In government, unicameralism (Latin uni, one + camera, chamber) is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house. Some countries with unicameral legislatures are often small and homogeneous unitary states and consider an upper house or second chamber unnecessary.

Concept[link]

Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multicameralism. Many multicameral legislatures were created to give separate voices to different sectors of society. Multiple chambers allowed for guaranteed representation of different social classes (as in the Parliament of the United Kingdom or the French States-General), ethnic or regional interests, or subunits of a federation. Where these factors are unimportant, in unitary states with weak regional identity, unicameralism often prevails. Sometimes, as in New Zealand and Denmark, this comes about through the abolition of one the two chambers, or, as in Sweden, through the merger of the two chambers into a single one, while in others a second chamber has never existed.

Unicameral legislatures are also common in Communist states such as the People's Republic of China and Cuba. Similarly, many formerly Communist states, such as Ukraine, Moldova and Serbia, have retained their unicameral legislatures, though others, such as Russia and Poland, adopted bicameral legislatures after the fall of Communism. The socialist viewpoint regards upper houses as typically conservative and representing the interests of the upper classes.

The principal advantage of a unicameral system is more efficient lawmaking, as the legislative process is much simpler and there is no possibility of legislative deadlock. Proponents of unicameralism have also argued that it reduces costs, as even if the number of legislators is the same as it would be in a multicameral system, there are fewer institutions to maintain and support.

The main weakness of a unicameral system can be seen as the lack of restraint on the majority, particularly noticeable in parliamentary systems where the leaders of the parliamentary majority also dominate the executive. There is also the risk, depending on how seats are allocated in the legislature, that important sectors of society may not be adequately represented.

List of unicameral legislatures[link]

Approximately half of the sovereign states are presently unicameral, including both the most populous (the People's Republic of China) and the least populous (the Vatican City).

Many subnational entities have unicameral legislatures. These include Nebraska, Guam and the Virgin Islands in the United States, Hong Kong, the Australian states and territories of Queensland, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, all of the provinces and territories in Canada, all of the German Bundesländer, all of the Italian Regioni and all of the Spanish Autonomous Communities.

In the United Kingdom, the devolved Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales, Northern Ireland Assembly, and London Assembly are also unicameral.

Almost all city legislatures are also unicameral in the sense that the city councils are not divided into two chambers. Until the turn of the 20th century, bicameral city councils were common in the United States^{[citation needed]}.

National[link]

  Nations with bicameral legislatures.

  Nations with unicameral legislatures.

  No legislature.

• Assembly of the Republic of Albania
• National Assembly of Angola
• National Assembly of Armenia
• National Assembly of Azerbaijan
• Jatiyo Sangshad of Bangladesh
• National Assembly of Benin
• National Assembly of Botswana
• Legislative Council of Brunei
• National Assembly of Bulgaria
• National Assembly of Burkina Faso
• National Assembly of Cameroon
• National Assembly of Cape Verde
• National Assembly of the Central African Republic
• National Assembly of Chad
• National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China
• Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
• Assembly of the Union of the Comoros
• Parliament of the Cook Islands
• Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
• National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire
• Parliament of Croatia
• National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba
• House of Representatives of Cyprus
• Folketing of Denmark
• House of Assembly of Dominica
• National Assembly of Djibouti
• National Parliament of East Timor
• National Assembly of Ecuador
• Legislative Assembly of El Salvador
• Chamber of People's Representatives of Equatorial Guinea
• National Assembly of Eritrea
• Riigikogu of Estonia
• Parliament of Finland
• National Assembly of The Gambia
• Parliament of Georgia
• Parliament of Ghana
• Parliament of Greece
• Congress of Guatemala
• National Assembly of Guinea
• National People's Assembly of Guinea-Bissau
• National Assembly of Guyana
• National Congress of Honduras
• National Assembly of Hungary
• Althing of Iceland
• Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran
• Council of Representatives of Iraq (provision exists for the founding of a "Council of Union", but no move to this effect has been initiated by the existing Council)
• Knesset of Israel
• National Assembly of Kenya
• House of Assembly of Kiribati
• Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea
• National Assembly of the South Korea
• Assembly of Kosovo
• Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan
• National Assembly of Kuwait
• National Assembly of Laos
• Saeima of Latvia
• Parliament of Lebanon
• General People's Congress of Libya
• Landtag of Liechtenstein
• Seimas of Lithuania
• Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg
• Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia
• National Assembly of Malawi
• Majlis of the Maldives
• National Assembly of Mali
• Parliament of Malta
• Legislature of the Marshall Islands
• National Assembly of Mauritius
• Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia
• Parliament of Moldova
• National Council of Monaco
• State Great Khural of Mongolia
• Parliament of Montenegro
• Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique
• Parliament of Nauru
• Constituent Assembly of Nepal
• Parliament of New Zealand
• National Assembly of Nicaragua
• National Assembly of Niger
• Assembly of Niue
• Parliament of Norway
• National Assembly of Panama
• National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
• Congress of the Republic of Peru
• Assembly of the Republic of Portugal
• National Assembly of Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Legislative Assembly of Samoa
• National Assembly of São Tomé and Príncipe
• National Assembly of Serbia
• National Assembly of Seychelles
• Parliament of Sierra Leone
• Parliament of Singapore
• National Council of Slovakia
• Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia
• Parliament of Sri Lanka
• National Assembly of Suriname
• Parliament of Sweden
• Parliament of Syria
• National Assembly of Tanzania
• National Assembly of Togo
• Legislative Assembly of Tonga
• Grand National Assembly of Turkey
• Assembly of Turkmenistan
• Parliament of Tuvalu
• Parliament of Uganda
• Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
• Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
• National Assembly of Venezuela
• National Assembly of Vietnam
• Assembly of Representatives of Yemen
• National Assembly of Zambia

Territorial[link]

• House of Assembly of the British Virgin Islands
• Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands
• Parliament of Greenland
• Parliament of Gibraltar
• Legislature of Guam
• Legislative Council of Hong Kong (divided into two groups for private members' bills since 1998)
• Legislative Assembly of Macau
• Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Subnational[link]

Federations[link]

• All legislatures and legislative councils of the regions and communities of Belgium
• All legislative assemblies of the provinces of Canada
• All Landtage of the states of Germany
• All legislative assemblies of the states of Malaysia
• The Nebraska, USA legislature
• Council of Washington, D.C. (United States)
• Parliament of Queensland and the legislative assemblies of the territories of Australia
• Provincial legislatures of the Provinces of South Africa
• Narodna skupština of Republika Srpska
• All legislatures in all states of Brazil and Mexico
• 22 Indian States and 2 Union Territories – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Delhi, Pondicherry

Devolved governments[link]

• Northern Ireland Assembly
• Scottish Parliament
• National Assembly for Wales
• London Assembly London
• Parliaments of the autonomous communities of Spain

Other[link]

• People's Congresses of all levels of provinces, regions and municipalities of the People's Republic of China (unitary)
• Provincial Assembly of the Sindh is a unicameral house of elected representatives of people of Sindh established under Article 106 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Historic[link]

National[link]

• Parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland until 1707

Territorial[link]

• Colonial period of the General Assembly of Georgia
• Colonial period of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania
• General Assembly of Vermont until 1836

Federations[link]

• Congress of the Confederation was unicameral before being replaced by the current, bicameral United States Congress.

Unicameralism within the subdivisions of the United States[link]

Within U.S. states, Nebraska is currently the only state with a unicameral legislature. Nebraska's state legislature is also unique in the sense that it is the only state legislature that is entirely nonpartisan.

Local government legislatures of counties, cities, or other political subdivisions within states are usually unicameral and have limited lawmaking powers compared to their state and federal counterparts.

In 1999, Governor Jesse Ventura proposed converting the Minnesota Legislature into a single unicameral chamber.^[1] Although debated, the idea was never adopted.

In a non-binding referendum held on July 10, 2004, voters in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico approved changing its Legislative Assembly to a unicameral body by 456,267 votes in favor (83.7%) versus 88,720 against (16.3%). If both the territory's House of Representatives and Senate approve by a 2/3 vote the specific amendments to the Puerto Rico Constitution that are required for the change to a unicameral legislature, another referendum will be held in the territory to approve such amendments. If those constitutional changes are approved, Puerto Rico could switch to a unicameral legislature as early as 2015.

On June 9, 2009, the Maine House of Representatives voted to form a unicameral legislature, but the measure did not pass the Senate.^[2]

Because of legislative gridlock in 2009, former Congressman Rick Lazio, a prospective candidate for governor, has proposed that New York adopt unicameralism.^[3]

Unicameralism in the Philippines[link]

Unicameralism is experienced in the Philippines from 1935-1940 during the Commonwealth period. In the 1973 Constitution, the legislative system is called Batasang Pambansa in a parliamentary system of the government until 1986.

The ongoing process of amending or revising the current constitution and form of government is popularly known as Charter Change. A shift to a unicameral parliament is included in the proposals of the constitutional commission created by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.^[4] Unlike in the United States, senators in the Senate of the Philippines are elected not per district and state but nationally; the Philippines is a unitary state.^[5] The Philippine government's decision-making process, relative to the United States, is more rigid, highly centralized, much slower and susceptible to political "gridlocks." As a result, the trend for unicameralism as well as other political system reforms are more contentious in the Philippines.^[6]

While Congress is bicameral, all local legislatures are unicameral: the ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Boards), Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Councils), Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Councils), Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Councils) and the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Councils).

See also[link]

• Multicameralism
• Bicameralism
• Tricameralism
• Tetracameralism
• List of legislatures by country

References[link]

Gary LeBeau (born June 1, 1947) is the State Senator in Connecticut from the third senatorial district serving the towns of East Hartford, South Windsor, East Windsor, and Ellington. Gary was first elected to the State Senate in 1996. Gary is currently serving his 6th term as senator.

Biography[link]

Born and raised in Easthampton, Massachusetts, Senator LeBeau was educated in public schools and graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Masters Degree in Education, a Sixth-Year Degree from the University of Connecticut, and Elementary Education Certification from Central Connecticut State University. A former public school teacher for 36 years, Senator LeBeau is now retired. He lives in East Hartford with his wife Joanne, their three children Kara, Matthew and Christopher, and their chocolate Labrador Retriever “Hershey.”

Legislative experience[link]

LeBeau was first elected to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1990 as a state representative from the town of East Hartford. While in the state House, he served on the Finance Committee and as vice-chairman of the Commerce Committee. He was first elected to the state Senate in 1996, where he represents the 3rd Senatorial District towns of East Hartford, South Windsor, East Windsor and Ellington. In his time in the Senate, LeBeau has advocated for a state commitment to the Groton-area submarine base which helped save it from the federal budget axe; tax credits for job creation; major investments in biotechnology, stem cell research and alternative energies such as fuel cells; linking the research departments of various state institutions of higher learning with start-up, high-technology firms; contracting reform; Goodwin College; and the Rentschler Field complex.^{[citation needed]} Senator LeBeau has also championed a transportation study of the Buckland shopping mall area and a legislative Task Force on Fatherhood.^{[citation needed]}

In 2011, Senator LeBeau voted for HB 6599,^[1] a measure which would add gender identity and gender expression to existing anti-discrimination statutes. He also voted for HB 6650,^[1] which is intended to clarify and limit the classes of prisoners made eligible for early release by an earlier bill.^[2] Some Republicans in the Senate said that the bill didn't limit the early release program enough, allowing some violent fleons to gain early release.^[2]

Other public service[link]

Senator LeBeau has been a member of the East Hartford Lions Club for 25 years and has held all major offices in the club. He served on the East Hartford Town Council and is currently a member of the Blessed Sacrament/Our Lady of Peace linked parishes, the East Hartford Historical Society, and the League of Women Voters. LeBeau has supported children's dental health by initiating the distribution of over 500 oral healthcare kits to children in East Hartford.^[3][4] His professional experience includes founding the Synergy School for at-risk students and working as the coordinator for Drop Out Prevention and Drug-Free Schools Program for the East Hartford schools and serving on the ERASE Board of Directors, The Capital Region Growth Council Board of Directors, the Liquor Control Task Force Against Underage Drinking, the CT Economic Conference Board, the International Trade Council, the Cultural Heritage Committee, and the East Hartford Child Plan.

2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election[link]

On July 28, 2009 LeBeau announced the formation of an exploratory committee for the 2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election.^[5][6] LeBeau told the media in attendance that his first order of business would be to garner the support of Connecticut Democrats and he would start by visiting Democratic Town Committees around the state to hear their concerns about the future of Connecticut. LeBeau said he would make a decision whether or not to officially enter the statewide race by early 2010.^[7]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Personal Website
• Blog
• YouTube Channel

v t e Members of the Connecticut State Senate President of the Senate: Nancy Wyman (D) President pro Tempore: Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D) Majority Leader: Martin M. Looney (D) Minority Leader: John P. McKinney (R)        John Fonfara (D)    Eric D. Coleman (D)    Gary LeBeau (D)    Steve Cassano (D)    Beth Bye (D)    Theresa Gerratana (D)    John A. Kissel (R)    Kevin Witkos (R)    Paul R. Doyle (D)    Toni N. Harp (D)    Martin M. Looney (D)    Edward Meyer (D)    Len Suzio (R)    Gayle Slossberg (D)    Joan Hartley (D)    Joe Markley (R)    Joseph Crisco, Jr. (D)    Andrew M. Maynard (D)    Edith Prague (D)    Andrea Stillman (D)    Kevin Kelly (R)    Anthony Musto (D)    Ed Gomes (D)    Michael McLachlan (R)    Bob Duff (D)    Toni Boucher (R)    Carlo Leone (D)    John P. McKinney (R)    Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D)    Andrew Roraback (R)    Jason Welch (R)    Rob Kane (R)    Eileen Daily (D)    Len Fasano (R)    Tony Guglielmo (R)    Scott Frantz (R)    Democratic (22)    Republican (14) Connecticut General Assembly Connecticut House of Representatives Connecticut State Senate

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William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. (born July 4, 1938) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. He recorded a number of hits such as "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands". His life was recently the subject of the documentary film Still Bill.

Early life[link]

Withers was born the youngest of six children in the small coal-mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia. Raised in nearby Beckley, West Virginia, Withers was twelve years old when his father died. He enlisted with the United States Navy at age eighteen and served for nine years, during which time he became interested in singing and writing songs. Soon after his discharge from the Navy in 1965, he relocated to Los Angeles in 1967 for a musical career.^[1]

Withers worked as an assembler for several different companies, including Douglas Aircraft Corporation, while recording demo tapes with his own money, shopping them around and performing in clubs at night. When he debuted with the song "Ain't No Sunshine" he refused to resign his job because of his belief that the music business was a fickle industry and that he was still a novice compared to other acts.

Career[link]

Sussex Records[link]

During early 1970, Withers' demonstration tape was audited favorably by Clarence Avant of Sussex Records. Avant signed Withers to a record deal and assigned Booker T. Jones to produce Withers' first album. Four three-hour studio sessions were planned to record the album, but funding caused the album to be recorded in three sessions with a six-month break between the second and final sessions. Just as I Am was released in 1971 with the tracks "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Grandma's Hands" as singles. The album features Stephen Stills playing lead guitar.^[2]

The album was a success and Withers began touring with a band assembled from members of The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band: drummer James Gadson, guitarist Benorce Blackmon, keyboardist Ray Jackson, and bassist Melvin Dunlap.

At the 14th annual Grammy Awards on Tuesday, March 14, 1972, Withers won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for "Ain't No Sunshine." The track had already sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 1971.^[3]

During a hiatus from touring, Withers recorded his second album, Still Bill. The single "Lean on Me" went to number one the week of July 8, 1972. It was Withers' second gold disc awarded track with confirmed sales in excess of three million.^[3] His single "Use Me" released in August 1972, became his third million seller, with the R.I.A.A. gold disc award taking place on October 12, 1972.^[3] His performance at Carnegie Hall on October 6 1972 was recorded, and released as the live album Bill Withers, Live at Carnegie Hall on November 30 1972. In 1974 Withers recorded the album +'Justments. Due to a legal dispute with the Sussex company, Withers was unable to record for some time thereafter.

During this time, he wrote and produced two songs on the Gladys Knight & the Pips record I Feel a Song, and in October 1974 performed in concert together with James Brown, Etta James, and B. B. King four weeks prior to the historic Rumble in the Jungle fight between Foreman and Ali in Zaire.^[4] Footage of his performance was included in the 1996 documentary film, When We Were Kings, and he is heard on the accompanying soundtrack. Other footage of his performance is included in the 2008 documentary film Soul Power which is based on archival footage of the 1974 Zaire concert.

Columbia Records[link]

Withers signed with Columbia Records in 1975. His first release with the label, Making Music, Making Friends, included the single "She's Lonely" which was featured in the film Looking for Mr. Goodbar. During the next three years he released an album each year with Naked & Warm (1976), Menagerie (1977, containing the successful Lovely Day) and Bout Love (1978) and Get On Down, the latter song was also on Looking for Mr. Goodbar soundtrack.

Due to problems with Columbia, he concentrated on joint projects between 1977 and 1985, including the successful "Just the Two of Us", with jazz saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., which was released during June 1980. It won a Grammy on February 24, 1982. Withers next did Soul Shadows with The Crusaders, and In the Name of Love with Ralph MacDonald, the latter being nominated for a Grammy for vocal performance.

In 1985 came Watching You, Watching Me, which featured the Top 40 rated Rhythm&Blues single "Oh Yeah". Withers ended his business association with Columbia Records after this release, which as of 2011 is his last studio album.

In 1988, a new version of "Lovely Day" from the 1977 Menagerie album, titled "Lovely Day (Sunshine Mix)" and remixed by Ben Liebrand, reached the Top 10 in the United Kingdom, leading to Withers' performance on the long-running Top of the Pops that year. The original release had scored #7 in the UK in early 1978, and the re-release scored to #4.

In 1987, he received his ninth Grammy award nomination and on March 2, 1988 his third Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Song as songwriter for the re-recording of Lean On Me by Club Nouveau on their debut album Life, Love and Pain, released in 1986 on Warner Bros. Records.

In 1996, a portion of his song "Grandma's Hands" was sampled in the song "No Diggity" by BLACKstreet, featuring Dr. Dre. The single went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold 1.6 million copies and won a Grammy in 1999 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Withers contributed two songs to Jimmy Buffett's July 13, 2004 release License To Chill. Following the reissues of Still Bill on January 28, 2003 and Just As I Am on March 8, 2005, there was speculation of previously unreleased material being issued as a new album.^[5] In 2006, Sony gave back to Withers his previously unreleased tapes.

In 2007, "Lean On Me" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Personal life[link]

Withers married actress Denise Nicholas in 1973, during her stint as the main actress of the popular sitcom, Room 222. The couple divorced the next year.^[6]

During the professional semi-hiatus which began in the late 1970s, Withers concentrated more on personal matters than professional recording. In 1976, he married Marcia Johnson and they had two children, Todd and Kori. Marcia eventually assumed the direct management of his Beverly Hills-based publishing companies, in which his children also became involved as they became adults.^[7]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Live albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Singles[link]

• ^A The original version of "Ain't No Sunshine" did not chart on the UK Singles Chart until 2009, 38 years after its release.

Awards[link]

Honors[link]

• 2002: Honorary doctorate from Mountain State University
• 2005: Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee
• 2006: ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage award^[14]
• 2007: Inducted into West Virginia Music Hall of Fame^[15]

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Official website
• Bill Withers at Allmusic
• Bill Withers at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography at Soultracks.com
• Bill Withers Biography with photos
• Still Bill documentary
• Extensive 2009 audio interview with Withers on public radio program The Sound of Young America

Ernest (Ernie) W. Chambers (born July 10, 1937) is a former Nebraska State Senator who represented North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature. He is also a civil rights activist and is considered by most citizens of Nebraska as the most prominent and outspoken African American leader in the state. As a State Senator, Chambers was considered one of the Legislature's most passionate, controversial and colorful members and was characterized by some outlets of the national media as "the Maverick of Omaha," the "angriest black man in Nebraska," and "defender of the downtrodden".^[2] Due to a term limits law passed in 2000, his term in the Nebraska Legislature ended in January 2009. It is generally agreed that even after 38 years he would have easily won re-election. As he put it, "They had to change the [state] constitution to get rid of me." He is the longest-serving state senator in the history of Nebraska.

Biography[link]

Ernie Chambers is a lifetime Omaha resident. He is a graduate of Omaha Central High School and Creighton University School of Law although he is not a member of the bar and does not practice law.

The protest that catapulted Senator Chambers, as a young 25-year-old, into the political limelight occurred in 1963 while he worked for the Omaha post office. Chambers was fired for insubordination because he did not appreciate the management at the Post Office referring to the black staff as “boys.” Young, outspoken, courageous, and alone, Ernie Chambers picketed the Postmaster General’s speech in Omaha with a sign that read, “I spoke against discrimination in the Omaha Post Office and was fired.”^[4]

He was a young barber when he first appeared in the Oscar-nominated 1966 documentary film A Time for Burning. During this period, he emerged as a prominent leader in the North Omaha community as illustrated in his instrumental role during the 1966 riots, when he successfully negotiated concessions from the city's leaders on behalf of the African American youths of North Omaha.^[5]

Realizing that the North Omaha's 11th District needed a voice to represent it, the community recommended that Chambers run to replace deceased Senator Edward Danner, and appointee George W. Althouse. Senator Chambers’s grass roots brand of politics from the streets helped him to be elected to the conservative unicameral legislature in 1970.^[4]

Political career[link]

First elected to represent North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature in 1970, Chambers was successfully re-elected in every ensuing election through 2004. On April 25, 2005, Chambers became Nebraska's longest-serving state senator, having served for more than 35 years.^[6] He was not allowed to seek re-election in 2008 because of a constitutional amendment passed by Nebraska voters in 2000 which limits Nebraska state legislators to two consecutive four-year terms. The constitutional amendment, however, permits senators to seek re-election to their office after sitting out for four years. In June 2010, Chambers indicated he may consider seeking re-election in 2012 to the District 11 seat he held in the Legislature for nearly four decades.^[7]

Sen. Chambers also ran for the United States Senate in 1988 as a New Alliance Party candidate.^[8] He petitioned to be included on the 1974 ballot for Governor of the state of Nebraska^[9] and also ran for Governor in 1994, receiving 0.44% of the vote.

Chambers hosts a weekly call-in Public-access television cable TV show on Omaha's Community Telecast, Inc. (CTI22), broadcast on Cox Channel 22.^[10]

Legislative service[link]

Senator Chambers' politics are liberal. He is a firm opponent of the death penalty, and introduced a bill to repeal Nebraska's capital punishment law at the start of each legislative session. The bill was once passed by the Legislature but could not overcome Governor Dave Heineman's veto; the issue remained as a primary focus of his while in office.

Frequently employing legislative rules and filibusters to block proposals, his legislative opposition has caused friction with some of his colleagues in the Legislature. It has, in fact, been suggested by opponents of legislative term limits that the 2000 amendment limiting senators to two four-year terms had been conceived largely to force him from his position.^[11] But despite such friction, he is well respected by many past and present Nebraska politicians for his intimate knowledge of legislative rules, his persuasive skills as an orator and for wearing his sweatsuits or black or blue T-shirts and denim jeans on the floor of the Senate rather than a suit.

This section may be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective. (January 2009)

[edit] Marsh v. Chambers

Senator Chambers initiated a lawsuit in 1980 attempting to end the Legislature's practice of beginning its session with a prayer offered by a state-supported chaplain, arguing that such practice was forbidden by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The district court held that the prayer did not violate the Constitution, but that state support for the chaplain did. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals held that both practices violated the Constitution. However, in Marsh v. Chambers (1983), the Supreme Court held by a 6–3 vote that both practices were constitutional because of the "unique history" of the United States.

1986 NCAA student athletes as state employees[link]

Senator Chambers has promoted recognizing NCAA student athletes as state employees since the 1980s, arguing that the athletes are generating revenue for their universities without any legal benefits for doing so, which encourages illegal payments and gifts. A bill on this issue too was once passed by the Legislature and again it was unable to overcome the governor's veto.^[12] After it was revealed that requiring student athletes to be recognized as state employees would jeopardize any university's NCAA standing, the language of the bill was changed such that a university could allow for players to be paid a stipend, a change that allowed for the bill's passage and signature of governor approval in 2003.^[13]

1989 Franklin Scandal[link]

According to an article that appeared in the December 18, 1988, edition of the New York Times, unidentified people present at a closed meeting reported that Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers claimed he heard credible reports of "boys and girls, some of them from foster homes, who had been transported around the country by airplane to provide sexual favors, for which they were rewarded."^[14] Investigating what became known as the Franklin child prostitution ring allegations, a Nebraska grand jury was convened to investigate the allegations and possibly return indictments. Eventually, the grand jury ruled the entire matter was "a carefully crafted hoax," although they failed to identify the perpetrators of said hoax.^[15]

2006 Omaha Public Schools controversy[link]

In April 2006, Senator Chambers introduced LB 1024, an amendment to a bill that would divide the Omaha Public Schools district into three different districts. The bill and its amendment were created in response to an effort by the Omaha schools district to "absorb a string of largely white schools that were within the Omaha city limits but were controlled by suburban or independent districts". Omaha Schools claimed that the usurpation was necessary to avoid financial and racial inequity, but supporters of LB 1024 contested the district's expansion, favoring more localized control, especially along racial and ethnic lines. The bill has received national attention and some critics have referred to it as "state-sponsored segregation".^[16]

A bill passed in 2007 repealed LB 1024, restoring pre-2006 Omaha-area school district boundaries, after which a "learning community" was created to equalize student achievement in Douglas and Sarpy counties.

2007 Lawsuit against God[link]

Wikinews has related news: Nebraska Senator sues God Judge in Nebraska says, thou shalt not sue God

On September 14, 2007, Sen. Chambers filed a lawsuit against God, seeking a permanent injunction ordering God to "cease certain harmful activities and the making of terroristic threats...of grave harm to innumerable persons, including constituents of Plaintiff who Plaintiff has the duty to represent".^[17]

Sen. Chambers said his action was in response to another lawsuit filed in the state court that he considers to be frivolous and inappropriate.^[18] In that case a woman was taking Lancaster County Judge Jeffre Cheuvront to federal court for ruling that the words "rape", "sexual assault kit", "victim", and "assailant" could not be used in her testimony.^[19]

Senator Chambers (a member of the Judiciary Committee^[20]) stated that the case "is inappropriate because the Nebraska Supreme Court has already considered the case and federal courts follow the decisions of state supreme courts on state matters."^[18][21] He went on to announce his lawsuit against God and said "This lawsuit [against Judge Cheuvront] having been filed and being of such questionable merit creates a circumstance where my lawsuit is appropriately filed. People might call it frivolous but if they read it they’ll see there are very serious issues I have raised."^[18][21]

Chambers' lawsuit drew even more media attention than the lawsuit that had inspired him to take the action to prove his point. Many media outlets covering the story made no mention that Chambers' case was intended to show that the courts were currently required to hear cases, regardless of how frivolous they were. The confusion was furthered by Chambers himself who, apparently tongue-in-cheek, told reporters that his case was not to protest frivolous lawsuits, but to insure them saying his action was "in response to bills brought forth by other state senators to try and stop lawsuits from being filed. 'The Constitution requires that the courthouse doors be open, so you cannot prohibit the filing of suits, Anyone can sue anyone they choose, even God.'"^[22]

The case was finally closed on February 25, 2008 when the Nebraska Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal and vacated the order of the district court. The court quoted cases according to which "[a] court decides real controversies and determines rights actually controverted, and does not address or dispose of abstract questions or issues that might arise in hypothetical or fictitious situation or setting".

Assorted legislation[link]

Chambers has long advocated on behalf of David Rice and Ed Poindexter, who were convicted of the murder of an Omaha police officer; Amnesty International considers the men political prisoners.

Often clashing with fellow senators, Senator Chambers has taken on several issues of concern to rural Nebraskans during his tenure, 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.^[23] In 2004 Chambers co-authored an opinion piece with U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne opposing a set of initiatives that would allow casino gambling and slot machines in Nebraska.^[24] Chambers also opposed proposed funding of the state's ethanol plant incentive programs, declaring them "a boondoggle".^[25]

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 Omaha business leaders had insulted the Legislature and the North Omaha community which he represents by criticizing the passage of LB 1024. He was also insulted by the Omaha City Council's refusal to name a North Omaha park after him despite another request by that neighborhood to do so.^[26]

Post-Legislative Life[link]

On November 4, 2008, Chambers was elected to be a member of the new Douglas and Sarpy County, NE, Learning Community board. Chambers was sworn in in early 2009.

He has also been featured as a guest on The Political Cesspool.^[27]

Legacy[link]

Aside from the long-ranging effects of his legislative service, Chambers has also been honored in Omaha. The apartment complex originally called Strehlow Terrace was renamed the Ernie Chambers Court in the 1990s.^[28]

See also[link]

• Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska
• Education in North Omaha
• History of North Omaha, Nebraska

References[link]