Legislation to return to a winner-take-all presidential electoral vote system in Nebraska appeared Monday to be on life support. In a carefully crafted floor speech, Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete expressed strong support for retention of the current system that awards three of Nebraska’s five electoral votes to the winner in each of the state’s congressional districts. Although she said she “might get drummed out of the Republican Party” for stating her position, Ebke argued that Nebraska’s current system is more in line with what the framers of the U.S. Constitution expected and, in her opinion, “the right way of doing this.”
Ebke had cast a vote to invoke cloture and end a filibuster by opponents of the legislation at the first stage of floor consideration, allowing the bill to move on to second-stage floor debate.
But Ebke also cast a vote against advancing the bill, signaling her opposition to the measure. Her cloture vote had been promised if needed to allow debate to continue, she said. That vote has “gnawed at me” since it was cast a week ago, Ebke said.
Thirty-three votes are required to break a filibuster and Ebke’s vote allowed the cloture motion to prevail on a 33-16 vote.
Full Article: Winner-take-all in trouble : Politics.