LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska would cut its membership in the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact under a bill that cleared first-round debate in the Legislature.
Senators voted 37-0 Thursday to leave the compact in three years, an action senators have been debating for the past eight years.
The sponsor, Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion, says Nebraska has been wasting time and $15,000 a year in dues for a membership that does little to benefit the state.
But Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha says Nebraska has not invested time and effort in the opportunities the compact provides to link Midwestern states with alternate forms of transportation.
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The bill is LB317
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