Vickie McDonald, Executive Director of Nebraska Association of the Former State Legislators spoke to our club today. Vickie had visited Lincoln East Rotary back when we were meeting at Valentino’s Buffet telling us about the restoration of the Courtyard gardens and fountains. At the time they were trying to raise about a million dollars to restore the Courtyard gardens and have some for maintenance in the coming years. Vickie told us that the Courtyard gardens are all done and that they have raised more than a million dollars.
Vickie today told us about how she became a State Senator from District 41. Vickie was born and raised on a farm near Phillips, NE. She married her childhood sweetheart. She was also busy raising four children when she met her second husband, Rick. One day, Rick said he wanted to be a State Senator from District 41. Now Vickie really didn’t know much about campaigning or even politics. District 41 has about 35,000 people. Her husband, Rick lost the primary by 100 votes, but that did not disqualify him from the actual race. So, she learned how to campaign, because go visit every County Fair, ever event that you can go to and let people know what you stand for and how you would represent their District. Two months before winning District 41 State Senator race, her husband was not feeling well. They went to the doctor and learned he had cancer. Rick had surgery, chemo and even waited about having a transplant of his kidney. After the chemo he waited and then decided to have the transplant, but it was too late. He had already asked Governor Johanns about appointing Vickie to his post. Rick passed away shortly afterward, and Vickie and Rick had only been married 18 months. She said that his funeral was on a Thursday and that Friday she was sworn in as his replacement. The reason for the rush was that every ten years they do redistricting and his seat would have been lost.
Vickie told us that one of her bills dealt with using the unused medicines for those that have difficulty getting. In other words, a depository for these unused medicines so that doctors that needed to get them could have access. The bill did pass, but has never been put to use. She was term limited out of her State Senator seat. She served for 8 years, and remarried to former Wood River Superintendent of schools, Larry Harnisch. They do live in Lincoln.
She did tell us how a “Bill” becomes law. The bill is given to the appropriate committee which is made up of seven people. It is read in the committee to see if it is a good or bad bill. If it is a good Bill it will usually go for it’s second reading which is a Public hearing. It takes five votes out of the seven to go forward toward that second reading. The Bill can be amended at anytime during the three readings. Once it hits for floor of the legislature, it is read a third time and still be amended. Once it has 25 votes or has passed through it’s three readings, it is sent to the governor to sign. If the governor does not sign it, it goes back to the legislature, and if it gets 30 votes it will become law.