Omaha Sen. Brad Ashford asked his colleagues to correct a technical error in a section of a broad bill (LB35) that included giving Lancaster County an eighth district court judge.

This was a single-digit error - a wrong year - in a hastily drafted amendment added to the bill one evening last week.

But the effect was to leave Lancaster County with no district court judges for one year.

Senators corrected the error this week, without ever acknowledging the specific problem - a year without any judges.

Lancaster County will have seven district court judges until July 1, 2011, when it will get an eighth.

Down on the farm

Omaha Sen. Heath Mello, born and reared in Omaha, caught a lot of good-natured heat on his legislative resolution making July 25 Farmer Appreciation Day, a day to acknowledge farmers, particularly family farmers, who are a big part of Nebraska's economy and are stewards of the land.

Sen. Galen Hadley of Kearney pointed out that Mello has been known to say that anything west of 72nd and Dodge streets is outstate Nebraska.

"Is this resolution consistent with that thought?" Hadley asked.

Mello said the resolution has a more global perspective on agriculture and family farmers, and it applies to farmers west of 72nd Street and east of 72nd Street.

Sen. John Nelson of Omaha said he had recently saw a John Deere 16-row planter that was half the width of the legislative chamber and had to be folded to get it into a building or through a fence gate.

"Have you seen any of those in your district?" he asked Mello.

Mello had not.

And Sen. Dave Pankonin of Louisville, whose family has sold and serviced farm equipment for five generations, noted that he sells Case IH equipment, manufactured here in Nebraska, a John Deere competitor.

About that John Deere tractor, Pankonin said. The reason Sen. Nelson was able to determine the specific dimensions is because "that planter was probably sitting in a field because it broke down."

And Valentine Sen. Deb Fischer, whose western Nebraska District includes all of 12 counties and part of a 13th in north-central Nebraska, asked if Mello would take a "little tour of my district. … You might have to take a couple weeks off work."

Mello did agree to at least have a steak with Fischer on the deck of her ranch home sometime this summer.

Senators finally approved LR256, brought on behalf of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society.

Reach Nancy Hicks at 473-7250 or nhicks@journalstar.com. Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.