Tuesday Update

LB 1024 cleared another hurdle today, passing second round approval with only two days left in the legislative session. This is the most important thing these senators are going to do before they retire, but we aren't getting any debate, simply a fasttracked bill that has virtually no chance of standing up in the courts. There are two days left in this legislative session, and then, barring a special session, twenty of these senators will be gone. Heineman has done very little of importance in his year and a half as governor. The one thing he will be remembered for, if he does lose to Osborne in the primary, is signing LB 1024 into law. Eventually, we'll have OPS v. Bruning or some similar suit overturn the law in federal court. It will cost taxpayers money to tell us what we already know: this law is grossly unconstitutional. And I can't honestly believe that a brilliant legal mind like Ernie Chambers doesn't know that. The mere presence of his amendment on this bill dooms it in the federal courts.

Duke Cunningham's seat is up for special election today. The votes are being tallied, and the only question is whether Democrat Francine Busby can get over the 50% needed to prevent a runoff election. An interesting sidenote, though, is just how low Republican turnout seems to be for this election. Granted, it's a special election in the middle of April, for a seat vacated by a confessed criminal... But you have to wonder how much of this Republican apathy will carry over to the general election in November. Chances are that it's not the case in Nebraska - the governor's race will get people to the polls either way. According to the folks at Kos, this will be going to a runoff.