Bruning Apologizes for Out-of-Line Remarks
Mar 18, 07:19 PM CST
A couple weeks ago, Governor Dave Heineman and Attorney General Jon Bruning threw a bit of a tantrum after their immigration bill –– a bill which contained no punishment for the employers who bring workers here illegally and leave it to Nebraska’s taxpayers to take care of them –– was defeated in committee.
Heineman and Bruning launched a full-fledged and unprecedented attack on the committee, claiming that Nebraskans would be “very angry,” and vowing to continue the fight. Bruning went so far as to declare the Judiciary Committee “an embarrassment to the Legislature.”
Regardless of how you feel about the immigration issue, this chest-beating was an obvious and misguided attempt to score cheap political points at the expense of the Legislature.
Today, Bruning apologized for these remarks:
Bruning said he apologized for saying the committee was an “embarrassment’’ after the Feb. 27 vote to kill Legislative Bill 963. Judiciary Committee Chairman Brad Ashford and State Sen. Steve Lathrop, both of Omaha, afterward pledged to work with Bruning on a study of illegal immigration issues…
“As a former member, I have nothing but respect for the Legislature,’’ he said. “I want the debate to be respectful, and I want the public to understand that these are good people doing a hard job.’’
More and more, it seems that separation of powers is a tough concept for Republicans in the Executive Branch to grasp, but I’m glad Attorney General Bruning at least respects his former colleagues enough to apologize when he oversteps his bounds.
But can we expect any apology from the Governor?
“Nobody’s asked us to apologize, and the governor has no apologies to issue, as far as I know,’’ said spokeswoman Jen Rae Hein.
It’s incredible that a Governor can continually treat Senators like this and still expect the Legislature to be at his beck and call.
– by Eric Van Horn | Send this to a friend
