Did you know there is a law on the books in Nebraska that states that a man must buy his wife a new hat every year? Or that whale fishing is outlawed in the state? Or that American citizens who have never lived in Nebraska or even the US for that matter, can vote in the good life state?

Yes, there are some quirky laws on the books. Some laws, like the one about buying your wife a hat, are never enforced. Other crimes, like whale fishing in Nebraska, are never committed. And some rights like those of American citizens who have never set foot on American soil, can still vote in Nebraska, are seldom used.

Nobody is calling to take the laws about hats or whales off the books, but the law about this very minute subsection of American citizens voting is currently being challenged by the Republican National Committee and two Lancaster County voters.

This law is to benefit adults who were born and raised overseas but were still eligible to be United States citizens. People like the offspring of diplomats, military personnel, or CIA agents. Like I said, a very minute subsection of the population.

It’s just the latest attempt by Republicans to make it harder for people to vote.

We just celebrated our Independence Day, the day we told King George that we weren’t going to be taxed without being represented. We had parades, and concerts, and picnics, and fireworks to celebrate our self-governance. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, our right to self-govern is gradually being taken away.

This obscure election law was sponsored in 2005 by Deb Fischer when she was a state senator. Mike Flood was in the Unicameral at the time and he tweaked the bill a bit. At the time, Congressman Flood told the World Herald that the law was to give these citizens “every opportunity” to vote.

But that was twenty-one years ago. The Republican Party has changed a lot since then and Mike Flood has changed along with it. He now says that he supports the RNC’s challenge to our law. A law he helped to pass.

I’ve written about how the White House is trying to sell the SAVE Act as just a voter ID bill. It is not that at all. It’s a voter suppression bill, plain and simple. It’s a law geared to suppress voter turnout by making it harder for people to register to vote.

Investigation after investigation has proven that our elections are safe and secure. Very, very few people who are ineligible to vote do. Voter fraud is statistically nonexistent. But that isn’t stopping the Republicans from claiming that it’s rampant.

Nebraska Republicans have nominated a candidate for Secretary of State who has made it clear he doesn’t trust our elections. Those elections have put Republicans in power in the White House and both chambers of Congress. Nebraska elections have given Republicans victories in all the major statewide categories and most of the Unicameral seats.

If Democrats and foreigners are cheating in our elections, they’re doing a piss poor job of it.

I have volunteered to work the elections. I have seen firsthand the painstaking attention to detail to make sure the votes are cast and counted fairly. For the time being, I have total faith and trust in our election results.

But the attempts by the GOP to hijack the process are extremely concerning.

If the RNC is focusing on something as inconsequential as this rarely used 2005 law, they are showing they are leaving no stone unturned in their attempts to take over our elections.

We need to remain diligent. So the next time you’re at the Platte River, keep an eye out for whale fishermen.

But more importantly, be diligent in protecting our voting rights. Stand up and speak out and let your representative know that you oppose these drastic measures to take away this precious constitutional right. Vote for candidates who don’t want to suppress the vote.

And after you do that, go out and buy your wife a new hat.

Tom Becka is a longtime Nebraska broadcaster who has covered Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV for over 30 years. He has appeared on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs, and has been recognized by Talkers Magazine as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on YouTube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.