by Stephanie Croston

    Lauren Adams has learned a lot during her first session covering the legislature.
     "I didn't know what to expect," she said April 14.
     Adams, a former reporter for the Seward County Independent, has had the opportunity to see how the legislature works first-hand. Her job in the Unicameral Information Office includes producing the Unicameral Update, a free weekly publication that comes out during each session, helping with civic education, taking pictures and working on the Nebraska Blue Book, a resource that includes information on all three branches of Nebraska's government.
     She said she was pleasantly surprised with the senators' conduct.
     "They really care about what's best for the state," she said.
     She writes for and lays out the Update, which provides information about what happened in the legislature that week. Each of the Update reporters is assigned a beat, and Adams covers agriculture, natural resources, education and government/military/veterans affairs.
     She said the writers try to offer an unbiased look at legislative action, which means the articles are more facts-oriented and written in a more technical style than those for the SCI, for example.
     "I was intimidated at first, but I think it's really stretched me as a writer," she said.
     To get the information needed for each article, Adams and her fellow staffers attend committee hearings as assigned by her boss.
     Every bill gets a public hearing, and anyone who wants to may speak at that hearing. Adams said she was impressed that the senators really listen to the thoughts and concerns expressed.
     "I thought they already had their minds made up, but it's not the case," she said.
     She said she averaged three committee hearings a week. She also reviewed the statement of intent and committee statement for each bill, which helped clarify what the legislation was intended to do.
     "We report on what is said publicly," she said.
     If a bill that was covered in committee advances to the floor for debate, it's also covered on the floor, she said. One that she watched from the beginning was related to the avian flu and came from the Agriculture Committee.
     She also covered the concealed carry bill in its early stages, as well as the campaign finance reform legislation. After covering legislation from its beginnings, she said she feels happy for the senators when their bills pass and feels bad if they don't. Examples included Sen. Schimek's resident tuition for non-documented students, which barely passed, and Sen. Beutler's minimum wage bill, which did not pass.
     Adams said she was surprised at how much the senators rely on their staff and constituents for information.
     "They can't be an expert on every issue," she said.
     After watching one session up close, Adams said she doesn't look at politics the same way as she did and she understands the legislative process better-"the issues are not black and white."
     She was pleased to see senators working to compromise on various issues, trying to find the best solution for the greatest number of Nebraskans. That has given her more confidence in the legislative system.
     "They really do believe in what they're doing. It shows their dedication," she said. "They don't let personal views get in the way."
     This year was the first that senators had to deal with term limits. With the amount of experience and knowledge that is leaving the legislature, Adams said it will be exciting to see new faces and hear new ideas from the new senators.
     She said the senators who were leaving expressed confidence in those who would still be there. In considering potential leaders of the legislature, Adams said Sen. Flood of Norfolk came to mind.
     Being a senator would be a hard job, however, she said, adding that they make a lot of sacrifices.
     To help encourage the younger generation to participate more, Adams and her coworkers conduct a variety of civic education projects, including Project Citizen, a high school competition. Each high school group identifies a problem, develops a proposal for a solution and either presents that proposal to the governing body or sends letters to those who could make the proposed changes.
     Adams also works with Unicam Youth, which combines with 4-H to help students work through the entire legislative process.
     Adams said she does miss the "human interaction" and the opportunities to follow up on legislation and its possible effects.
     "That's the cost of objectivity," she said.
     And although she said she misses working in Seward, "it's fun to work in the capitol. I haven't gotten used to the solemnness, the majesty."