Nebraska State Government Organization
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Nebraska State Government Organization — Executive Branch* 609 Executive Agencies1 Not Subject to Governor’s Direct Control (Noncode Agencies) Accounta- Blind and Dairy Deaf and Attorney Colleges, Abstracters bility and Accountancy, Advocacy, Auditor Barber Visu- Industrial Hard of Arts General/Jus- Brand Board of Board of Disclosure Board of Commission of Public Examiners, ally Impaired, Corn Board Development Hearing, Council tice Depart- Committee Trustees of Examiners Commission Public on Public Accounts Board of Commission Board, Commis- ment State for Nebraska sion for N EBRASKA Educational Educational Electrical Education, Engineers & Equal Foster Care Game and Grain Historical Dry Bean Telecom- Board/Divi- Ethanol Geologists, Lands and Opportunity Sorghum Society, Depart- Architects, Board Review Parks Com- Commission 2 Funds, munications sion, State Board of ment of Board of Commission Board mission Board State Board of Commission S TATE G OVERNMENT Land Survey- Motor Ve- Post- Indian Affairs, Industrial Parole, ors, Board Landscape Liquor Mexican hicle Industry Oil & Gas Secondary Commis- Relations, Investment Library Com- Lieutenant Board of/ of Examiners Architects, Control Com- American Licensing Conservation Education, sion on Commis- Council mission Governor Pardons, Coordinating for Board of mission Commission Board Commission sion of Board of Commis- sion for Retirement Tax University Women, Power Review Public Real Estate Racing Com- Real Estate Board, Public Secretary of Equalization Treasurer, of Nebraska Wheat Commission Service Com- Board mission Appraiser Commission Employees State and Review State Board of Board on the mission Board Commission Regents Status of * Source: Governor’s Policy Research Offi ce. 1 Including elected offi cials’ offi ces (in bold). 2 Includes State Board of Education and commissioner of education (appointed by board). Starred items are offi ces and agencies established in the Nebraska Constitution. 610 NEBRASKA STATE GOVERNMENT NONCODE AGENCIES Editor’s Note: Noncode agencies are state government agencies not subject to the governor’s direct control. All are full-fl edged agencies, meaning they have their own staff, are affi liated with no other agency and appear as a distinct item in the state budget. All statutory references in this section indicate where each agency was created in the Nebraska Constitution, Revised Statutes of Nebraska or both, unless otherwise noted. Appointees to boards, commissions, councils, committees and other state governmental bodies serve until they resign or are replaced after their terms expire. Abstracters Board of Examiners Offi ce Address: The Atrium, 1200 N St., Suite 404, P.O. Box 94944, Lincoln, NE 68509-4944, phone (402) 471-2383, fax (402) 471-6575, e-mail address — mmccull@ abe.state.ne.us, Web site — http://www.abe.state.ne.us Director: Mardy McCullough Statutory Reference: 76-540 The Abstracters Board of Examiners reviews licensees’ practices under the Abstracters Act. The board regulates the registration and certifi cation of individual abstracters and abstracting companies in the state. The board also supervises continuing education programs, investigates complaints and conducts hearings. The board’s mis- sion is to ensure Nebraska real estate buyers, or those making payments to be secured by property, are fully informed of that property’s legal status. The board has fi ve governor-appointed members, and no member may be appointed to succeed himself or herself. Three members must be registered abstracters working in the business for at least fi ve years, and one member must be a lawyer with a real estate law background. The fi fth member represents the public. No more than two members may be from the same county. At least one member must be from a county having a fi rst class city as its largest city, and at least one member must be from a county with a second class city as its largest city. No two board members can have the same employer. Members serve fi ve-year terms. The board meets twice each year. Members are reimbursed for expenses and paid $50 per day when conducting board business. Member Position Term Expires Ralph Anderson, Tekamah ..........................Abstractor, 1st Class City ..................................Nov. 18, 2007 Gerald L. Bruning, Ceresco ..........................Public, 2nd Class City .........................................Nov. 18, 2008 Patricia A. Daehling, Lincoln .......................Abstracter, 1st Class City ...................................Nov. 18, 2010 Joseph McNamara Jr., Omaha .....................Attorney, 2nd Class City ....................................Nov. 18, 2009 Julie Rawlings Hoppe, Kearney ...................Abstractor ............................................................Nov. 18, 2011 NEBRASKA STATE GOVERNMENT 611 Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission Offi ce Address: State Capitol, 11th Floor, P.O. Box 95086, Lincoln, NE 68509- 5086, phone (402) 471-2522, fax (402) 471-6599, e-mail address — [email protected]. ne.us, Web site — http://nadc.nol.org Executive Director: Frank Daley Statutory Reference: 49-14,105 The 1976 Legislature created the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Com- mission through the enactment of the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act. This act became effective July 1, 1977. The commission is an independent state government administrative agency. Under the act, the commission administers and enforces state ethics laws, campaign fi nance laws and lobbying laws. The commission has the authority to issue advisory opinions, adopt rules and regulations, conduct investigations into possible violations of the act and assess civil penalities against anyone found to have violated the act. The ethics provisions of the act require certain public offi cials and public employees on state and local levels to fi le annual statements that disclose their personal fi nancial interests. Written disclosures of potential confl icts of interest must be fi led by certain categories of public offi cials and public employees. The ethics provisions of the act also regulate the hiring or employment of immediate family members, prohibit the use of a public position for personal fi nancial gain and prohibit the use of government resources, property, personnel or funds for nongovernmental purposes. The lobbying provisions of the act require those attempting to infl uence the actions of the Legislature on behalf of another to register with the clerk of the Legislature. The registration discloses the identity of the principal for which the lobbyist is lobbying. Lobbyists and principals fi le quarterly reports disclosing receipts and expenditures for lobbying purposes. Lobbyists must fi le statements after the legislative session disclosing the issues they lobbied for or against. The lobbying provisions of the act also restrict the gifts that lobbyists and principals may provide to offi cials and employees in the executive and legislative branches of government. The campaign fi nance provisions of the act require disclosure of campaign receipts and expenditures by candidates seeking state or local offi ce, political action committees and ballot question committees. Corporations, unions, political parties and other persons or entities that fi nance elections also have reporting obligations under the act. By act of the Legislature, the Campaign Finance Limitation Act (CFLA) went into effect in 1995. The CFLA provides for voluntary campaign spending limits by candidates for specifi ed public offi ces. The choice to abide by the spending limits or not to abide by the spending limits is made by the candidate and is not reversible. Candidates who choose to abide by the spending limits and meet other criteria may become eligible for public funds for use in their campaigns. Candidates who choose not to abide by the limits must fi le an estimate of what they expect to spend in the election. The differ- ence between the estimate of the nonabiding candidate and the voluntary expenditure limit determines the amount of public funds awarded to the abiding candidate. Public funds are not counted against the voluntary spending limits. All candidates to whom the 612 NEBRASKA STATE GOVERNMENT CFLA applies are subject to aggregate spending limits. There is a limit on how much in contributions they may accept from sources other than individuals. The commission consists of eight appointed members and the secretary of state. The governor appoints four members of the commission. Two are appointed from lists of not less than fi ve names submitted by the Legislature and two are appointed from the citizenry at large. The secretary of state appoints four members. One is appointed from a list of no less than fi ve names submitted by the chairperson of the state Democratic Party and one from a list of no less than fi ve persons submitted by the chairperson of the state Republican Party. The secretary of state appoints two from the citizenry at large. The act establishes a geographical and political balance for the commission’s appointed membership. No more than three of the appointed members may reside in the same congressional district. No more than four of the appointed members may be registered in the same political party and one must be a registered independent. Ap- pointed members serve six-year terms. The commission meets approximately nine times per year. Members receive $50 for each day of service and reimbursement for expenses. Member Position Term Expires Deborah L. Bacon, Gothenburg