News Releases League of Nebraska Municipalities Disputes Claims by Initiative 423's Supporters The League of Municipalities worked closely with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission and the Nebraska Attorney General's office to ensure that it would properly advise its member cities and villages on how to comply with numerous public records requests from Mike Groene of North Platte, front man for Initiative 423, a measure to lock an inflexible state budget formula into the state constitution. In a press conference yesterday, Groene alleged that the League and other organizations provided municipal officials with "false advice" and told them "how to avoid the law." L. Lynn Rex, Executive Director of the League of Nebraska Municipalities said: "Clearly, the League of Nebraska Municipalities has always advised its member cities and villages on how to comply with state laws. Any allegation to the contrary is simply another misrepresentation by Mike Groene and other proponents of 423, including real estate tycoon Howie Rich of New York City." Groene, Dave Nabity, Howie Rich and others promoting 423 obviously do not care about wasting Nebraska taxpayer dollars and public resources, Rex said. "Municipalities have spent an incredible amount of time and taxpayer dollars to respond to five requests for extensive public records faxed from Wisconsin lawyers on behalf of proponents of 423," she said. "There is no question that these requests for extensive public records are intended to harass and intimidate public officials." Municipal officials, she said, refuse to be intimidated by the shenanigans and antics of proponents of 423 trying to amend our constitution with a seriously flawed formula which will hurt children, K-12 and postsecondary education, the elderly, public healthcare delivery systems, law enforcement, firefighters, agriculture, other businesses and our economy. Municipalities are happy to respond to any legitimate request for public information and public records, she said, adding that city and village officials receive these requests for public records from citizens all the time and respond in a timely fashion as required by law. Thirty-seven state senators announced their opposition to Initiative 423 last Monday in addition to the more than 70 Nebraska organizations representing more than 450,000 Nebraskans, and both Gov. Dave Heineman (R) and nominee for Governor, David Hahn (D). The League of Nebraska Municipalities is a nonprofit organization of cities and villages that was mobilized in the early 1900s to represent municipalities in the Legislature. The League's functions include sponsoring educational seminars, publishing a magazine and newsletters, representing its member cities and villages on state advisory boards and answering technical questions. The top priority is representing its members in the legislative process.