Secretary of State of Nebraska
Encyclopedia
The Secretary of State
of Nebraska is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state
of Nebraska
. In Nebraska, the Secretary of State is elected for a four-year term. Vacancies are fill by appointment by the Governor
.
The current Secretary of State is John A. Gale
.
, and the state's main advisor on youth civics
education. The Secretary is also in charge of filing, certifying, and distributing state agency rules and regulations which are to become part of the Nebraska Administrative Code. The Secretary is the state's "chief protocol officer", with the duty of promoting commerce, cultural exchange and educational studies between Nebraska and foreign nations.
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
of Nebraska is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. In Nebraska, the Secretary of State is elected for a four-year term. Vacancies are fill by appointment by the Governor
Governor of Nebraska
The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
.
The current Secretary of State is John A. Gale
John A. Gale
John Gale is from North Platte, Nebraska, and has been Nebraska's 26th Secretary of State since 2000. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:...
.
Organization
The Secretary of State's Office is composed of four divisions:- The Business Services Division registers corporationCorporationA corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s, limited liability companiesLimited liability companyA limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
, limited partnershipLimited partnershipA limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,...
s, limited liability partnershipLimited liability partnershipA limited liability partnership is a partnership in which some or all partners have limited liability. It therefore exhibits elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP one partner is not responsible or liable for another partner's misconduct or negligence. This is an important...
s, trade nameTrade nameA trade name, also known as a trading name or a business name, is the name which a business trades under for commercial purposes, although its registered, legal name, used for contracts and other formal situations, may be another....
s and trademarkTrademarkA trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
s. This division is also responsible for filing lienLienIn law, a lien is a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation...
s under the Uniform Commercial CodeUniform Commercial CodeThe Uniform Commercial Code , first published in 1952, is one of a number of uniform acts that have been promulgated in conjunction with efforts to harmonize the law of sales and other commercial transactions in all 50 states within the United States of America.The goal of harmonizing state law is...
, licensing notaries publicNotary publicA notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
, and administering Nebraska's Address Confidentiality ProgramAddress Confidentiality ProgramAn address confidentiality program allows victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or other types of crime to receive mail at a confidential address, while keeping their actual address undisclosed...
. - The Elections Division administers electionElectionAn election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s, including the implementation of the Help America Vote ActHelp America Vote ActThe Help America Vote Act , or HAVA, is a United States federal law which passed in the House 357-48 and 92-2 in the Senate and was signed into law by President Bush on October 29, 2002. Drafted in reaction to the controversy surrounding the 2000 U.S... - The Records Management Division is responsible for storing state government records, converting them into different formats when necessary, and creates and administers records retention policies.
- The Licensing Division oversees the licensing of collection agenciesCollection agencyA collection agency is a business that pursues payments of debts owed by individuals or businesses. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed....
, debt management agencies, private detectives, and polygraphPolygraphA polygraph measures and records several physiological indices such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions...
and voice stress examiners.
Additional duties
The Nebraska Secretary of State is the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of NebraskaSeal of Nebraska
The Great Seal of the State of Nebraska was adopted in 1867. A train steams across the background, with mountains in the distance. A steamboat plies the waters of the Missouri River. A simple cabin and sheaves of harvested wheat portray the importance of settlers and agriculture. A blacksmith works...
, and the state's main advisor on youth civics
Civics
Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
education. The Secretary is also in charge of filing, certifying, and distributing state agency rules and regulations which are to become part of the Nebraska Administrative Code. The Secretary is the state's "chief protocol officer", with the duty of promoting commerce, cultural exchange and educational studies between Nebraska and foreign nations.
Boards and commissions
Nebraska Secretary of State holds ex officio these posts of the following boards and commissions:- Chairperson of the Nebraska State Records Board, which oversees electronic access to state government information and advises on the implementation of the Records Management Act.
- Chairperson of the Nebraska Real Estate Commission, which licenses real estate brokers and agents and investigates complaints against licensees.
- Chairperson of the Nebraska Collection Agency Licensing Board, which is responsible for licensing collection agencies.
- Secretary of the Nebraska Board of Pardons, which considers applications for pardons of criminal convictions and commutations of sentences.
- Secretary of the Board of State Canvassers, which certifies results following each statewide election.
- Member of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, which administers and enforces state laws regarding ethicsEthicsEthics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, campaign financeCampaign financeCampaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
and lobbyingLobbyingLobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
.