According to a Nebraska Examiner news article, The Nebraska Legislature likely won’t consider a Cherry County Republican’s allegation that her representative, State Sen. Tom Brewer, doesn’t live in his Sandhills district and should forfeit his seat. That was the consensus among more than a dozen state lawmakers contacted after Valentine resident Sherri Bacon filed a complaint with the Clerk of the Legislature that Brewer lived in Cass County, not Sheridan County in District 43, which he represents. One state senator, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Legislature should consider the state constitutional question Bacon raised about residency from Article III, Section 8 before risking the legality of any bills Brewer helps pass in a narrow vote. Conservative activists have spent hours discussing the potential chaos if the Legislature or the courts concluded Brewer didn’t live in the district. Privately, some political observers said they worried about the repercussions if a court eventually ruled Brewer’s votes could not be counted. Some senators questioned the statute the Clerk of the Legislature cited, concluding Bacon didn’t have standing to file her complaint. On its face, it appears to allow only losing candidates to challenge the qualifications of someone elected to the Legislature. Several senators in both parties said they had heard no colleagues calling for an investigation of Brewer’s residency. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, one of the Legislature’s most influential members, said Brewer is unlikely to face additional scrutiny. She said he is popular among his peers and is serving his last term before he is term limited.
No Action will Likely Take Place Against Senator Brewer
