Their real friends

Consider two incumbent lawmakers who have shown that they understand this all-important fact well. State Sen. Deb Fischer of Valentine is a Republican with strong conservative views. But she also stands out for her impressive ability to build solid relationships with a wide range of lawmakers — urban or rural, Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative.

A similar example of effectiveness is Sen. Bill Avery, a moderate Democrat from Lincoln. Avery, a thoughtful student of the Legislature, routinely works with lawmakers to his political left or right, building consensus through a focus on practical discussion rather than political point-scoring.

Such approach is vital in helping a lawmaker build trust — probably the most important quality in the Legislature.

It will always be the case that an incumbent governor will rightly work to promote his or her agenda in the Nebraska Legislature and that the opposing party will seek to push back. But in the 2009 session, it would be foolish and irresponsible for either side to force the Legislature into protracted bouts of partisan mudwrestling.

Democrats, for example, would make a mistake during the session if their members become obsessed with incessantly trashing Gov. Dave Heineman and the State Department of Health and Human Services. Such point-scoring would harm the Legislature’s ability to work constructively with the executive branch on behavioral health matters — and undermine morale among HHS front-line workers.

Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, need to realize that they are not foot soldiers for the Governor’s Office. On the contrary, they are members of a separate branch of government — a branch that needs to be resolute in defending its prerogatives.

The encouraging news is that Patrick O’Donnell, the clerk of the Legislature, recently organized a well-done freshman orientation that explained these crucial points. And the bonding across party lines among many of the freshmen shows how these Nebraskans are approaching their service with the needed seriousness.
When issues large and small are being debated in committee or on the floor in 2009, lawmakers’ most important friends won’t be the party activists sending them agitated e-mail messages or the special-interest lobbyists sending them little notes from under the rotunda.

Their most important friends will be their colleagues, regardless of party or ideology.

Serious-minded members of the Legislature realize this. They know that to maximize their effectiveness, they need to reach out across the full membership. Lawmakers who isolate themselves in a narrow subgroup undercut the operation of the Legislature. They also diminish their own ability to make a positive difference.

Effective Nebraska lawmakers work across party lines.