I heard a really intriguing fact in the roll call vote today. Nebraska has a unicameral legistlature

[Stinky The Clown]

I never knew that.

Nebraskans, how does that work? Is it a good thing or not?

[colorado thinker]

1. And . . . what the heck is it?

[TwilightZone]

2. Yep, it's been a unicameral since the 1930s.

Here's a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_Legislature

It's theoretically non-partisan, but NE is so red that the Republicans tend to dominate politics anyway.

[Thor_MN]

7. Huh? Unicameral means there is no separate house and senate...

It doesn't have anything to do with partisanship, one could have a completely partisan unicameral legislature.

[TwilightZone]

10. It's non-partisan.

The Wikipedia article explains it quite well. I suggest that you check it out.

[Thor_MN]

13. You might want to read it yourself. You seem to mingle two unrelated aspects.

While the elections are non-partisan, that has nothing to do with with the legislature being unicameral. The form of the elections and the form of the legislature are two separate issues, which you seem to be lumping together.

My point was and is, the fact that the legislature is unicameral has absolutely nothing to do with partisanship.

[TwilightZone]

14. What part of "It is unique in that it is the only American state legislature that is unicameral and

nonpartisan" are you having difficulty with?

It's right there in the introduction.

[Thor_MN]

16. What part of the word "and" is giving you trouble?

A unicameral legislature does not require nonpartisan elections, nor do nonpartisan elections require a unicameral legislature. You treat them as being inseparably entwined. Nebraska happens to have both, but that does not mean they are the same thing.

The original question was on the unicameral nature, to which you replied that it was nonpartisan, which is incorrect. I could say that my car has a V6 and is silver. If someone asked me how I well the engine in my car worked, it would be fairly silly to say the silver color hides dirt well.

I'm sorry if you can't distinguish the differences, but as I and other posters have pointed out the distinction, I'm done with this thread.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. They've had that system for ages.

I think they do it because it's cheaper?

[Dissent Is Patriotic]

4. My understanding is that they do it because their population is so low. n/t

[TwilightZone]

12. No, they did it because they couldn't get anything done.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_Legislature

[classof56]

5. Nebraska is unicameral. All other states are bicameral.

I dunno...I've just always liked saying that! Plus...I even knew what it meant! Used to date a very nice young man from Aurora (NE). Ah, what might have been!

Sorry...waxing prosaic here.

Happy Obama Supporter!

[LSparkle]

6. All that means is ONE CHAMBER ... not State House and Senate

It doesn't mean it can't be partisan, it just means
that there's only one assembly, not a State version
of what exists in D.C.

[yellowdogintexas]

8. one of the many bits of governmental trivia learned when civics was actually required

in schools. EVERY 8th grader in Kentucky had to take CIVICS which was a sort of Introduction to American Government, and a full year of American History. We had Civics one semester and a geography class of some kind the other half.

We took Kentucky History in 7th grade

One of the many reasons for less interest and involvement is in my opinion directly related to the removing of a government class as a required course. When we finished 8th grade civics we were all fired up to vote and everything at age 13, knowing with extreme pride that we lived in one of only 2 states that allowed 18 year olds to vote.

[LSparkle]

9. I thank God I lived in California under both Browns as governor

I got a good education but if I had a child in this
state now, I'd send them to private school or home
school.

The sad thing is, the public schools were at one
time ONE THING the government did RIGHT and thanks
to Rethugs (including Raygun as California governor),
they have ruined even that. It absolutely breaks
my heart.

[TwilightZone]

11. It is, in fact, intended to be non-partisan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_Legislature

[undeterred]

15. Is that a camel with one hump?

:shrug: