Proposal Calls to Eliminate Nebraska’s Electoral College Split

The Nebraska State Capitol building is seen on the opening day of the last legislative session, in Lincoln, Jan. 8, 2020. (AP)
The state law that allowed President-elect Joe Biden to win one of Nebraska’s Electoral College votes could once again be in jeopardy under a new bill introduced Thursday in the Legislature.
The measure would reinstate a winner-take-all system, awarding all five of Nebraska’s Electoral College votes to the statewide winner in presidential races.
Republicans have tried for years to repeal the 1991 law that lets the state divide its votes. A Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t won statewide since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
The current system enacted in 1991 awards two votes to the statewide presidential winner and three by congressional district. The 2nd Congressional District encompassing Omaha has broken from the rest of Nebraska twice to support Democratic candidates Barack Obama in 2008 and Biden last year.
The proposal, Legislative Bill 76, sponsored by Republican Sen. Julie Slama of Peru, was among 143 measures introduced last Thursday. An additional 76 were introduced last Friday.
Among the proposals are:
• LB 18, sponsored by Seward Sen. Mark Kolterman, which would change provisions relating to equivalent employees and qualified locations under the ImagiNE Nebraska Act;
• LB 40, sponsored by North Platte Sen. Mike Groene, which would adopt the Nebraska Rural Projects Act;
• LB 43, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Matt Hansen, which would provide for election of election commissioners and eliminate certain deputy positions;
• LB 52, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop, which would provide for immunity for injury or death resulting from COVID-19 exposure;
• LB 64, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Brett Lindstrom, which would change provisions relating to the taxation of Social Security benefits;
• LB 69, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Jen Day, which would adopt the Student Loan Repayment Tax Credit Act;
• LB 72, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Suzanne Geist, which would provide for sale of alcoholic liquor not in its original package;
• LB 140, sponsored by Gering Sen. John Stinner, which would change provisions relating to enforcement of railroad safety standards;
• LB 151, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld, which would adopt the Prosecutorial Transparency Act;
• LB 179, sponsored by Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, which would transition from elected to appointed county assessors;
• LB 186, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Robert Hilkemann, which would change provisions relating to the offense of criminal child enticement;
• LB 188, sponsored by Hastings Sen. Steve Halloran, which would adopt the Second Amendment Preservation Act;
• LB 199, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Tony Vargas, which would adopt the Face Surveillance Privacy Act;
• LB 205, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt, which would change provisions relating to unpaid periodic rent under the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act;
• LB 211, sponsored by Glenvil Sen. Dave Murman, which would adopt the Reflexologist Registration Act;
• LB 212, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, which would prohibit charging members of the Legislature fees for public record requests;
• LR 2CA, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne, which would amend the Nebraska state constitution to legalize cannabis for persons 21 and older and to require legislation; and
• LR 11CA, sponsored by Bayard Sen. Steve Erdman, which would amend the Nebraska state constitution to require enactment of a consumption tax and prohibit certain other forms of taxation; and
• LR 13CA, sponsored by Gordon Sen. Tom Brewer, which would amend the Nebraska state constitution to limit the percentage of funding for schools that comes from property taxes.
New bills may be introduced through Jan. 20.
This report contains material from The Associated Press and the Unicameral Information Office.
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