What is the difference between LBs, LRs and LR-CAs in the Legislature?
by Nathan Leach
The Acronyms Explained:
- LB: A legislative bill (LB) proposes specific changes to Nebraska state law (Nebraska Revised Statutes)
- LR: Whereas a legislative resolution (LR) is a formal expression or statement of the Legislature.
- LR-CA: When an LR is followed by the letters “CA” (for Constitutional Amendment), it means the resolution is proposing a change to the Nebraska State Constitution.
Procedural Pathways:
LB’s and LR-CA’s follow the same procedural path – right up until the final stage. As a proposed constitutional amendment, an LR-CA requires 30 votes, whereas a bill needs only a majority of elected members, or 25. Also, unlike bills that go to the Governor for approval (or veto), LR-CA’s are sent directly to voters, who decide their fate at the ballot box.
Most LRs are not constitutional amendments and are so noncontroversial that they garner little to no public notice or attention. A recent exception was on January 15th when lawmakers passed an LR submitted by Senator Arch (LaVista), honoring the late former U.S. President Jimmy Carter for his service to the Nation. This prompted a well-written (as usual) Nebraska Examiner article that even achieved a bit of national media attention.
In everyday parliamentary procedure, it can be helpful to know that resolutions and “main motions” (basically a proposal for action) are functionally the same. A resolution is a main motion—and a main motion can always be put in the form of a resolution.
About Nathan Leach:
Nathan Leach is a Kearney, Nebraska native, independent and legislative parliamentarian who recently relocated to Arizona. He is a former Army National Guard paralegal and founder of Nonpartisan Nebraska, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the merit-based, nonpartisan rules of the state’s one-house Unicameral Legislature. He can be contacted at nathan.k.leach@gmail.com.
Re-posted with permission by Nathan Leach.
