Turnover to give Legislature a new look
A third of the unicameral legislative workforce will turn over today.
That’s about four times the average turnover rate of government workers in general and state and local government workers in particular in this country.
Because of term limits, the Lincoln delegation of senators now has no one with more than two years of experience.
Among the 16 senators new to the Legislature this year, three are from the Lincoln area. They are Kathy Campbell, District 25; Ken Haar, District 21; and Colby Coash, District 27.
Although no one will know until this afternoon to which committees they will be assigned, they all have given their preferences. And they all have shown some areas of interest in legislation.
Campbell would like to serve on the Health and Human Services Committee and the Transportation Committee, she said. She also has expressed interest in the Revenue and Education committees.
Campbell, who works for Cedars Youth Services, plans to introduce bills dealing with Medicaid and children’s health.
Coash also likes Health and Human Services, along with the Judiciary and Education committees.
Coash, who works in human services providing support to people with disabilities, wants to help find solutions for the problems of the Beatrice State Developmental Center.
Education and Natural Resources are on Haar’s short list of committee preferences.
“I’m going to put my creativity, to begin with, into renewable energy,” he said.
He is looking at introducing three or four bills related to renewable energy — wind energy in particular.
The two-year veteran senators in the Lincoln delegation have established their primary interests.
Danielle Nantkes and Tony Fulton spend lots of their time reviewing and making decisions about the state budget as members of the Appropriations Committee. Amanda McGill has been on three committees, including Judiciary and Business and Labor. And Bill Avery is on the Education and Government, Military and Veterans Affairs committees.
It could be Monday before new senators have offices. And even those who have been around a while may move somewhere else in the Capitol.
New faces in the Legislature mean some names will disappear from the voting board. They include Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, the longest-serving member at 38 years, and Lincoln Sen. DiAnna Schimek, who served for 20 years.
Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.
That’s about four times the average turnover rate of government workers in general and state and local government workers in particular in this country.
Because of term limits, the Lincoln delegation of senators now has no one with more than two years of experience.
Among the 16 senators new to the Legislature this year, three are from the Lincoln area. They are Kathy Campbell, District 25; Ken Haar, District 21; and Colby Coash, District 27.
Although no one will know until this afternoon to which committees they will be assigned, they all have given their preferences. And they all have shown some areas of interest in legislation.
Campbell would like to serve on the Health and Human Services Committee and the Transportation Committee, she said. She also has expressed interest in the Revenue and Education committees.
Campbell, who works for Cedars Youth Services, plans to introduce bills dealing with Medicaid and children’s health.
Coash also likes Health and Human Services, along with the Judiciary and Education committees.
Coash, who works in human services providing support to people with disabilities, wants to help find solutions for the problems of the Beatrice State Developmental Center.
Education and Natural Resources are on Haar’s short list of committee preferences.
“I’m going to put my creativity, to begin with, into renewable energy,” he said.
He is looking at introducing three or four bills related to renewable energy — wind energy in particular.
The two-year veteran senators in the Lincoln delegation have established their primary interests.
Danielle Nantkes and Tony Fulton spend lots of their time reviewing and making decisions about the state budget as members of the Appropriations Committee. Amanda McGill has been on three committees, including Judiciary and Business and Labor. And Bill Avery is on the Education and Government, Military and Veterans Affairs committees.
It could be Monday before new senators have offices. And even those who have been around a while may move somewhere else in the Capitol.
New faces in the Legislature mean some names will disappear from the voting board. They include Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, the longest-serving member at 38 years, and Lincoln Sen. DiAnna Schimek, who served for 20 years.
Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.
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