Bipartisan Support for Civics Bill Unites Nebraska Senators Across Aisles

Unexpected Allies Unite for Civic Education Bill

In a surprising twist of political collaboration, Senator Tanya Storer has joined forces with Senator John Fredrickson to back a new legislative proposal focused on enhancing civics education. Storer, a staunch opponent of the SNAP bill, which she consistently voted against, was absent during debates on needle exchange programs. Nevertheless, she has become a cosponsor of this new initiative, emphasizing the need to revisit essential constitutional principles.

Storer highlighted the significance of individual and property rights, stating, “individual rights, which very much includes property rights, that was something new and different than any other system of government prior to the United States that allowed people to own — and you know, it’s not just property, it’s not just land, it’s the means to keep and own what you worked for, what you purchased. And so that’s huge, and those are some things that I think we’ve lost along the way.”

Despite their political differences, with Fredrickson being a progressive Democrat from Omaha and Storer a conservative Republican from Whitman, both senators recognize the importance of civics knowledge. Fredrickson commented on the bipartisan support for the legislation, saying, “I think that you have members of this institution from the entire political spectrum who believe that we have a very grave and important role. We’ve taken an oath to the Constitution, and if we are going to be in this role, we need to be able to show to the public that we are well-versed in what that means.”

Echoing this sentiment, Storer expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration. “Being able to co-sign this bill is a great example that, even if you’re in very different positions politically, you can still find commonalities on some things. And I think it is — I think it’s awesome that (Fredrickson) brought the bill, and we both agree that history is important, civics are important. So finding those things we can agree on — those are good days,” she noted.

The bill has also garnered support from other senators, including Republicans Stan Clouse of Kearney and Paul Strommen of Sidney, as well as independent Megan Hunt from Omaha.

In other legislative news, Governor Jim Pillen has appointed former Senator Fred Meyer of St. Paul to fill the vacancy left by Dan McKeon’s resignation. Meyer, who was previously appointed by Pillen in 2023 to replace Tom Briese, expressed his readiness to contribute effectively to the Legislature, stating, “I hope to be part of the team and the Legislature that gets things done and as efficiently and as quickly as possible.”