Nebraska state senators elected or re-elected in November take their oath during the first day of the 2025 legislative session. With their hands up are State Sens. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha and Beau Ballard of Lincoln. Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha is in the forefront. Jan. 8, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — The fate of some conservative priorities, such as changing how Nebraska allocates its votes for president or adding a “women’s bill of rights” to state law, could depend on whether Republicans succeed this week in making Democrats a minority on every legislative committee but one.
The leading point of contention Wednesday revolved around the makeup of the eight-member Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. By the end of the first day of the session, Government was set to have five Democrats and three Republicans, including its chair.
The group deciding is the Legislature’s 13-member Committee on Committees, which includes a chair and four representatives each from three legislative “caucuses,” which roughly mirror the state’s three congressional districts to reflect statewide representation.