It is important to watch bills as they are introduced making a list of those that potentially affect the members of the association.  Then read the introduced copy and follow up by looking at the introducer's statement of intent.  Often it can be a tricky process as bills may refer to other sections of the Nebraska Statutes.  This requires reading those sections to understand the intended effect of the bill ---- so paying attention is important.  Ultimately most of the bills on your list can be deleted when satisfied that the bill is not significant to our members.     However, there may be some that remain that are.  Often the introduced bill will have unintended consequences that the Senator who introduced it was not aware of.  Amendments can be made in the committee and this is a crucial first step in protecting your interest.  It should be obvious that knowing a State Senator and being able to contact them on a bill can be very powerful.  They are elected locally and will consider local input because they most likely will be running for re-election.  This is the advantage of a state association, as there is a potential that one or more of our members will have that personal contact and recognition with a State Senator.  

    That may not be enough and it may be necessary to attend the hearing and provide testimony. It is important to recognize the long days our Senators put in and the many subjects they are trying to become educated on.  Testimony needs to short and concise - getting to a few main points quickly and leaving them with or leading them to a conclusion that is in our best interest.  NRCA has the experience in providing this type of testimony in person or by submitting it in writing.

       We can also be proactive and look for a Senator to introduce a bill that we are in favor of.  We have done that several times with bills that would allow all vehicles to only run the rear license plate.  Those have not been successful, and you have to be realistic about the ability of others who may hold a different opinion.  On the success side, we were a part of legislation passed that allows you to obtain a classic assembled vehicle title for a vehicle constructed from parts essential the same as original.  We worked on bills that now allow you to use a year of MFG license plate, and with that plate you are only required to run the rear plate.

   Protecting your interest at the Unicameral is a high priority of NRCA - this alone is worth being a member.  Each new member makes NRCA stronger in the legislative arena - and it is easy to join right here on this web site -- just click on the "Join Us" tab. During the session, we will post updates on our bill watch list in the Just for Members section - which of course is only accessible to members