There is a proposal before the Unicameral that would have state senators take a civics test and have those scores posted.  The test would have no bearing on whether or not the senator could serve, but it would let the voters know whether or not their representative knew their stuff.  

Personally, I’d like to see every candidate take the test before the election, so the voters would know what kind of person they were voting for.  Currently the only way most voters have an idea of what they are getting is based on carefully crafted stump speeches and TV ads that have been approved by focus groups.

A civics test would let the candidates know that if they get elected, they are to serve all of their constituents not just the ones who voted for them. 

We didn’t know what kind of person we were voting for when Jim Pillen ran for office the first time, but we do now.  We knew the winner of the Republican Primary would most likely win the governorship and that most people don’t pay a lot of attention during a primary.  

During the Primary, Pillen was running against a man who bragged about being with Trump on January 6th, and a State Senator who couldn’t get out and campaign as much because he was too busy doing his job in Lincoln. 

We didn’t know much about Pillen except he was a pig farmer who loved his guns and grandkids. 

But now we do know about him, and I’ve heard from some of his voters that are having buyer’s remorse.  

I’ve already touched on some of the things he’s done like the $2.5 million dollar no-bid contract he gave to a good friend, and the callous way Pillen Family Farms has treated the death of one of its employees. I’ve done many columns about how he has worked overtime to override the will of the people when it comes to Medical Marijuana.

I’ve already talked about all that. Now let’s focus on his brain and his heart. 

Pillen may be rich but he ain’t too smart.  The other night during a tele-townhall he called people who disagree with him “libtards.” 

How stupid do you have to be to show the rest of the world that Nebraska truly isn’t for everyone?  Does he not realize that corporations that are considering moving to Nebraska might be run by liberals, or conservatives that have a mentally challenged child?  Does he not realize showing that side of his personality makes it harder for businesses that are already here to recruit qualified candidates for high paying jobs? 

When you are running a reelection campaign it’s not very smart to insult thousands and thousands of potential voters. Calling fellow Nebraskans “libtards” numerous times in a public forum makes you wonder what he says about us behind closed doors.

As far as his heart goes, does he even have one? 

He has a heartless attitude towards people who could benefit from Medical Marijuana, or families affected by proposed cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services.

His proposed budget calls for $471 million dollars to be cut out of the department that helps families in need. Those cuts include 14.1 million in cuts to families caring for elderly and disabled family members. 

He won’t even meet with those families to see if they can find some middle ground. 

That’s pretty heartless. 

So far Lynn Walz is the only candidate that has officially announced a campaign to run against him.  She is a Democrat, but she is far from being a “libtard.”  A Fremont resident that has won election to the Unicameral twice, she is an experienced, moderate, compassionate woman.  

But she’ll have an uphill battle to beat an incumbent with a large war chest even if that incumbent has proven himself to be unworthy of the job. 

I hope another Republican candidate or two gets in the race to challenge Pillen in the primary.  An old school Republican like a Dave Heineman. A candidate who is what George W. Bush used to call a “compassionate conservative.”   You know, a conservative that knows they serve the entire state. A conservative that can work with the more liberal members of the Senate without calling them names or having police investigate them. 

There is no civics test for candidates before they run for office.  There are plenty of tests for them once they get elected.

And after he was elected, Pillen has failed almost every single one.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him 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.