The Nebraska Legislature is considering a critical measure today [May 9, 2025] that could strengthen our state’s ability to govern effectively. Legislative Resolution 19CA – a proposed constitutional amendment allowing Nebraskans to send a state senator back for a third term – came up for its first-round vote in April, and earned 32 votes. That’s a strong start, but for a constitutional amendment, the bar is higher: It needs 40 votes to advance.

That’s where you come in. We need your voice today to urge your senator to vote YES on LR19CA when it returns to the floor.

Why it matters

Nebraska’s term limits are among the most restrictive in the nation. In other states, term-limited lawmakers often shift between chambers, allowing them to retain institutional knowledge and apply lessons learned. Not in Nebraska. Here, when a senator hits the term limit, they walk out the door and take years of experience, a deep understanding of policy, and the relationships that help legislation move forward.

This year alone, 16 of our 49 senators are new. That’s nearly one-third of the entire Legislature. Imagine any organization losing a third of its staff every two years. It would be nearly impossible to sustain momentum or tackle long-term challenges. That’s what we’re facing in our Unicameral.

And this couldn’t be happening at a worse time. As gridlock continues in Washington, more and more of the country’s biggest decisions are falling to state governments. We need senators with the time and space to gain deep expertise, build coalitions, and govern wisely, not just cycle in and out as soon as they get their footing.

What LR19CA does (and doesn’t do)

LR19CA doesn’t end term limits. It simply gives Nebraskans the option to send a senator back for one more term, if that senator chooses to run and voters choose to re-elect them. That’s democracy in action.

Before term limits, only a few senators ever served a third term. But those who did carried the torch of institutional memory, helped mentor incoming lawmakers, and protected the internal norms that kept the Legislature focused, collaborative, and effective.

Those norms are fraying. LR19CA is a smart, measured step to help restore what we’ve lost.

Now is the time to act.

Call, email, or text your senator – and the senators listed below, who voted no or declined to vote in the first round – to let them know you support LR19CA and expect them to vote YES to move it forward.

Armendariz
Guerica
Clements
Hardin
Moser
Prokop
Storer
J. Cavanaugh
Dungan
Quick
Storm
Jacobson
McKeon
McKinney
Raybould
Sanders
Spivey

Remind them that real solutions to our state’s challenges require continuity, experience, and a functioning legislative body. Your outreach could make the difference.