
out of the question as well because
Elowsky had previously interviewed more
than 30 people before finding one she
trusted to care for her son.
She was left with one option: toting her
son along to the tests.
Fortunately, professors were flexible.
One allowed her to take her final in the
hallway so she could keep an eye on her
son without disturbing the other students.
The challenges of finding daycare for
her son did not begin or end there, howev
er.
The lack of child care sponsored by the
university is a problem that Elowsky is
familiar with. Wanting to put her child in
University Child Care since he was 6
weeks old, the UNL graduate now covets
the spot her son holds at the center on 14th
and N streets.
That is because it took a year and a half
on the waiting lists before she could secure
a spot for her child.
“You have to know before you are
pregnant anymore to get on the waiting
Please see CARE on 3
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