Nebraska legislators on Wednesday night time blocked a late effort to alter how the state allocates its Electoral Faculty votes, regardless of public stress from former President Donald Trump to shift to a winner-take-all system that will seemingly profit him within the fall.The measure fell brief, 8-36, in a procedural vote. Whereas it’s attainable supporters might take one other stab at advancing the proposal, there stay severe hurdles because the legislative session attracts to an in depth, and it’s unclear whether or not the proposal has sufficient assist to get throughout the end line and develop into regulation.Nebraska at present doles out three of its 5 electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins every of its three congressional districts. In apply, that places the aggressive 2nd District within the Omaha space in play, despite the fact that Republicans usually win the statewide vote simply.Wednesday night time’s failed try to alter the regulation to award all of the state’s Electoral Faculty votes to the statewide winner leaves the destiny of the proposal unsure with a number of days left within the legislative session.State Sen. Loren Lippincott, who launched the unique winner-take-all invoice, informed the Nebraska Examiner that he’d make one ultimate try to convey the measure up for a vote earlier than the legislative session ends on April 18. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether or not there’s sufficient assist for the change to maneuver ahead.Lippincott’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.Republican state Sen. Julie Slama had supplied the electoral invoice’s legislative textual content as an modification to present laws, the quickest pathway to get a vote on the proposal.However the modification was rejected after three dozen lawmakers voted that it wasn’t related sufficient to the underlying laws to be thought of as an modification, failing state regulation that requires an modification to be “germane.” Slama was among the many eight who voted that the modification was related.Lawmakers have repeatedly tried to alter the state’s Electoral Faculty allocation, failing narrowly in 2016. Lippincott launched the most recent legislative proposal final yr; it obtained little consideration till this week when GOP persona Charlie Kirk raised the problem on his podcast.On Tuesday, Trump and Nebraska GOP Gov. Jim Pillen known as on state legislators to take steps that will implement a winner-take-all system. Lower than 24 hours later, the laws, which had as soon as gave the impression to be all-but-forgotten, got here roaring again to lifeThe renewed effort additionally attracted consideration from President Joe Biden’s marketing campaign. Brent Comstock, a advisor who works with a number of elected Democrats in Nebraska and nationwide, confirmed that the Biden marketing campaign reached out to Democrats within the state in regards to the vote.Beneficial“Democrats in Nebraska care about the importance of the president’s agenda and want him to succeed here in [congressional district] 2 and across the state,” Comstock informed NBC Information. “They’re working together to make sure that happens: More jobs, access to health care [and] clean energy.”Shortly earlier than Wednesday night time’s vote, Slama mentioned on the ground that she might “read the writing on the wall.” She went on to blast her fellow Republicans for not supporting the measure, arguing that their vote towards the “germaneness” of the modification was a repudiation of the winner-take-all system itself. Slama additionally blamed them for not prioritizing the laws when it was launched greater than a yr in the past and paying lip service to the proposal.“If you’re going to tweet out on an issue, if you’re gonna put out press releases on an issue and try to pressure the legislature to do something, maybe when the concept actually comes up and people are voting on it, maybe you all should do the work,” she mentioned.Shortly after the vote, Slama replied to a Nebraska journalist on social media saying she didn’t consider the problem would come up for a vote once more this legislative session. It’s attainable that Republicans like Lippincott could make one other try, however with only a few legislative days left within the unicameral physique’s session, Republicans have warned there will not be sufficient time or assist to beat procedural hurdles.Absent one other shot at a vote, it’s additionally attainable that Pillen, who has been a vocal supporter of fixing to a winner-take-all system, might name a particular legislative session to deal with the problem. Besides, Republican lawmakers have overtly questioned whether or not the plan has sufficient assist to beat opposition from Democrats and independents.Republicans have lengthy been trying to maneuver to a winner-take all system in Nebraska. Proponents, like Slama, argue the present allocation diminishes the state’s political energy.“Nebraska waters down their influence when other states have not followed Nebraska’s lead when it comes to the apportionment of presidential votes,” she mentioned on the ground Wednesday night time.However the invoice’s opponents had harsh phrases for the laws and for its backers.Some blasted the trouble to revive the invoice, accused Republicans of taking orders from Trump and conservative activists, and hurled insults at Trump and Kirk. Others mentioned Republicans have been enjoying politics on the final minute, close to the top of the legislative session.“What happens at some point when Democrat votes outweigh Republican votes? Is everybody going to want to change it back?” Democratic state Sen. Jen Day requested, whereas defending the present setup.“By dividing its electoral votes, Nebraska forces candidates to engage with constituents across the state, listening to their concerns and crafting policies that resonate with a broader spectrum of the population. Doesn’t that sound great?”Nebraska is one in every of solely two states that doesn’t award all its Electoral Faculty votes to the statewide winner, a way it adopted forward of the 1992 presidential election. Since then, the state’s Omaha-area district has awarded its vote to a candidate aside from the statewide winner simply two occasions — to Barack Obama in 2008 and Joe Biden in 2020.Whereas the talk is functionally about only one out of 538 Electoral Faculty votes, shutting Biden out from competing for the 2nd District vote could possibly be pivotal in a decent presidential race.A possible final result might contain each presidential candidates getting 269 Electoral Faculty votes — one vote shy of the 2070 wanted to win. In that state of affairs, the race could be despatched to the U.S. Home of Representatives, the place every state will get one vote.Ben Kamisar is a deputy political editor in NBC’s Political Unit. Bridget Bowman is a deputy editor for NBC’s Political Unit. Megan Lebowitz contributed.
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