A coalition of Nebraska organizations (and one governmental subdivision) summoned news media to the State Capitol last week to announce how much members dislike Gov. Dave Heineman’s proposed tax cuts.

Among them were representatives from AARP Nebraska, the Nebraska State Education Association, Voices for Children, Nebraska Appleseed and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners. Many of the speakers rhetorically skewered some of the governor’s stock phrases.

Anyone who has heard Gov. Heineman speak has heard the phrase “Nebraska common sense.” And he has said repeatedly his tax-cut plan is intended to provide relief to “hard-working, middle class Nebraskans.” He also has referred to the “special interests” who would rather increase state spending than cut taxes.

So at the news confrence, one speaker said, “We maintain that Nebraska kids are not a special interest.” And another said cutting taxes now could lead to deficits later, which “is not the common sense Nebraska approach.” Still another said “hard-working, middle class Nebraska families” have made sacrifices in recent years to help the state survive the Great Recession.

Minutes after the news conference ended, the governor’s office distributed a news release that featured a variation on a theme. The governor called coalition members “liberal interest groups.”

Sen. Tom Carlson of Holdrege told us Monday he will make term limits his priority now that it has advanced to the floor by a 6 to 3 vote of the Executive Board.

That means his 48 colleagues will have a chance to weigh in on the controversial measure because it will be debated.

Carlson’s proposed constitutional amendment would extend the number of consecutive terms a state senator could serve from two to three.  He argues his proposal keeps term limits, it just gives new senators more time to figure out what they’re doing on the front end and more time to put their hard-earned knowledge and experience to use on the back end. That’s assuming, of course, they’re twice re-elected.

Supporters of the current limits point to a 2000 statewide vote in which 55 percent of Nebraska voters approved the two terms. They argue that adding another term will only encourage future attempts to repeal term limits altogether.

Here’s how the exective board voted Monday:

Yes: John Wightman, Steve Lathrop, Chris Langemeier, John Nelson, Mark Christensen, Russ Karpisek

No: Mike Flood, Deb Fischer and Rich Pahls

A few bystanders stood on the fringe of a State Capitol news conference last week to hear about a lawsuit that aims to alleviate alcohol problems caused by beer sales in the unincorporated village of Whiteclay, Neb.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Oglala Sioux Tribe by Omaha lawyer Tom White, goes after the global brewers, the Nebraska distributors and the Whiteclay stores that sell beer to a population truly devastated by alcohol. 

Sen. LeRoy Louden was one of the bystanders. The senator ranches near Ellsworth, which isn’t all that far from Whiteclay, so he has seen how beer from four off-sales stores in the village streams straight north to the dry Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Louden has introduced a bill this session that would provide a tool that might help deal with the problems at Whiteclay. Legislative Bill 829 would create “alcohol impact zones,” which are areas plagued by public drunkenness or illegal activity tied to alcohol abuse.

The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission would create such zone at the request of local governments. If approved, the law would grant the commission broad power to place additional restrictions on liquor sales in the impact zone.

As reported by The World-Hearld’s Juan Perez Jr., the Omaha City Council voted recently to support Louden’s bill. No, you don’t have to drive all the way to Whiteclay to find neighborhoods ravaged by alcohol.

While Louden stopped short of saying he thinks White’s $500 million lawsuit is the right approach, he did say what’s going on in Whiteclay isn’t just a matter of personal responsiblity for those who buy the beer.

“Alcoholism is an addiction,” he said. “Alcoholism is a sickness and it needs to be treated as such.”

Thursday’s roundtable discussion by members of the Executive Board on the issue of raising lawmaker pay provided insight into what likely will be a larger debate later this session.

Clearly, lawmakers who support raising senator salaries for the first time in two dozen years are thinking about the best way to sell a raise to the public. For example, Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber suggested a committee amendment to set pay at $24,000, down from the $32,000 in the proposed constitutional amendment. Sen. John Wightman of Lexington balked at that figure, arguing it would give opponents the chance to say lawnakers were doubling their salary. Indeed, they currently earn a $12,000 base salary.

The committee eventually settled on $22,500.

Other committee members argued against advancing the pay hike and another proposal to extend term limits at the same time. But Sen. John Nelson of Omaha countered that perhaps the committee should advance them both and let the full Legislature decide what to put on the ballot. Wightman quipped that could lead to a “bloodletting.”

The committee decided to address term limits next week.

Still others argued they knew about the two terms and the lousy pay when they sought the office in the first place. Sen. Rich Pahls of Omaha was in that camp.

“It’s a hot button issue,” he said. “It was one of the first things I was asked, ‘I suppose you’re going to get down there and increase your salary and increase term limits?’”

Here’s how the committee voted on the pay increase proposal:

Yes (6):  Mark Christiansen of Imperial, Mike Flood of Norfolk, Chris Langemeier of Schuyler, Karpisek, Nelson and Wightman.

No (3): Deb Fischer of Valentine, Steve Lathrop of Omaha and Pahls.

Lawmakers will debate a bill Thursday morning to provide tax incentives for large data center projects. Legislative Bill 1118 was introduced to help Nebraska compete for a $1.2 billion data center project known only by its code name: Project Edge.

Actually, don’t expect too much debate — most senators want to do all they can to see Project Edge built in Nebraska. The bill has been given priority status by Sen. Galen Hadley of Kearney, one of the cities rumored to be in the running.

In the afternoon, the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee will hear a bill introduced by Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln to prohibit gifts to members of the Nebraska Public Service Commission.  And the Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on four bills related to changes in child support, terminating parental rights and creating new grounds for establishing grandparent visitation.

A yet-to-be-revealed data center project looking at Nebraska or Iowa not only carries a potential investment of $1.2 billion, it also could require 100 megawatts of electricity. We published a story Sunday about two bills Nebraska lawmakers are considering to help make the state more competitive for attracting such data centers.

Public power districts in Nebraska support the bills because data centers are huge consumers of electricity. The out-of-state market for surplus power has turned soft, so Nebraska utilities say they can turn a better profit by selling it in-state. To do so, they need new demand.

The mystery center, called “Project Edge” in the Legislature, could become the single largest electrical consumer in the state. The Nurcor steel factory in Norfolk currently tops the list with a power draw in the neighborhood of 75 megawatts.

To provide perspective, consider that one megawatt could nearly power two big-box retail stores.  So the electricity used by Project Edge could light up perhaps 200 Home Depots.

Nebraska lawmakers often adopt resolutions that praise the lifelong acheivements, good deeds, and extraordinary acts of their fellow Nebraskans.

Among the scores of resolutions adopted last session was one recognizing Danny Woodhead, the North Platte native and former star runningback at Chadron State College.  The resolution noted Woodhead’s NCAA career rushing record of 7,962 yards.

It also congratulated the 5-foot-8 running back for his against-the-odds success in 2010 with the NFL’s New England Patriots.

On Sunday, Woodhead will have one of the best vantage points imaginable Super Bowl  — in the offensive backfield. Check out a recent column about the small-but-mighty Nebraskan by the World-Herald’s Dirk Chatelain here.

While our newly launched Stateline blog doesn’t carry the prestige of a legislative resolution, here’s to a true Nebraska Patriot.

An amendment has been worked out on a controversial proposal to put hunting, fishing and trapping in the Nebraska Constitution.

When the proposed legislative resolution came up on the floor earlier in the week, Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop said an unintended consequence could prevent the state from selling hunting and fishing permits. Permit sales fund nearly all of the fish and wildlife work done by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Nonetheless, lawmakers advanced the proposed constititional amendment to final reading.

Sen. Chris Langemeier, chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, said Friday an agreeemnt has been reached to address Lathrop’s concerns. The resolution will be pulled back so new language can be added and debated before final reading.

More debate will allow opponents of the proposal to take another whack at what they see as frivilous, unnecessary change to the Nebraska Constitution.

If  at least 30 senators vote for the resolution, the proposed constitutional amendment will appear on the November ballot. Then voters would decide if hunting, fishing and trapping deserve constitutional protection from animal-rights groups.

Celebrated film director Alexander Payne made a cameo at the Capitol Tuesday, testifying in support of a bill that would provide financial incentives to movie makers. So, might Bill Murray show up on Groundhog Day?

Sometime after Phil sees his shadow, or not, lawmakers will probably keep a community college funding bill on the fast track. York Sen. Greg Adams got all six of Nebraska’s community colleges to agree on a plan to divide state aid. His colleagues advanced Legislative Bill 946 from first to second round on Monday. Expect them to move it along to final reading Thursday.

Committees will hear public testimony on several important proposals in the afternoon. Appropriations will consider the four bills that seek a combined $91 million for the University of Nebraska to build a cancer center in Omaha, nursing education facilities in Lincoln and Kearney, and a veterinary center in Lincoln.

Health and Human Services will hold more hearings on child welfare proposals, including one that sets a minimum base rate for foster parents. Revenue will consider two bills that offer tax exemptions and incentives to data centers.

Meanwhile, fans of mountain lions and flying lanterns will likely testify against one bill that would allow the state to set hunting seasons on big cats and another that bans the floating fireworks in Nebraska.

If you know about animal abuse and fail to report it, how much trouble should you be in?

Members of the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee pondered the question Tuesday during a hearing on Sen. Tyson Larson’s bill to crack down on using hidden cameras to expose animal cruelty.

The O’Neill senator’s proposal would require suspected animal abuse or neglect to be reported within 12 hours, instead of the current two-day window.

He wants to stop animal rights activists who gather video while clandestinely working in egg factories, packing plants or feed lots. Often, the activists hold onto the video for months before unveiling it as a way to raise funds or grab headlines.

Larson’s bill would make failure to report animal cruelty a felony.

Committee members questioned the proportionality of the penalty. They pointed out failure to report child abuse in Nebraska is a misdemeanor.

By the way, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals didn’t testify against the bill — only the Nebraska Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union did. No one testified in support of the measure.