LINCOLN- Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling introduced legislation Thursday calling for a general election vote in November on a proposed constitutional amendment that would transform Nebraska's unique nonpartisan Legislature into a partisan body.

"It's high time we end the idolatrous practice of celebrating Nebraska's nonpartisan unicameral simply because it's unique," Slama said.

"This form of government has failed to address structural issues in our state — from property taxes and school funding to Second Amendment rights — on the altar of being 'special,'" she said in a written statement accompanying her introduction of LR282CA.

"This measure brings a renewed transparency to the Nebraska Legislature," she said.

Slama is a registered Republican who was appointed to the Legislature by Gov. Pete Ricketts in 2019 at the age of 22. She was elected to a four-year term in 2020.

The Nebraska Legislature is unique not only as the nation's only one-house state legislature, but also because its members are elected on a nonpartisan basis and its organization is not structured on a partisan basis.

The current Legislature has 32 Republicans and 17 Democrats.

"There is no evidence to support claims that Nebraska's nonpartisan Legislature offers any benefit to Nebraskans in policy outcomes," Slama said.

"No other states in America have adopted and maintained a similar form of government," she said.

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