I miss you, Ernie.

Over the past two years there has been one thing keeping me from watching what happens in Lincoln: the lack of Ernie Chambers. I may face ridicule for this statement, but I think Senator Chambers is absolutely brilliant. He was one of the only people in the Legislature that was willing to risk his reputation to stand up for what he believed in. I used to watch live coverage of the Unicameral just to see what Senator Chambers would say or do. Now all I have to look forward to is watching a bunch of nearly dead white men from the rural parts of the state fight with the few progressive senators from the urban parts of the state. The vibrancy that Senator Chambers brought to Nebraska politics can never be matched.

Senator Chambers managed to be constructive and entertaining at the same time. He would yell, sing, dance, and do whatever else it took to get people to pay attention to him whenever he had the floor in the Unicameral. He was extremely effective at his job, and while many thought that he was a rude person because of his attitude, he was more than willing to help other senators with their bills. He was also great about talking to groups of students about becoming more involved in government. I was in one of these groups, and his speech caused me to change the way I thought about state government. Chambers was notorious for doing whatever he needed to in order to make his point, including suing God. While I know that government is not meant to be seen as entertainment, it sure makes it easier to pay attention to.