Are the Elected Officials of Nebraska Dealing with Reality?

As we complete our analysis of the amendment introduced by Business and Labor Committee Chair, Senator Steve Lathrop, what we’ve found in it during the first full sweep makes us ask the question… Where are our elected officials’ heads? Apparently, Senator Lathrop, and his “working group”, all see the world far differently from that which [...]

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Collective Bargaining (CIR) Shell Bill Hearing WEDNESDAY April 13

  Since the February 7 Business and Labor Committee hearing, those interested in the issue of collective bargaining and CIR (Commission on Industrial Relations) have been waiting for the contents of the shell bill introduced by Committee Chair Steve Lathrop at the beginning of the legislative session. At the end of March, details began, finally, [...]

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Want Collective Bargaining Reform in Nebraska? It is up to YOU

If you believe collective bargaining reform in Nebraska is important, it’s important to understand that it’s going to be up to the people within the state to keep up the pressure on all of the elected officials. This is particularly true if you recognize how collective bargaining is negatively impacting spending and influencing the outcome [...]

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Collective Bargaining Bills Make Bad Political Theater at the Unicam (CIR)

Anyone in the mood to see a play? Well, just go down to the Unicameral and take a seat in the gallery. No need to buy a ticket. You see, if you pay taxes, you’ve already reserved your seat for this production. What’s playing? Ever heard of Waiting for Godot? It’s an absurdist play by [...]

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Laws and Sausages: A Day At the State Capitol

Norlyn wrote an excellent explanation about his impressions of Nebraska’s legislative process following time spent at the State Capitol this past Monday. The visit was motivated by concern about the issues associated with the CIR and the nine bills scheduled to be heard that day. Norlyn’s article is very well written and an unfortunately accurate [...]

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Hearing Testimony: Collective Bargaining By NE Govt Obstructs Spending Caps (CIR)

Monday the Nebraska Legislature’s Business and Labor  Committee convened hearings on the nine measures that propose various changes to the State’s statutes pertaining to how public employee salaries, wages, and some benefits are determined. The whole issue is being commonly referenced as “the CIR”, which is the entity that has the authority to settle disputes [...]

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Important Informaton on CIR Hearings for Monday Feb 7!

All nine pieces of legislation pertaining to Nebraska’s Industrial Relations and State Employee Collective Bargaining Acts, and therefore, of course, the CIR (Commission of Industrial Relations) are scheduled for hearings tomorrow, Monday, February 7, before the Legislature’s Business and Labor Committee. It is very important that Nebraskans let our legislators know where we stand; personnel [...]

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NOT Suprising: Public Support Growing for Ending Collective Bargaining by Public Employees

Nebraska Senator John Nelson was a guest on DriveTime Lincoln on Wednesday to discuss measures he has introduced in the Legislature aimed at repealing the Industrial Relations and State Employee Collective Bargaining Acts and prohibiting collective bargaining by government entities in Nebraska. Since the Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR) is part of the Industrial Relations [...]

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ACTION ALERT: Big Turnout Needed At Capitol on Monday Feb. 7th

*Your help is needed to ensure that very important legislation is passed out of the Business and Labor Committee and onto the Unicameral floor for debate and a vote by all Senators.* *PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, HEARINGS AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN LINCOLN ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7.* Additional details about the [...]

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Reduce Government Budgets: Contact Senators About Worker Wages and Benefits

As we reported on Wednesday, there are a number of bills that have been introduced in the Legislature regarding the entity that is dominating the cost of employing government workers at the State, County, and local levels in Nebraska, the CIR (Commission of Industrial Relations). In that article, we detailed what the CIR is, how [...]

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