Term limited senator considers comeback

Former State Sen. Tom Baker of Trenton is making sounds like he'd like to reclaim his seat in the Nebraska Legislature.

But nothing is official yet and Baker said if he decides to run again, he'll make a formal announcement in fall.

Elected in 1998, Baker was term-limited out in 2006 and Sen. Mark Christensen was elected as Southwest Nebraska's 44th district senator.

According to an Omaha World Herald article, Baker said in an telephone interview that "many, many" of his former constituents have urged him to run again.

"It's not an ego thing for me," he said.

Baker continued that he's been disappointed in the irrigation-related legislation pushed by Sen. Christensen and feels LB 701 was not handled well.

Christensen was the original sponsor of LB 701, passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2007, that contained an additional property tax levy that was recently ruled illegal by the Nebraska Supreme Court.

The $2.5 million of LB 701 property taxes collected by the natural resources districts in the Republican River Basin are still in limbo, with the NRD's hoping a district court judge will issue a declaratory statement as to how to refund them.

The occupation taxes on irrigated acres, also in LB 701, also are being challenged as unconstitutional and are pending a District Court decision.

But water is just one issue, Baker told the Gazette. There's been talk after the 2010 census to realign legislative districts because of population loss and Baker wants to be sure Southwest Nebraska doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

"Somebody with the experience ought to be down there to protect District 44," Baker said.

Sen. Christensen said in the article that he stands by LB 701 and has been organizing a re-election campaign based on his expectation that Baker will run.

"He evidently thinks I'm very beatable, but I'm ready for a challenge," Christensen said.

The constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2000 makes state lawmakers ineligible to serve for four years after serving two consecutive, four-year terms.

Next year will be the earliest that senators who were term limited in 2006 can run again.

Other senators pushed out by term limits are also considering running again, such as Pam Redfield who represented the Ralston and Millard areas for two terms.