Ernie Chambers
Ernest William Chambers (born July 10, 1937)[1] is an American politician and civil rights activist who represented North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature from 1971 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2021.In July, the Nebraska National Guard was summoned to restore order after police and black teenagers clashed three nights in a row.[12] Chambers headed a committee of the Near North Side Police-Community Relations Council, collated information, and presented numerous complaints about the police to city officials.[12] The African-American community had previously been led by more established organizations like Omaha Urban League and the local chapter of the NAACP, not an emerging young anti-establishment leader like Chambers.But the amendment permits senators to seek reelection to their office after sitting out for four years, and Chambers defeated incumbent Brenda Council in 2012 by a "landslide".[25] Chambers filed a lawsuit in 1980 attempting to end the Legislature's practice of beginning its session with a prayer offered by a state-supported chaplain, arguing that it was unconstitutional under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.[28] Chambers has promoted recognizing NCAA student athletes as state employees since the 1980s, arguing that they are generating revenue for their universities without any legal benefits for doing so, which encourages illegal payments and gifts.Opponents of the anti-discrimination legislation formed a Nebraska chapter of the Traditional Values Coalition and brought activist Lou Sheldon to Lincoln to organize antigay rallies outside the Capitol building."[39] Omaha Schools claimed that the usurpation was necessary to avoid financial and racial inequity, but supporters of LB 1024 contested the district's expansion, favoring more localized control."[45] The Westboro Baptist Church filed an amicus brief in the lawsuit arguing that Chambers did not have standing to sue, and that he was "fully deserving of the outpourings of God's fierce wrath."[45] Chambers is a firm opponent of the death penalty, and introduced a bill to repeal Nebraska's capital punishment law at the start of each legislative session, 36 times over 40 years.[48][49] The bill, LB268,[50] passed the legislature in 1979 but could not overcome Governor Charles Thone's veto; the issue remained a primary focus of his while in office."[70][71] He said his comments were intended to criticize the failure to prosecute Alvin Lugod, the Omaha police officer who fatally shot Danny Elrod on February 23.Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer responded, "The comments that Senator Ernie Chambers made today at the Nebraska Unicameral are not only reprehensible but are completely without merit."Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert also criticized Chambers, saying in a press release that he should be looking for ways to improve public safety instead of "comparing police officers to terrorists.[75] Stothert, Police Chief Todd Schmaderer, and Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson were also critical, and the hashtag #supportblue was organized in response to Chambers's comments.In January 2017, Sciara filled a protest challenge to the legislature, claiming Chambers did not live in the district he was elected to represent and was thus ineligible to hold office."[77] On April 20, 2017, Nebraska state senators voted 42-0 to dismiss Sciara's challenge, following the recommendation of a special legislative committee formed to evaluate the claim.
Ernest Chambers (cyclist)Ernest J. ChambersNebraska LegislatureBrenda CouncilTerrell McKinneyGeorge W. AlthouseOmaha, NebraskaIndependentNew AllianceAlma materCreighton Universitycivil rightsNorth OmahaNebraska State LegislaturegovernorU.S. Senateatheiststate legislature in the United StatesNear North SideOmaha Tech High SchoolCreighton University School of LawNebraska State Bar AssociationPost OfficeNebraska National GuardA Time for BurningOmaha School BoardEdward DannerBlack PanthersDavid Rice and Edward PoindexterCOINTELPROUnited States SenateNew Alliance Party1974 ballot for governor of Nebraskagovernor in 1994divest from South AfricaapartheidKrugerrandsNebraska's principles of human rights and legal equalityDavid PackardHewlett-PackardArchbishop Desmond TutuMarsh v. ChambersEstablishment Clause of the First Amendmentdistrict court8th Circuit Court of AppealsSupreme CourtThe New York Timesfoster homesFranklin child prostitution ring allegationsmountain lionssexual orientationTraditional Values CoalitionLou SheldonOmaha Public Schoolsracial inequityDouglasLawsuits against Godfrivolous lawsuitslawsuit against GodDouglas CountyNebraska ConstitutionWestboro Baptist Churchamicus briefstandingomniscienceNebraska's capital punishment lawCharles ThonePete RickettsDavid Rice and Ed Poindexterpolitical prisonersblack-tailed prairie dogsTom Osbornefeministlaw against sexually assaulting one's spouseOmaha City CouncilNorth Omaha parkKeystone XL pipelineJoe Bidenpublic-access televisionOmaha StarTwitterJean StothertDoug PetersonDavid SchnoorScribnerBob KristDave BloomfieldHoskinsAfrican-American leaderStrehlow TerraceNebraska CapitolFreedom from Religion FoundationOrlandoAmerican Humanist AssociationChicagoUnited States Armysketch artistMalcolm Xthe BibleKurt AndersenThe AtlanticMegan HuntAfrican Americans in Omaha, NebraskaCivil rights movement in Omaha, NebraskaList of riots and civil unrest in Omaha, NebraskaHistory of North Omaha, NebraskaTimeline of racial tension in Omaha, NebraskaTimeline of North Omaha, Nebraska historyHistory of Omaha, NebraskaList of African-American United States Senate candidatesFamilySearchOmaha World-HeraldWayback MachineThe Omaha ReaderUniversity of WashingtonLincoln Journal StarAssociated PressThe Daily CollegianSeattle TimesKnight Ridder NewspapersMother JonesLincoln Journal-StarThe Washington PostNebraskans Against Gun ViolenceGaylor, Annie LaurieFusion