Legislators consider
break from compact
Residents: ‘Save’ Boyd from waste site
By Jessica Fargen
Senior staff writer
“Save Boyd County!” was the cry
from several testifiers Wednesday
supporting a bill that would with
draw Nebraska from the low-level
radioactive waste compact the state
entered into more than 10 years ago.
Senators on the Natural
Resources
Committee led '
those cries and
advanced the
bill 7-0.
Supporters
testifying said
recent develop
ments within the
compact may
give the bill to
withdraw from
the pact more
steam than it has
naa in me last several years.
In 1989, Boyd County was
selected for the waste site as a part of
the Central State Low-Level
Radioactive Waste compact, which
also includes Kansas, Oklahoma,
Louisiana and Arkansas.
Ewing Sen. Cap Dierks, who is
sponsoring LB530, said roadblocks
preventing similar legislation from
passing before have now been
bypassed.
Earlier fears of Nebraska’s with
drawal causing millions of dollars in
litigation have been quelled by a
Washington, D.C., law firm hired by
the Legislature, he said
The firm’s lawyers said if
Nebraska withdrew from the con
tract, it could be required to pay
$25,000 a year for five years. The
state now pays $25,000 in dues each
year to be in the compact.
In addition, the Nebraska
Department of Environmental
Quality denied a license for the site
last year.
At the hearing, waste site oppo
nents, many of whom were Boyd
County residents, said the land cho
sen ior tne site
was not well
suited for a
waste site.
Dierks told
senators the
proposed land
for die site is on
wetlands and
next to a high
way, and the
price of the land
was $1,000 an
acre.
i ms impossiDie, lmprooaDie,
illegal site is still being pursued,” he
said.
But supporters of the site warned
senators not to act in haste in passing
LB530.
Bill Neal, division manager for
environmental and governmental
affairs for the Omaha Public Power
District, said Nebraska joined the
compact to prevent collecting waste
from non-compact states.
Membership also assured that the
state would have a place to dump its
own waste.
Right now Nebraska’s low-level
waste is shipped to a site in South
Carolina, he said, which is in jeop
ardy of closing.
“How would Nebraska intend to
fulfill this responsibility?” he said of
the South Carolina site closing. “Is
there a plan?”
»t
7%/^ impossible,
improbable, illegal
site is still being
pursued
Cap Dierks
Ewing senator
LB476 incites
• ' • ■ __ _
GUNS from page 1
a concealed-weapon permit to undergo
background checks. Felons and those
convicted of other offenses listed in the
bill would be denied a permit
To receive a permit, Nebraskans
would have to take a gun-safety training
course including classroom instruction
and range training.
Although Gov. Mike Johanns has
said if die bill came across his desk he
would sign it into law, senator support
has dwindled this year. Fewer than 10
senators have signed onto the bill, com
pared to more than 30 last year.
But that.did not stop the half-dozen
supporters of the bill from testifying.
Terry Veazey, who is in a wheel
chair, said he would feel a lot safer if he
had the choice to carry a gun.
Veazey pointed to two incidents at
grocery stores in his Omaha neighbor
hood where people in wheelchairs have
been robbed and were unable to defend
themselves.
RussTooker, who is on the board of
directors for the Grand Island Rifle
Club and is a firearms instructor,
recalled a situation where carrying a
gun to defend himself could have
helped stop a fatal incident
One night in 1977 at a local restau
rant where Tooker was eating, a man
burst through the door and started firing
a 12-gauge shotgun. The gunman, who
was a psychiatric patient, fired six bul
lets - two of which struck Tooker in the
leg. A sheriff’s deputy at die restaurant
was killed, he said.
That violence may have been cut
short if someone in that restaurant legal
ly had the ability to fire back, he said
“The only chance we had that night
was a concealed handgun used by
someone,” he said
The misconception that carrying a
handgun will lead to mass violence is
unfounded he said
“Sometimes trouble comes looking
for you, and it won’t walk away,” he
said
Statistics on both sides of the issue
are at odds with each other.
Proponents point to a University of
Chicago study conducted from 1977 to
1992 of states with concealed-weapons
laws. Those states saw an 8.5 percent
reduction in the murder rate and a 7 per
cent reduction in severe assault
Opponents favor a study done in
Texas last year; revealing that more than
1,600 of the 185,000Texans licensed to
carry concealed weapons were arrested
in die first year of that state’s concealed
gun law. Of those arrested,402 were for
felony offenses.
Steve Grabowski, who spoke on
behalf of die Nebraska Fraternal Order
of Police, opposed the bill.
Officers approach armed and
unarmed suspects differently, he said.
This legislation would make that dis- j
tinction hard because, conceivably, any
one could be armed.
Although he said he imagined most
gun-toting citizens would be law-abid
ing, even a small number of law-break
ers could be dangerous.
“Even if 1 percent more guns are out
there on the street, that’s 1 percent more
guns I have to worry about,” he said.
Janet Bonet, Omaha coordinator for
Nebraskans for Peace, opposed the bill
because of the fear it could create.
“Fear is fodder for violence,” she
said. “Concealed guns will feed the vio
lence, not stop it.”
Omaha Sen. John Hilgert asked
Bonet if she would support any part of
the bill, or if she was unilaterally against
concealed weapons.
Although Bonet did not directly
answer the question, she said she sup
ported die training required under the
bill
Convention centers bill considered
ARENA from page 1
but also for die state,” he said
Although convention centers them
selves are not profitable, they generate
considerable economic activity for
businesses, he said
Charles Cuypers, city attorney and
interim city administrator for Grand
Island, said die bill could help cities of
Grand Island’s size build convention
centers. Such centers enhance die qual
ity of life by generating economic
development and accommodating
activities such as the performing arts.
Debra Hanson, development direc
tor for Superior, said die bill could help
the city transform its old city auditori
um into a community center that could
accommodate performing arts.
Members of the Revenue
Committee pressed proponents for
proof of the bill’s economic viability
and fairness.
Sen. David Landis of Lincoln asked
how the state could measure the amount
of new revenue generated by conven
tion centers. He also asked how the state
could ensure the measure did not pro
mote self-defeating, cutthroat competi
tion between Nebraska cities.
Ruipers said the marketplace would
help determine where convention cen
ters would be viable, and communities
would have to analyze die prospects for
success before building a center.
Ron Barton, an accountant for
KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, said the
state could use economic modeling to
estimate revenue generated by conven
tion craters.
Committee Chairman Sen. Bob
Wickersham of Harrison asked how the
state could benefit if it had to send a
large portion of new revenues back to
convention craters.
Barton said the state’s commitment
to return those funds would lessen as
convention centers paid off their debts.
Besides, he said, if convention craters
were unsuccessful in generating extra
tax revenue, the state would not be hurt
because it wouldn’t have to return as
much revenue.
ASUN voices opposition to smoking, alcohol bills
■ Senators said a bill that would
ban smoking in state buildings
would also keep some students from
smoking in their on-campus homes.
By Kim Sweet
Staff writer
ASUN voted Wednesday to oppose two bills
pending in the Nebraska Legislature dealing
with cigarettes and stricter penalties for under
age drinking.
The Association of Students of the
University of Nebraska passed three bills to
direct the Government Liaison Committee to
organize lobbying efforts against Legislative
Bills 211 and 126.
LB211 proposes to prohibit smoking in all
state-owned buildings, said Angie Klein,
Government Liaison Committee chairwoman.
Because residence halls and four greek
houses on campus are state-owned facilities, the
bill would prohibit students who reside in these
i
buildings from smoking in their rooms.
Klein said she disagreed with the bill
because nonsmoking floors are available and
residence halls contain sections that are not nec
essarily public.
“So long as there are other options available
and because you are paying, you should have the
right to smoke in (your room),” Klein said.
Fine and Performing Arts Senator Erin Reitz
expressed her discontent for LB211. Reitz said
many students have come to her opposing the
bill.
“They feel they should be able to retain the
right to smoke where they live,” Reitz said.
Nursing Senator Heather Swanson, one of
the few people who spoke against ASUN’s bill,
said smoking in the halls affects nonsmokers, no
matter how far away they live.
“Even if you live down the hall, down the
stairs, you still smell the smoke,” Swanson said.
The senate voted to oppose the bill.
Klein said if the Legislature decides to
u
The issue that the Legislature needs to address is
enforcement first and sanctions later.”
Kara Slaughter
arts and sciences senator
exclude residence halls and greek houses from
the legislation, the committee will not lobby.
Last week, ASUN tabled a bill that opposed
legislation creating stricter penalties for minors
found in possession of alcohol.
The Communications Subcommittee
revised the bill and brought forth another one
that would direct the Government Liaison
Committee to lobby against LB 126.
ASUN’s bills, which state that better
enforcement, not stricter penalties, are neces
sary to address the problems related to posses
sion of alcohol by minors, were passed over
whelmingly by the senate.
“The issue that the Legislature needs to
address is enforcement first and sanctions later,”
Arts and Sciences Senator Kara Slaughter said.
“That’s why this bill was written.”
Along with passing three bills directing the
Government Liaison Committee, ASUN also
passed a bill dealing with American Indian
remains found at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln.
The bill directs the Racial Affairs
Subcommittee to make sure recommendations
made last spring by ASUN in dealing with
American Indian remains were acted upon.
The bill comes about two weeks after more
American Indian remains were found in Bessey
Hall, home of the anthropology department.
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Bush warms to candidacy
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Offering
' his strongest statement to date on
whether he is going to run for presi
dent in 2000, Gov. George W. Bush
said Wednesday: “I’m warming to the
task.”
The Republican, a leader in sev
eral recent polls on the 2000 race,
repeated that he still hasn’t made up
his mind.
Bush spoke after a meeting with
legislative leaders from New Jersey
and South Carolina. It was his latest
discussion with politicians from out
side Texas who are urging him to seek
the White House.
“A couple of the people here said,
‘If you’ll run, we’ll support you.’ For
that, I’m most grateful,” Bush said.
The lunch meeting took place at
the Governor’s Mansion.
“I’ve come from New Jersey
specifically to encourage this gover
nor to run for the presidency because
I believe the integrity of the presiden
cy is something that is lacking,” said
Alex DeCroce. deputy speaker of the
New Jersey Assembly.
“I think George W. Bush can
bring that back to Washington.”
