NEBRASKA'S FLOOD NAMED TO HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE

WASHINGTON D.C.- The House Financial Services Committee has a new member in Rep. Mike Flood. "Banking, finance and insurance are key job creators across the 1st Congressional District," the Republican congressman noted. "There's important work to be done on this committee to grow and protect the economic well-being and freedom of Americans as our country's financial system evolves in a digital economy," he said. 

"I look forward to collaborating with Chairman (Patrick) McHenry and Nebraska's banking and insurance sectors on a diverse set of priorities ranging from digital asset regulation to the encroachment of ESG," Flood said. ESG is environmental, social, and governance investing. The committee has jurisdiction over banking, capital markets, housing, insurance, international finance, money and credit, and urban development. 

McHenry said Flood's "work to support small businesses and increase access to capital make him a valuable addition to our already dynamic team." McHenry said there is a lot of work and areas that need addressing, and he knows that Rep. Flood is ready to take on that job over the coming term. 

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A $10 MILLION REQUEST AND A NEW COALITION TAKE AIM AT HEALTH CARE WORKER SHORTAGE

LINCOLN- A new coalition in the state, formally called the Nebraska Healthcare Workforce Collaborative, has been formed to solve the healthcare worker shortage, and has already been able to request nearly $10 million to expand clinical training sites for nurses. These sites, at which medical students get hands-on training under seasoned professionals, are a critical step toward filling nursing jobs faster, according to Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association.

State Sen. Jana Hughes, in partnership with the coalition, intends to introduce a bill that would allocate the necessary funding to build these sites. Sen. Hughes' bill would also offer financial incentives for nurses to become trainers at these clinical sites. On top of this, the collaborative is also seeking to conduct extensive employer and worksite surveys, hoping to collect enough data to identify the problems affecting the medical workforce.

"Taking a larger step back and putting together a statewide plan has really been missing," stated Nordquist, "and we're kind of paying for it right now." Currently, Nebraska is facing an impending shortage of 5,435 nurses by 2025, according to the Nebraska Center for Nursing. As for physicians, 58 of the state's 93 counties have been designated as "shortage areas."

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UNMC OFFICIAL PREDICTS NEXT TWO MONTHS WILL BE 'REAL UGLY' DUE TO NEW 'SUPER KRAKEN' COVID-19 VARIANT

OMAHA- Infectious disease authority Dr. James Lawler is predicting a couple of “real ugly” months ahead due to the arrival of a new, more transmissible, more immunity-evasive variant of COVID-19. Lawler noted that the variant is already causing hospitalizations on the east coast and is destined to become dominant in the U.S.

“Its ability to spread in populations is dramatically higher than anything we’ve seen recently,” said Lawler, of the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.  The latest variant, Lawler said, has shown to be more highly transmissible and better able to evade immunity from prior infections and vaccinations. Lawler dubbed the new XBB. 1.5 variant “Super Kraken” because of the concerns it generates. 

Already, more than 40% of cases in the U.S. are linked to the Super Kraken, he said. But, it accounts for 75% of cases in the New England states, where hospitalization rates are spiking. While the number of reported cases of COVID remains relatively low in Nebraska, Lawler said those statistics are really “bunk” because few people are getting tested and home tests aren’t being reported.

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STATE SENATORS COMPLETE BILL INTRODUCTIONS, FALL SHORT OF RECORD VOLUME

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Legislature has officially wrapped up the 10 days of bill introduction for this session. The amount of bills introduced in the ten days falls just short of a record number of bills. A total of 812 legislative bills were introduced, which is short of the record 885 bills introduced in 1997 for a similar  90-day session.

The 1990s were a big decade for bill introduction, with more than 800 bills introduced four times, in 1991, 1995, 1997 and 1999, during the first year of the Nebraska Legislature’s two-year sessions. State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair had introduced a rule change to limit each of the 49 senators to introduce only 12 bills each session. He contended that too many proposals are being introduced, which has reduced the time available to debate bills. But the Rules Committee did not advance the bill limit proposal.

Sens. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha and Eliot Bostar of Lincoln each questioned whether a limit was necessary and whether such a limit would work. Bostar said lawmakers would “find a way” around any limit by combining more subjects into one proposal. Introducing bills, DeBoer and Bostar argued, was a way to represent a senator’s constituents, and limiting it would be problematic.

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NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT TO STUDY SITES FOR NEW NUCLEAR PLANT IN NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Nebraska is moving forward in the nuclear power world as Nebraska Public Power District announced they are beginning a study into possible locations for a small modular reactor. The study and project are thanks to new funding from the legislature. The study will be working with a $1 million budget. 

Small modular reactors are the new type of nuclear reactor under consideration around the world. Utilities say these smaller reactors offer several advantages over the much larger traditional reactors by requiring less space, costing less to build and providing greater flexibility in where they can be built and how much electricity they generate. 

Grant Otten, spokesman for NPPD, said the study will put NPPD in a better position should small modular reactors prove themselves and the district decide that nuclear power is something it wants to pursue. Factors used in evaluating sites include access to water and transmission lines and criteria set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF FAILED EFFORTS, ADVOCATES FOR LEGALIZING MEDICAL CANNABIS TRY AGAIN IN THE LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- Despite eight years of setbacks, proponents of medical cannabis are again attempting to pass a bill to legalize the medicinal product in Nebraska. On Tuesday, Senator Anna Wishart introduced LB588, the "Medical Cannabis Act," which according to the Senator is "one of the most conservative medical cannabis bills in the nation." Thirty-seven states, including Missouri and Colorado, have legalized can medical marijuana.

LB588 is very similar to a bill introduced in 2021, which came just two votes short of overcoming the filibuster. Crista Eggers, a spokesperson for Nebraska Families for Medical Cannabis, said the bill would prohibit the smoking of marijuana as medicine and home growing of the plant, and that the list of maladies treatable by the drug was narrowed. "Hopefully, with a new administration and a new governor, we can have a conversation," said Eggers. 

Newly-elected Gov. Pillen seems to have a similar stance on the drug as his predecessor, former Gov. Pete Ricketts, and is expected to vehemently oppose any legislation seeking to legalize the product. Eggers added that if LB588 fails to pass, advocates will once again come together to launch a petition drive and seek voter approval. 

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CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT WOULD ELIMINATE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

LINCOLN- Last Friday, State Sen. Joni Albrecht proposed LR24CA, a legislative resolution seeking to dismantle Nebraska's State Board of Education and replace it with a governor-appointed education commissioner. If passed, the amendment would erase the Board's role in setting K-12 education policy. Currently, the Board sets the academic standards for math, language arts, science, and social studies. 

Albrecht stated that she considers the legislative resolution a "conversation starter" for lingering frustrations about the Board's 2021 efforts to consider new health education and sex education standards. "We are the Legislature," said Albrecht, "We guide whether they can do what they did with...the health standards, and it's absurd that it's gone this far. But it only has because they didn't have to answer to anybody."

The new health standards proposed in 2021 by the Board of Education would have been optional for schools, but still drew an immense amount of ire and scrutiny from conservative voices in the state. Critics of the changes argued that the sex education portion offered too much information too soon to children around the state. The Nebraska Department of Education declined to comment on Albrecht's proposal, but former Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt testified against a similar proposal introduced last year. 

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GOVERNOR PILLEN ANNOUNCES EDUCATION PRIORITY BILLS

LINCOLN- Governor Jim Pillen has been very clear that education is one if not the most important issue to him. Governor Pillen has called the education funding formula "outdated and unfair" and even appointed a new committee to study how the state should update it. This week, Governor Pillen announced his priority bills for the 2023 session.

The School Finance Reform Committee includes state senators, school administrators, organizations representing school board members and several farm advocacy groups. In a statement, Pillen said the committee would look for ways to update the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act, what he referred to as "our antiquated school aid formula." TEEOSA considers a district's needs against its resources. When needs exceed resources, state funding is provided in equalization aid. 

Under the state aid formula's current iteration, fewer than 90 of the 244 public school districts receive equalization aid to help them meet their needs — including the state's largest school districts in Omaha, Lincoln, Millard and Grand Island — which has drawn criticism from Republicans and rural lawmakers.

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WITH THREATS AGAINST POLITICIANS RISING, GROUP SAYS IT'S TIME TO BAN GUNS AT NEBRASKA CAPITOL

LINCOLN- Nebraskans Against Gun Violence is in favor of removing the allowed open carry of firearms in the state capitol citing an increase in threats to those in the political realm. The group testified in support of the change at last week's legislative rules hearing. 

“In a time of increased political violence, including threats and actions, we are asking the Legislature to protect the state government of Nebraska from harm,” said Melody Vaccaro, executive director of the group. “Weapons, including guns, do not belong in political making bodies.” State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha proposed the change, telling the Legislature’s Rules Committee that she was “terrified” in 2020 when two men openly carried semi-automatic assault rifles in the Capitol. 

Currently, the open carry of firearms is permitted for anyone in Nebraska age 18 and older, unless prohibited by local government. Some areas, such as schools, are off-limits for open carry. Concealed weapons are banned in the building since the State Supreme Court has courtrooms in the building and concealed arms are banned in courtrooms.

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BILL WOULD REQUIRE LOCAL MASK MANDATES TO GET CITY COUNCIL OR COUNTY BOARD APPROVAL

LINCOLN - A new legislative proposal would take the power local health directors have in regard to mask mandates and place the decision in the hands of either their city council or county board. State Sen. Kathleen Kauth said she offered LB421 to make sure that people don’t panic and give up their rights as easily the next time there is a public health emergency in Nebraska. 

“Masks were the big one,” she said. “When you have someone who’s imposing those, that’s not acceptable because you can’t do anything about that. If the public is upset with an elected official, the first chance they take, there is a remedy for that.” LB421 would begin to involve local health boards, city officials, and NDHHS in health recommendation decisions. 

The bill also would require any directed health measure to be approved by the pertinent city council or county board. Much of Kauth’s frustration stems from the actions of Lindsay Huse, acting as health director for the City of Omaha, who enacted a COVID-19-related mask mandate in January 2022 without seeking the approval of the Omaha City Council. 

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BILLS WOULD BAN TRANSGENDER YOUTHS FROM SPORTS TEAMS, BLOCK GENDER ALTERATION PROCEDURES FOR MINORS

LINCOLN- Nebraska may be set to join at least 18 other states that have enacted bans on transgender youth participation on sports teams under a new bill introduced to the Legislature on Tuesday. LB575, or more formally the "Sports and Spaces" proposal, was introduced by Sen. Kathleen Kauth alongside 27 co-sponsors and seeks to limit the participation of transgender youth athletes to school-sponsored teams intended for their biological sex. "It just seems like common sense," said Kauth.

LB557 would also block biological males from entering girls' locker rooms and vice versa, and Sen. Kauth claimed that the bill would disallow "bigger, stronger, faster" biological males from playing girls' sports. Sen. Kauth, who was appointed to her seat by former Gov. Ricketts, also introduced the "Let Them Grow Act," or LB574, a bill that would block any gender alteration procedures prior to a person's 19th birthday. "We need to give kids a chance to think and grow," said Kauth in defense of LB574, "and get all of their physical development done and make these decisions when they're adults."

The ACLU of Nebraska was quick to criticize both bills following their introduction, claiming that they are "alarming acts of government overreach."  Currently, the Nebraska State Activities Association, which governs the state's school sports, has a process by which "bona fide" transgender students can play sports consistent with their gender identity. 

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STATE SENATORS APPEAR POISED TO ASK NEBRASKA VOTERS TO EXTEND LEGISLATIVE TERM LIMITS

LINCOLN- Around forty state senators have signed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to serve a third consecutive four-year term in the Nebraska Legislature. The proposal, titled LR22CA, was introduced by Sen. Robert Dover, and has support from both sides of the aisle. If passed, the resolution would appear on the 2024 general election ballot. 

Dover, who was appointed to the Legislature last year to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Mike Flood, said the idea came to him after discussions with legislative staff, lobbyists, and current and former senators. "To a person, they said term limits took away from the consistency at the Capitol and that it wasn't a good thing," said Dover, "That's why I brought it forward, to fix something that needs to be fixed."

If passed, the measure would allow senators to serve for 12 consecutive years, as opposed to the current eight years. Several lawmakers supporting the resolution said they believe the change will result in better legislative outcomes over time. Dover went on to state that new senators often find themselves lost as they seek to learn the ins and outs of the unicameral, and that eight years isn't enough time to really build strong relationships with colleagues. 

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HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT INFLUENCES MULTIPLE INCOMING BILLS IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- Multiple bills are in the works in the Nebraska Legislature following the release of Nebraska's 2022 Strategic Housing Framework, a 63-page report detailing the state's top housing needs and calling for 35,000 affordable housing units to be built by 2028. State Sens. Tony Vargas and Tom Briese led a briefing on the report last week, emphasizing the importance and urgency of this issue. "I think that the lack of available housing across Nebraska...is curtailing economic growth in our state more than we realize," said Briese. 

Sen. Vargas also stated that Nebraska has not been following the typical housing practices followed by other states, as well as research that indicates that states need to build at least 5,000 new housing units every year to keep up with demand. The Strategic Housing Report outlined several issues contributing to Nebraska's housing needs, including rising costs, loans, and a lack of available land. 

Besides the goal of building 35,000 affordable housing units, the report also sets a goal of reducing the percentage of housing-burdened homes in the state from 44% to 33% by 2028. This drop would amount to around 44,000 homes in Nebraska. While housing issues in metropolitan issues are well known, the report also details the unique issues rural Nebraskans are facing, while around 17% of rural housing units are vacant.

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NEBRASKA SENATORS ADOPT RULES THAT WILL GOVERN THE LEGISLATURE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS

LINCOLN- Nebraska senators adopted permanent rules for the 108th legislative session after a nine-hour committee hearing last week sorting through 58 proposed changes. The committee chairman, Senator Erdman, said, "I believe the rule committee treated every introducer, every testifier with respect. I hope that was the case, that was our intent. A lot of those rules had a lot of thought and input and I believe they all deserved to be heard and we did that.” 

Out of the more than 50 ideas, Erdman brought just seven changes out of committee to the full body. The list didn’t include any of the more controversial changes discussed in committee, like a proposal to make senator's votes for committees public instead of by secret ballot and a change that would ban media from attending executive sessions. Instead, what was brought were largely administrative changes that were nearly unanimously agreed on.

The most debated bill on the list of seven that survived the rules committee changed the speaking order after a motion to indefinitely postpone a bill is made. This type of motion suspends all further activity on a bill, unless it can survive a supermajority vote. In previous rules, the senator who makes this motion is able to speak on the bill before the bill’s proponent has a chance to introduce the bill. Many of the legislature’s more conservative members supported this change, saying senators have used the motions too often. Senator Lou Ann Linehan said she’s had bills fall victim to IPP motions, including bills she has worked on for years. 

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SENATORS INTRODUCE PARENTAL 'BILL OF RIGHTS' PROPOSAL TO ENSURE PARENTAL CONTROL OVER EDUCATION

LINCOLN- State Sen.Dave Murman, who promised to introduce a bill that would give parents more control over what's being taught to their children, introduced LB374, which is formally called the "Parents' Bill of Rights and Academic Transparency Act." Murman claimed that he wanted parents to be the "ultimate decision-makers" for their children, prompting him to build LB 374. "The bill is to guarantee that they know what's in the curriculum, in the library, and what's being taught, so they can control what's being taught," said Sen. Murman.

When questioned, Senator Murman could not identify any specific examples of how parents were being denied information about what public schools were teaching their children, but claimed he's seen several school books in Nebraska schools he considered to not be "age appropriate." Sen. Carol Blood called the bill a "solution in search of a problem."

Sen. Lynne Walz, a former fourth-grade teacher, agreed with Sen. Blood, stating that any problems could be dealt with by a local school board. Sen. Murman's LB374 is patterned after similar bills introduced in Florida, Kansas, and Missouri, as well as a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Josh Hawley.

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ACLU CONDEMNS 'DRAG' SHOW PROPOSAL AS PART OF NATIONAL EFFORT TO 'PUSH LGBTQ+ PEOPLE OUT OF PUBLIC LIFE'

LINCOLN- Legislative Bill 371, which was introduced last Thursday by Sen. Dave Murman, would block minors from attending drag shows if passed. On top of that, the bill also establishes fines of up to $10,000 for any businesses allowing under-aged persons to attend drag shows. In response to this, Jane Seu, legal and policy counsel for the ACLU of Nebraska, stated, "Let's call this what it is--an unconstitutional censorship rooted in a coordinated national effort to push LGBTQ+ people out of public life."

Sen. Murman's bill comes right after similar bills banning minors from attending drag shows were introduced in several states, including Missouri, Arizona, and Texas. Proponents of drag shows argue that they are harmless, fun entertainment, while critics say that they involve "perverted" and "hyper-sexualized" adults trying to sexualize young people.

Shortly after the bill was introduced, State Sen. Megan Hunt, the first openly LGBTQ candidate elected to the Nebraska Legislature, filed a motion to kill the bill. Alongside Sen. Hunt, the ACLU argued that LB371 would be a violation of free speech, claiming that "drag is a visual expression and creative celebration of LGBTQ+ culture."

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PILLEN TOUTS 'HISTORIC' PACKAGE OF TAX CUTS, SAYING 'WE HAVE TO COMPETE BETTER' WITH OTHER STATES

LINCOLN- In a week full of large announcements from Governor Pillen added another large announcement. He unveiled his historic tax cut plan that aims to make the state very competitive with surrounding states. The package includes a gradual reduction in state personal and corporate income tax rates to a flat 3.99% and a shift in the funding of community colleges off property taxes.

It also would adopt a new way of valuing agricultural property based on the land’s income-producing potential and would limits increases in ag land valuations for tax purposes. In addition, state lawmakers will be asked to accelerate, and make immediate, the elimination of state income taxes on Social Security. Last year, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill to phase out such taxes over a period of years.

“We in Nebraska have to compete better with our neighbors. That’s really a key piece,” Pillen said at a press conference with several state senators standing behind him. The newly elected governor said that the tax cuts, which amount to $720 million in income tax reductions alone, would place the state among the 15 lowest nationwide in taxing income, as calculated by the Tax Foundation’s business climate rankings. Several have dubbed the plan as bold.

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SENATOR SAYS BILL LURING SEMICONDUCTOR PLANT TO NEBRASKA WOULD HAVE BIGGEST ECONOMIC IMPACT 'SINCE CORN'

LINCOLN- Senator Mike McDonnell introduced LB616 which urges Nebraska to join the federal push to increase semiconductor production within the states. The benefits could be enormous according to the senator. It could create more than 4,700 jobs paying an average of $84,500 per year.

LB616 would authorize the state to match any federal funds that semiconductor manufacturers locating in Nebraska obtain under the federal CHIPS for America Act. “This legislation has the potential to have the biggest economic impact to the State of Nebraska since corn,” McDonnell said.

The federal CHIPS act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in August, allocated $54.2 billion to help build chip plants in the U.S. In response, several states, including Michigan, Tennessee and Ohio, have passed, or are in the process of passing, financial incentives to lure factories to their states. Senator McDonnell believes Nebraska must make itself a potential site.

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BILLS WOULD REQUIRE IN-PERSON VOTING, IDENTIFICATIONS FOR NEBRASKANS

LINCOLN- In just a few short months, Nebraskans may no longer be able to cast early votes and would have fewer options for voter identification under two new legislative bills. Legislative bill 228 would require in-person voting in primary and general elections, save for military personnel or nursing home residents, and also require all votes to be counted on Election Day.

Similarly, legislative bill 230 would implement a voter-approved constitutional amendment requiring valid photo ID for voting. The bill specifically outlines the usable IDs, and includes a driver's license, state identification card, U.S. passport, or tribal ID. However, despite the more restrictive nature of this bill, LB230 would also allow voters to cast provisional ballots if they don't have an ID with them, but must present a valid ID within a week of Election Day.

State Sen. Steve Erdman, who introduced both bills, stated that he wasn't certain if voter fraud was present in Nebraska, but claimed there was enough suspicion to warrant legislation. "Even if there isn't a problem," he said, "why wait until you have a problem to figure out what the solution may be?"

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AFTER ORGANIZATIONAL BATTLE, LINCOLN SEN. CONRAD TURNS TO LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

LINCOLN- Sen. Conrad, who was elected this year to Nebraska's Legislature after leaving in 2015, said she's disappointed with the swing toward partisanship the body has seen over the past few years. Similarly, Conrad indicated that she was dismayed by a decision to not honor her request to rejoin the Appropriations Committee, which she previously served on for eight years. "It's disappointing, but not surprising," she said. 

However, despite these setbacks, Sen. Conrad was elected to the Education and Government and Military Affairs Committee, putting her right in the middle of fierce battles over state school aid and voter ID. Conrad went on to highlight her goals during this session, including championing working families, advocating for civil rights and liberties, and doing what she can to protect the nonpartisan nature of the Legislature. 

More specifically, Conrad wants to build for Nebraska a more robust child tax credit to "make sure working families have more resources to succeed." Sen. Conrad also expressed interest in protecting voting rights, reproductive rights, and passing criminal justice reform. Conrad stated that she is also looking forward to working with newly-elected Gov. Pillen, who she says has been participating in "meaningful, frequent, and authentic" dialogues with Democratic members of the Legislature. 

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