A committee of peers has unanimously decided Sen. Ernie Chambers is able to continue to represent his longtime district in North Omaha.
A hearing on Chambers' residency convened Friday morning as a result of a petition by John Sciara, who previously ran for Chambers' seat. The committee voted to dismiss the petition.
Sciara contends Chambers' house on Binney Street in North Omaha is not his permanent home, or domicile. Sciara says Chambers often stays in Bellevue and water bills point to an empty house in Omaha.
Chambers' lawyer has made a motion to dismiss the petition, saying Sciara has not met the burden of proof.
Nebraska state senators on the hearing committee are deliberating the case. Those Senators are Scheer, McCollister, Watermeier, Kuehn, Hughes and Crawford.
The committee will meet next Thursday to adopt the motion to dismiss the petition. It will then be presented to the full chamber.
