At a time when politics is becoming more and more partisan one state lawmaker is looking to take politics out of a top state job.

State Sen. John McCollister of Omaha tells News Channel Nebraska he's bringing a bill making the Auditor’s position (formally known as the Nebraska Auditor of Public  Accounts) non-partisan or independent, not Democrat or Republican.

McCollister says the idea—“whose time has come”—came to him from former Congressman and State Sen. Brad Ashford.

Ashford, who served 16 years in the Legislature, tells NCN, “There is no reason why auditor and treasurer should be partisan. The decisions made must never be influenced by party politics.”

For now McCollister is leaving the State Treasurer slot as is, but can’t begin to imagine why the Auditor, who tracks state and local government spending, should be anything but non-partisan.

“You’re just adding up numbers and checking facts and it’s not really a political kind of office,” says McCollister, a Republican, who has made more than his share of noise by talking down the Trump Presidency.

Talking up a non-partisan Auditor, McCollister also thinks it’s a move that will find more people running for the office.

It’s unlikely any legislation would effect next year’s race which is wide-open following Republican Charlie Janssen’s decision not to run for a third term.

At the moment the only one running is Lt. Gov. Mike Foley, who held the post before Janssen and is looking to keep the job in GOP hands.

It’s the kind of hand-me-down party politics that makes McCollister less than optimistic his bill will pass.

NCN’s Joe Jordan: How do you think it will fly in the technically non-partisan, but realistically partisan Legislature?

Sen. McCollister: I would call it, Joe, an inspirational bill. I’ve gotten a lot of bills passed but I don’t think this would be one that’s likely to succeed.

Ashford is a bit more hopeful, “We have a strong bipartisan tradition in Nebraska.  A partisan auditor or treasurer is inconsistent with that tradition.”

By the way, any move to make the Auditor non-partisan does not require a change in the Constitution. The office is partisan by statute (32.507) and a change in the law is all that’s needed to push the political parties aside.