LINCOLN - Nebraska's Campaign Finance Limitation Act was officially buried a couple of weeks ago.

In its wake, the law's backers predict an explosion of spending on campaigns for state office.

A World-Herald analysis of legislative candidates' spending on this year's primary election - during which the law was suspended - showed no immediate increase in average spending. But the analysis offered hints that backers may be right.

To wit:

» One legislative candidate promised, while the law was in place, to stick with its $46,000 primary election limit but wound up spending nearly $10,000 over that after the law was suspended.

» Another legislative candidate said he decided to do additional mailings, boosting his spending to nearly $54,000, because the limits had been lifted.

» Average spending by serious legislative candidates topped that of 2006, even though there were more than twice as many open seats in 2006.

» Average spending was up 45 percent from two years ago, when there were only three open seats.