I SPORTS
Leit weight
1 The Nebraska men’s gymnastics team battles No.
1 4 Iowa and Minnesota this weekend in unfamiliar
1 territory: the Devaney track. PAGE 12
ft & E
Location jokes
1 Duffy’s Comedy Night is Lincoln’s only venue
I for local comedy and improv. The life of a comic,
i though, isn’t all laughs. PAGE 10
FRIDAY
February 19, 1999
It Snows Without Saying
Mostly cloudy, snow, high 35. Snow tonight, low 25.
VOL. 98 COVERING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN SINCE 1901 NO. 105
1 You # ■*
wmyoulos
i some, some
Matt Miller/DN
KELLI KOMZ OF KEARNEY kisses her boyfriend Ben Koch, a junior
from Cozad, after he lost Thursday afternoon in the first round of
the 1999 Nebraska State High School Wrestling Tournament at
the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The tournament continues all
day Friday and Saturday, forcing the Husker men’s gymnastics
meet against Minnesota tonight to move to the track area of the
Devaney Center. By 2 p.m. Saturday, 896 wrestlers will be pared
down to 112 wrestlers for the finals.
* Tin » rrr-r tt-it-. t »-,» r»-v /T^XT
i l uworviy LJi't
SOPHOMORE ANDY COATES of Stanton High grieves over his loss
in the 140-pound weight class of the Nebraska State High School
Wrestling Tournament on Thursday afternoon.
Senators examine future of petitions
■ Legislators propose public
hearings and administrative review
before issues are placed on ballots.
By Jessica Fargen
Senior staff writer
Under legislation heard by senators
Thursday, measures such as last year’s failed
Initiative 413 would have a harder time
becoming part of the state constitution.
Provisions of the bills heard by the
Government, Military and Veterans Affairs
Committee would require public hearings
before petitions are circulated, let the
Legislature consider petitions before they are
placed on the ballot and allow the Secretary of
State to reject petitions that conflict with the
state or U.S. constitutions.
A constitutional amendment, LR18, was
advanced 5-2. It was the only legislation the
committee acted on Thursday. The resolution,
introduced by Speaker Doug Kristensen of
Minden, would require two successive votes of
the people to amend the constitution.
“The main purpose is that you are going to
make the public and the Legislature stop and
think longer and harder, ‘Is this the change we
want to make?’”
The bill would also move up the date for
filing a petition with the Secretary of the State
from four months before the general election
to eight months before the election. This
would allow the Legislature time to consider
petitions.
Kristensen said LR18 could curb the
depressing trend set by Nebraska’s petition
process in the 1990s. Grass-roots groups,
often out-spent by powerful lobbyists, would
have a better chance to bring concerns to the
table.
“The opportunity to change the constitu
tion is a lot easier if you have a lot of money,”
Please see BILLS on 6
3HHKJ
Candidates
voice focus
for campus
By Kim Sweet
Staff writer
In the first executive debate of the ASUN election
season, Focus and Voice candidates assembled to
exchange views on campus buzzwords, including
binge drinking and the university’s Master Plan.
The debate, sponsored by the Mortar Board, the
Union Board and the UNL chapter of College
Republicans, allowed members of Voice and Focus to
pose questions on current issues to the opposing party.
Discussing proposed changes to the university
under the Master Plan, the Focus party questioned
Voice candidates on where they would get money to
fund enhancements to the Culture Center - something
Voice endorses on its platform.
Because the Culture Center falls under the
Nebraska Unions’ budget, Focus party second vice
presidential candidate Jon England said improving the
building would add more dollars to already increasing
student fees.
Andy Schuerman, Voice presidential candidate,
said increased awareness of what the building offered
students would spark more use. The increased use
Please see DEBATE on 6
CFA restores
some funds
after debate
By Shane Anthony
Staff writer
After 3 V2 hours of intense debate Thursday, the
Committee for Fees Allocation restored two cuts and
denied one appeal for an increase - twice.
The committee voted to restore $10,687 to the
Student Involvement portion of the Nebraska Union’s
fund and $3,009 to the University Program Council.
Campus Recreation unsuccessfully appealed a decision
made Tuesday to cut an increase in the facility fee from
$1 to 50 cents.
Stan Campbell, campus recreation director, said the
decrease delays funds for future projects - some part of
the master plan.
The fund that would get a lower increase keeps
money for future projects and replacement and mainte
nance costs, he said. For five years, Campus Rec got the
$l-a-year increase. Last year, it didn’t, delaying
$46,000. This year’s lowered increase will delay
$23,000 more.
CFA member Tom Heacock moved to restore the 50
Please CFA on 6
Read the Daily Nebraskan on the World Wide Web at dailyneb.com