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100 Years Ago, A Nebraska Republican Changed Democracy in His State Forever

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100 Years Ago, A Nebraska Republican Changed Democracy in His State Forever


Editor’s Note: This op-ed, written by Open Primaries Senior Vice President Jeremy Gruber, originally published on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher. Photo by Nicolas Henderson on Flickr. 

 

With Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s announcement on Sept. 24 that he doesn’t have enough votes to call a special session of the Legislature to change the way the state allocates electoral votes, an effort led by former President Donald Trump to pressure the Legislature officially failed.

Nebraska is one of only two states that award a single Electoral College vote to the winner in each congressional district, plus two votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote. Much has been made — justifiably — of Republican state Sen. Mike McDonnell’s heroic decision to buck enormous political pressure from his party to fall in line, and choosing instead to single-handedly defeat the measure. The origins of the senator’s independence, though, began in a 100-old experiment in democracy reform.

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In 1933, after years of rampant corruption, Nebraska’s two-chamber, partisan gridlocked on a series of basic tasks, from tax allocation to the repeal of Prohibition. U.S. Sen. George Norris (R), a Republican, refused to sit idly by as his state faced enormous political and social unrest. He firmly believed partisan politics were detrimental to the democratic process. For him, “men in the legislature, elected on a partisan political platform, are inclined to follow the bidding and the dictates of party machines and party bosses.” Norris himself practiced a brand of practical, can-do politics that demanded he follow his own belief system. For him, partisan politics gets in the way of building any meaningful, lasting change.

So, he led an effort, using his own money, to fundamentally reimagine how Nebraska does politics, by putting a measure on the 1934 ballot to abolish the legislature and replace it with a unicameral body operating with nonpartisan rules and elected on a nonpartisan, open primary ballot. The entire political class of the state and both the Democratic and Republican parties opposed it. The people of Nebraska overwhelmingly voted in favor of it.

This restructuring has generally freed the Legislature from the type of strong-arm partisan politics that pervades political activity in Congress and most state legislatures. With no formal party alignments or caucuses, the Nebraska Legislature operates under a unique political reality that allows coalitions to form issue by issue. Because committee chairs are elected by the members and not partisan leaders, with minority party members regularly holding leadership posts, the Nebraska Legislature is largely a meritocracy.

Perhaps most unique about the Nebraska system is how voters elect state senators. Instead of separate, partisan primaries to select Republican and Democratic nominees, Nebraska utilizes a single, nonpartisan open primary. The primary ballot lists all candidates without partisan affiliation. The top two candidates, regardless of party, advance to the general election.

That means that senators elected in the Nebraska system are not strictly beholden to their party and its leadership to get elected and stay in office. Senators can define what “left,” “right” and “center” mean — or don’t mean — instead of letting the party define it for them.

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That Nebraska legislators are not bound by party dogma is incredibly empowering. It gives them the space to consider new legislative approaches, and to reach out more broadly in crafting policy. It shakes off the mythology and false assumptions of what it means to be a Republican, Democrat or independent. And it allows elected leaders to vote their conscience, and not be forced into supporting narrow party agendas.

That doesn’t mean Nebraska’s elected leaders are free from partisan politics — far from it. And the pressure is particularly acute since statewide offices and Nebraska’s federal delegation operate under typical partisan rules. What it does mean is that they are able to move the people’s business forward despite those challenges. Which is why they’ve made progress on issues ranging from tax reform to immigration, while the state’s congressional representatives — representing the same constituents — have stuck close to their party’s agendas and shown little leadership on the same issues despite their priority among voters.

That bring us to McDonnell, who in opposing the proposed change to how Nebraska counts electoral votes made a clear statement of conviction: “The idea that the coach calls a timeout with two minutes left and says, ‘I want to change the value of the field goal from three points to four, and that’s how I’m going to win,’ it doesn’t ring true, and that’s not part of Nebraska…If the people of Nebraska want to do it two years out and let whoever wants to run for president of the United States know the rules, I think that would be fair.”

It’s a statement that could have just as easily come from Norris himself.



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Pillen: Nebraska senator tears down historical exhibits by PragerU from Capitol walls

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Pillen: Nebraska senator tears down historical exhibits by PragerU from Capitol walls


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Parts of a temporary historical exhibit inside the Nebraska State Capitol were torn down by a state senator, Gov. Pillen alleges.

Gov. Pillen said Wednesday on social media that several displays of historical figures, key events in the American Revolution and portraits of those who signed the Declaration of Independence were “ripped off the walls” by state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha.

A 40-second video shared by Pillen appears to show Sen. Cavanaugh taking down several displays and a photo showed the items on the floor of her office.

A 40-second video shared by Gov. Jim Pillen shows Sen. Cavanaugh taking down several displays and a photo showed the items on the floor of her office.(Governor Jim Pillen’s office)

The displays featuring material made by the controversial conservative group PragerU were put up in the state Capitol as part of the United States’ 250th anniversary.

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“Celebrating America during our 250th year should be a moment of unity and patriotism, not divisiveness and destructive partisanship. I am disappointed in this shameful and selfish bad example,” Pillen wrote.

Cavanaugh told 10/11 that senators are prohibited from putting items on the walls in the hallway outside their offices. She said the posters line the entire hallway around the first floor, but she only took down the ones outside her office.

“When I walked in this morning and saw these poster boards lining the hallway of my office, I thought well I’m not allowed to have things lining the hall of my office… I tried to take them down as gently as I could and not damage any of them, and I stacked them inside of my office and I let the state patrol know that they were there,” Cavanaugh said.

PragerU has previously faced criticism for making content that historians, researchers and scholars have considered inaccurate or misleading. Some parents and educators have also spoken out against the nonprofit, saying its content spreads misinformation and is being used for “indoctrinating children.”

The Founders Museum exhibit in particular has been criticized by The American Historical Association for blurring the line between reality and fiction, according to NPR.

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The exhibit is supposed to remain on display during public building hours through the summer.

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Oregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska

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Oregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska


Nebraska has picked up a third linebacker commitment from Oregon State transfer Dexter Foster, a sophomore with three seasons of eligibility remaining, including a redshirt year. 

The 6-foot-3, 236lb linebacker started in seven games this fall for the Beavers, totaling 52 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup. As a true freshman in 2024, he appeared in 12 games, totaling 43 tackles with two tackles for loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries. 

Foster held just two offers coming out of high school prior to committing to Oregon State, but was at one point a target for new Nebraska defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, when Aurich was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Idaho in 2022-2023. 

The sophomore joins a linebacker room that has seen a bit of a facelift through transfer portal additions. San Diego State linebacker Owen Chambliss led the Aztecs in tackles this season and has now signed with the Huskers, following Rob Aurich to Lincoln. Iowa State freshman linebacker Will Hawthorne committed to the Huskers on Tuesday. Nebraska fell just short of Iowa State when Hawthorne was coming out of Gilbert (Ia.) in the 2025 cycle. 

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Foster is the seventh transfer portal addition for the Huskers this cycle and the fourth defensive addition. The Huskers are expected to be done with linebacker portal recruiting at this point and will turn attention to needs up front, both at defensive tackle and edge rusher. 

Quick look at what Nebraska is getting in Foster

Standing 6-foot-3, and north of 235lbs, Foster is rangy and athletic in space. Has the versatility to play true strong-side or weak-side linebacker and could even spin down to edge rusher if needed. Possesses the athletic and physical range to track down ball-carriers in space, arm length to keep would-be-blockers at bay. Shows good eye discipline working through traffic, quick to react and trigger downhill, with the fluidity to change directions quickly. Still more read-and-react than anticipatory at this point in his development, but gets to his spots quickly. Has the athleticism to stick in coverage against running backs, tight ends and even slot receivers. 

Has the experience, size and play-style to factor into Nebraska’s linebacker rotation immediately, and could even push to start alongside San Diego State linebacker transfer Owen Chambliss. Has the versatility to be a chess piece of sorts for Aurich and stick on the field regardless of personnel.



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Nebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek

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Nebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek


QUEEN CREEK, AZ — A slice of the Midwest is coming to the East Valley! Godfather’s Pizza from Omaha, Nebraska, is set to open a new location this month in Queen Creek.

Bruce Cannon, who owns and operates two Godfather’s Pizza locations in Lincoln and Norfolk, Nebraska, will also own and operate the new Queen Creek restaurant.

“This marks the brand’s first traditional Godfather’s Pizza restaurant in Arizona since 2009, signaling an exciting return to the Phoenix metro area,” read the news release sent to ABC15.

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The restaurant will open near Queen Creek Rd and Signal Butte Rd.

The restaurant will provide dine-in, carryout, and third-party delivery options, featuring its classic pizza lineup alongside favorites like breadsticks, streusels, and specialty pies.

IF YOU GO

  • Opening date: January 19, 2026.
  • Address: 22485 Queen Creek Road, Suite 101

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