LINCOLN- A pair of priority bills that by fluke had ended up linked, then faced moments of conflict and potential demise, are now decoupled and moving on to next rounds of debate in the Nebraska Legislature. Floor discussions on State Sen. Terrell McKinney’s Legislative Bill 48 and State Sen. Glen Meyer’s LB 382 had gone on for several days before lawmakers voted Thursday to advance each separately.

At points in recent weeks, McKinney, of North Omaha, threatened to disrupt the remainder of the session if his priority bill was killed. Another lawmaker questioned whether McKinney was being mistreated because he was Black or a Democrat. His LB 48 calls for an around-the-clock Family Resource and Juvenile Assessment Center pilot program in Omaha. The goal is to have two sites that would address family dynamics, mental health, substance abuse, and educational challenges to juvenile delinquency.

Meyer, of Pender, didn’t face outright opposition to his priority legislation, LB 382, which calls for taking $4 million over two years from a Medicaid cash fund to keep afloat services offered by the state’s eight designated agencies for the aging, including Meals-On-Wheels. But when McKinney’s pilot program last month failed to garner enough votes to move forward, another lawmaker revived it by tacking it on as an amendment to Meyer’s LB 382. Meyer’s priority bill happened to be next up for discussion after McKinney’s.

For the full article click HERE