Nebraska lawmakers debated whether there is partisanship in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, then finished the talk with a vote that followed party lines.
On Thursday, state senators killed a measure (LB635) that would have required political parties to report campaign expenditures before elections just as so-called independent committees do.
State Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha, a Democrat, says it would increase transparency.
Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha, a Republican, alleges that there was really another purpose: to help Democrats spread campaign messages without attaching the party name in heavily Republican
areas of the state.
A debate ensued about partisanship. Most lawmakers sat silent, until casting mostly party-line votes.
