LINCOLN, Neb. – Senators worked Tuesday to overturn the governor’s veto and hold the Omaha Housing Authority accountable for substandard living conditions at one of its properties.
LB287, introduced by Omaha Senator Terrell McKinney, sought to hold the Omaha Housing Authority accountable for substandard living conditions. The OHA is facing a lawsuit over untreated bedbugs at Underwood Tower.
The override vote on Tuesday was 24-24, with one senator not voting. It required 30 votes to overturn the veto.
Don Mapes has faced an uphill battle. The resident of OHA’s Underwood Tower can not believe the Nebraska Legislature did not overturn the Governor’s veto.
“Sounds like somebody is in somebody is pocket, or paying somebody, that is what it sounds like to me,” Mapes was saying.
He claimed Nebraska lawmakers turned their backs on OHA residents.
“I would say they just figured we are older people, or some are handicapped, lot of them do not have money so they figure they are not going to do anything,” according to Mapes.
Mapes told First Alert 6 that he still has bedbugs in his apartment and is waiting for help to get rid of them.
“The older gentleman in charge of it too, he came in last week and sprayed the other apartments, and I said ‘Are you going to do mine today?’ and he said ‘You are not on the list,” explained Mapes.
“He was supposed to come here yesterday to spray, but he has not shown up. He has not been here today either.”
Martin Klotz claimed he simply gave up and cleaned out the bedbugs in his Underwood apartment himself.
“I had some, but I killed them myself to get rid of them. Yep, got rid of the mattress and everything, sprayed everything, got rid of the bed bugs, and there have not been any since,” Klotz said.
In a letter last week, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen stated that he vetoed the bill because he believes it adds unnecessary government mandates.
Pillen stated in his letter that the City of Omaha, as well as the federal partners who fund the housing, are responsible for maintaining the properties.
“I believe that local governments should possess the authority to enforce basic sanitation and anti-infestation standards for dwellings within their jurisdiction,” according to his letter.
Furthermore, Pillen stated that the bill empowers Sanitary and Improvement Districts, or SIDs, to levy taxes and regulations on property owners outside their jurisdiction.
“This change in the law is sufficiently consequential that it deserved significantly more debate and deliberation by the Legislature,” Pillen wrote in his letter requesting a veto.
LB287 passed the third round of voting with 34 votes.
There are five days left in the 109th Legislative Session.
Following the failed override, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen issued the following statement:
“I’m not in this office to simply sign every bill that reaches my desk into law. I appreciate the Legislature’s decision to sustain my veto. Nebraska does not need redundant solutions and bureaucracy in search of problems — and it’s essential that we protect foundational American principles, including fair governance and avoiding taxation without representation. That’s some pretty basic, good governance stuff.”