ARCHIVES RECORD RG56 Nebraska. Legislature Records: 1855-1972 Cubic Ft.: 732 Approx. No. of Items: 528,000 Volumes, Reel

ARCHIVES RECORD

RG56 Nebraska. Legislature / Records: 1855-1972 Cubic ft.: 732 Approx. no. of items: 528,000 volumes, reels of microfilm

HISTORICAL NOTE

Like the federal government and other state governments, Nebraska's was structured according to the principle of separation of powers: Legislative, executive and judicial branchs. The legislative branch of the Nebraska state government is composed of the state Legislature and the Legislative Council and staff. The Organic Act of May 30, 1854, provided for a legislative assembly consisting of a council and a House of Representatives. It provided for annual sessions of not more than forty days duration, except for the first session, which might be prolonged to sixty days. Legislative apportionments were to be based on the number of voters. The Territorial Governor was directed to have a census taken to make the initial apportionments and to call an election. The first session convened at Omaha, January 16, 1855. There were officially eleven sessions of the Legislature held under the territorial government. It was the eleventh Legislature which drafted the Constitution of 1866 and which was adopted by the peope at an election held on June 2, 1866. The Constitution provided that the first session of the state Legislature should be held on July 4, 1866. When this session, which is listed as the first state Legislature, assembled, the admission bill had not as yet passed . , Congress. The United States Congress has refused to accept the State Constitution of 1866 until Nebraska had agreed to the Negro sufferage amendment. The first Legislative session, more accurately the twelfth territorial session, met from January 10, 1867-February 18, 1867, and was followed two days later by a session call of the Governor to consider the Negro sufferage amendment to the 1866 Constitution. This session of the Legislature met February 20 and 21, 1867, and is listed as the second state Legislature though Nebraska was not admitted as a state until March 1, 1867. The first session of the state Legislature after statehood was in reality the third session, which was a special session called by Governor Butler to meet May 16, 1867, to consider general legislation for the new state. On Novefaber 6, 1934, the people of Nebraska adopted a Constitutional amendment providing for a single house or a unicameral legislature, to first convene in 1937. This was an initiative amendment drafted by a committee of citizens. It was adopted by a vote of 286,086 for and 193,152 against. Thus the Nebraska State Legislature consists of one house of forty-nine members elected from single member districts on a non-partisan ballot. Also.-:.as of 1969, the Legislative members hold four year terms with the terms staggered between odd and even numbered districts. Since 1971, the Legislature has met on an annual basis. The Constitution of Nebraska designated the Lieutenant Governor as president of the Legislature. The speaker, the clerk, the sergeant-at-arms, the chaplain, and the postmaster are elected by the Legislature.

In 1937 the Legislature established theLegislative Council to consist " of sixteen legislators, four from each Congressional district. In 1949 membership of the Council was expanded to include all state senators. The ( work of the Council is supervised by an Executive Board which consists of a Chairman, Vice-chairman, six members of the Legislature, to be chosed by the Legislature at the beginning of each session, and the Speaker of the Legislature. The position of Executive Director was created in 1969. The Legislative Council considers legislative policies between sessions, sheet 2

HISTORICAL NOTE (cont.)

/ The Constitution of Nebraska designated the Lieutenant Governor as president of the Legislature. The speaker, the clerk, the sergeant-at- arms, the chaplain, and the postmaster are elected by the Legislature. In 1937 the Legislature established the Legislative Council to consist of sixteen legislators, four from each Congressional district. In 1949 membership of the Council was expanded to include all state senators. The work of the Council is supervised by an Executive Board which consists of a Chairman, Vice-chairman, six members of the Legislature, to be chosen by he Legislature at the beginning of each session, and the Speaker of the Legislature. The position of Executive Director was created in 1969. The Legislative Council considers legislative policies between sessions, collects information of state-wide importance, and presents a legislative program with recommendations to the Legislature. The Council prepares and distributes research reports and serves as a general service and information agency for the Legislature, its committees, and individual members. It compiles the Nebraska Blue Book and also publishes the supplements and re- placement volumes of the statutes of Nebraska. The Council maintains a legislative reference library as well as providing a bill drafting service.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This record group consists of the records of the Nebraska Legislature, 1855-1972, arranged in two sub-groups: (1) Records of the Legislature, 1855-1972; and (2) Records of the Legislative Council, 1899-1972. Sub-group One contains the records of the Nebraska Legislature, 1855- 1972, arranged in sixteen series: (The first 6 series consists of bound volumes). (1) Legislative Histories of Senate Files and House Rolls, 1872-1935; (2) Senate Files and House Rolls (typed version), 1877-1917;Â¥ (3) Committee Records (Bound vol mes), 1879-1922; (4) Claim Ledgers, 1945-1959; (5) Financial Records, 1879-1922;^ (6) Miscellaneous Volumes, 1873-1919;J (7) General Legislative Files, 1855-1935; (8) Legislative Journals, 1937- ; (9) Legislative Bills, 1937- ; (10) Committee Files, 1937- ; (11) Legislative Debate: General Files, 1961- ; (12) Miscellaneous Files, 1937-1965; (13) Resolutions, 1937- ; (14) Lobbyists' Files, 1911- ; (15) Manuscript Laws, 1855- ; & (16) Newspaper Clippings, 1937. This material relates to the activities of the Nebraska State Legislature. The bulk of the collections consists of the General Legislative files, 1855- 1937, which contains both the territorial Legislative Records, 1855-1867, and State Legislative Records, 1867-1935. These files are organized by year but include Legislative minutes, Journals, bills, resolutions, committee reports, etc. Beginning with 1937, when the Uni-camera1 Legislature was initiated, legislative Journals, legislative bills, committee files, resolutions and mis- cellaneous Legislative files are separated into distinct series. This part of the Legislative records combined with those from 1855-1937, make up the major portion of this collection. It should be noted that liberties were taken with these general files when they were microfilmed by the Secretary of States' Records Management Division. Originally all the files 1855-1963 were placed together by session but, when microfilmed, separate series were created after 1937. The general files have been maintained in the order as microfilmed. * Beginning with the 82nd Legislature, 1st session records are filed by , session. \ Also included are volumes containing the legislative history of each bill introduced in the Senate and House. Normally, the number of the bill is given, the individual introducing the bill, and a brief daily history of action taken on each bill. The Legislative claim records provide their address, the amount of the claim, date the claim was accured, date the claim was filed, the nature RG56 sheet 3

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE (cont.) of the claim as well as the action taken is porvided. The Lobbyist records provide the name of the lobbyists, the sponsor, the type of legislation supported, expenses and receipts. Series 15, Manuscipt Laws, contain the official final manuscripts of all laws passed by the State Legislature and signed or vetoed by the Governor. They serve as the basic legal source in case of disputes over wording and interpretation. Lesser amounts of material relating to Legislative expenses and general miscellaneous material, i.e. list of lawmakers, time books, clippings, etc., are included in various series of this sub-group. Sub-group Two consists of the records of the Legislative Council arranged in one series: (1) Nebraska Blue Book, 1899-1972. This series con- tains the state's official handbook, first published in 1899 and then pub- lished biennially since 1918, on ten rolls of microfilm. RG56 sheet 4 SUBGROUP ONE SERIES ONE LEGISLATION HISTORY OF SENATE FILES AND HOUSE ROLLS, 1872-1935

SENATE FILES Vol. 1 Vol. 2 Vols. 3-4 Vols. 5-6 Vols. 7-8 Vols. 9-12 Vols. 13-16 Vols. 17-21 1891 Vols. 22-23 1893 Vols. 24-25 1895 Vols. 26-27 1897 Vols. 28-29 1899 Vols. 30-31 1901 Vols. 32-33 1903 (Senate & House) 1, 7, Vols. 34-35 1905 ,, ,, Vols. 36-37 1907 !, ,, Vols. 38-39 1909 ,? Vols. 40-41 1911, " 8-. ',i - 1 -. 3 Vol. 42 1913 (Senate) Vol. 43 1915 (House) Vol. 44 1917 (House) Vol. 45 1919 (Senate) Vol. 46 1921 (House) Vol. 47 1923 (House) Vols. 48-49 1925 (Senate,, & House),, Vols. 50-51 1927 Vols. 52-53 Vols. 54-55 Vols. 56-57 Vol. 58 1935 (House)

HOUSE ROLLS Vol. 59-117 HOUSE ROLLS V0l. 59 ,, ,, t! t, Vol. 60 !, Vols. 61-62 " r, !* Vol. 63 ,, Vols. 64-65 " (3 Vols. 66-67 " ,t Vols. 68-71 " ,, Vols. 72-73 " ,, Vols. 74-78 " ,, Vols. 79-80 " ,, 1893 Vols. 81-82 " ,! 1895 Vols. 83-84 " ,, 1897 Vols. 85-86 " ,, 1899 Vols. 87-88 " 1901 ,I 1903 Vols. 89-90 ,," ,, Vol. 91 ,, 1905 Vols. 92-93 " 1907 (Senate & House) ,, t, ,, Vols. 94-95 " ,, 1909 ,, ,! Vols. 96-97 " 1911 1913 (House) 1915 ,,