Three former state senators are urging Nebraska lawmakers to maintain the Legislature's nonpartisan tradition and promote an atmosphere of cooperation and collegiality.
The opinion piece released Thursday encourages senators to base their votes on what they believe is best for their constituents, rather than political party concerns.
Their commentary follows an earlier, prolonged floor fight this year over legislative rules. Conservative senators pushed for a rule change that would have made it easier to overcome legislative filibusters. Progressive lawmakers fought the idea, resulting in gridlock for the session's first 30 days.
The article was written by former state Sens. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln, John Harms of Scottsbluff and Galen Hadley of Kearney, who served as speaker. All three are registered Republicans who were sometimes at odds with their parties.
