Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers took a pause Thursday during a congenial tussle with a senator over a bill to blister another colleague over an affirmative action bill introduced Wednesday.

While debating a bill that would protect gun ranges from residential development, Chambers caught a glimpse of Sen. Mark Christensen on the floor. The senator from Imperial on Wednesday had introduced a resolution that would put a constitutional ban on affirmative action on Nebraska’s November ballot.

“Now since Sen. Christensen has chosen to come into my neighborhood, he and I are going to tussle over a thing or two, also,” he said.

Chambers said Christensen thinks it’s all right to do things for white people, who make up 92 percent of the state’s population. But when groups that have been discriminated against and prevented from getting an education are given compensation, he said, “Here comes old Christian Christensen saying, ‘I want the constitution to say, by god, them people haven’t had no rights and they ain’t gonna get no rights if I can … have it my way.’”

Chambers said he had yet to see Christensen help any group with one of his bills.

“When these narrow-minded people come here with their narrow-minded religious views, they’re going to be counteracted by me,” he said.

And Christensen will have the fight of his life.

“I’m going to call it like I see it,” Chambers said. “It is racism, racism and hatred of black people.”

Christensen’s resolution (LR233CA) says the state cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment in employment, education or contracting, based on race, sex, color, national origin or ethnicity. It applies to any state entity, post-secondary public institution or political subdivision.

Christensen said he did not intend the resolution to be discriminatory. In fact, it prevents discrimination, he said. It just doesn’t allow hiring and recruiting quotas.

“If that’s racist, then I’ll claim the title,” he said.

It’s discrimination, he said, if a white man can’t be hired because an employer has to hire a woman or person of color for the sake of diversity, not because that person is the absolute best one for the job.

“If I’m wrong, I’m willing to change,” he said. “My intent was the opposite of what he was saying it was.”

Christensen said he was going to read the resolution again Thursday night and ask Chambers today to talk with him about it. Christensen is scheduled to appear today in front of the Judiciary Committee, of which Chambers is a member, on a different bill.

Chambers’ characterization of him as racist doesn’t bother him, he said, because people who know him know he’s not.

“I don’t get shook about comments like that on the floor,” he said. “It’s no big deal. … I don’t think his intent was to hurt me.”

He said he likes Chambers and respects his intelligence and knowledge of the law.

In his speech, Chambers also blasted term limits.

“I will stand on this floor and I will fight for those who need to be protected,” he said, “and that is why these white racists wanted me out of the Legislature.”

They voted to change the constitution to show how much they hated gay men and lesbian women, Chambers said, and they changed it to show that black people have no right to elect whomever they choose. They want to force democracy on Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, he added, but they don’t want people in America to have it.

“Your white voters have fixed the constitution so my constituents cannot put me in office,” he said. “You all don’t want us to have effective representation.

“What are you saying about yourself as a white society? You cannot deal with one black man? Forty-eight people cannot deal with one black man?”

Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.