Ernie Chambers
 |
Ernie Chambers |
Ernie Chambers (born
July 10,
1937) is a
Nebraska state senator from
Omaha, representing legislative district 11. He is considered one of the
Legislature's most colorful members, known for his long
filibuster speeches on the Legislature floor.
First elected in 1970, he was most recently reelected in 2004. On
April 25,
2005, Chambers became the longest-serving state senator in the Legislature's history.
(A constitutional amendment passed in 2000 limits state senators to two four-year terms; Chambers will not be allowed to seek reelection in 2008.)
A barber, Chambers is also host of a weekly call-in show on
Omaha Cox Channel 22. He commonly wears a black or blue T-shirt in legislative sessions, rather than a suit. A young Chambers figures prominently in the 1966 Oscar-nominated documentary
A Time For Burning.
Chambers' frequent use of legislative rules and filibusters to block proposals he opposes has caused friction with some of his colleagues in the Legislature, and it was suggested by opponents of legislative term limits that the 2000 amendment had been conceived largely to force him out.
A self-professed "defender of the downtrodden," Chambers is known for liberal policies: He is a firm opponent of the
death penalty, and introduces a bill to repeal Nebraska's capital punishment law at the start of each legislative session. It remains one of his primary goals while in office.
He has also clashed with fellow senators over issues of concern to rural Nebraskans, such as a bill requiring landowners to manage the population of black-tailed
prairie dogs on their property, and a proposed constitutional amendment to preserve the right to fish, trap and hunt in the state. (Chambers described the latter measure as one of the most "asinine, simple-minded pieces of trash" ever to be considered by the legislature.)
Chambers also prides himself on his independence, however. In 2004, he co-wrote an opinion piece with U.S. Rep.
Tom Osborne opposing a set of
initiatives that would allow casino gambling and slot machines in Nebraska.
Chambers has also decried the state's ethanol incentive programs as "a boondoggle".
2006 Omaha Public Schools controversy
In April 2006, Chambers introduced a bill (LB 1024) that would divide the
Omaha Public Schools district into three different districts. Supporters say this would help provide more localized control for African Americans and Hispanics. This issue has divided the state and, to use Chambers' own words, "thrown white people into a tizzy." The bill has seen national attention and critics cite it as "state-sponsored segregation"
.
In the spring of 2006, Chambers withdrew support from two tax incentive bills which would have provided funding for Omaha and Lincoln civic building projects. Chambers claimed that he withdrew support because he felt personally insulted by recent criticisms of LB 1024 and by the Omaha City Council's refusal to name a
North Omaha park after him.
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Nebraska Legislature Online - Ernie Chambers
