BILL CREATING LOWER MINIMUM WAGE FOR CHILDREN ADVANCES IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- On Tuesday, the Nebraska Legislature's Business and Labor Committee voted 4-2 to combine LB327, introduced by Sen. Raybould, and LB15, introduced by Sen. Briese, and advanced LB327 out of committee. Both bills amend the recently-voted-upon wage hike that was approved by Nebraska voters last year and add several changes to minimum wage laws in Nebraska.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad, an outspoken proponent of the minimum wage hike, already motioned to indefinitely postpone the bill, since it would establish a $10.50 wage for children between the age of 14 and 17, as well as establish a training wage for the same amount for people age 18 and 19. Then, for this age range, wages would remain at $10.50 until 2026, and continue at 75% of the regular minimum wage at that time.

LB327 would also cap future wage increases at the inflation amount or a flat 1.5%, whichever number is less at the time. The proposal would need 33 votes to pass in the Legislature since it amends an initiative approved by Nebraska voters. This is because the Nebraska Constitution sets a higher-than-normal bar for amendments made to voter-passes initiatives.

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SUPPORTERS OF CHILD LABOR RESOLUTION SAY IT COULD MAKE NEBRASKA 'NEW CHAMPION'

LINCOLN- Legislative Resolution 5, introduced by Sen. Carol Blood, would have Nebraska ratify the Child Labor Amendment of 1924, allowing Congress to regulate or prohibit the labor of persons younger than 18 in the state. If passed, Nebraska would be the 29th state to ratify the almost-one-hundred-year-old federal amendment. "We are only ratifying what is already in law in support of Nebraska children and making a statement that we missed an opportunity to do better," said Blood.

Blood went on to state that the amendment would not change any existing Nebraska law, since the state already has in place legislation like the Fair Labor Standards Act, which regulated labor at the state level. However, according to Blood, "Passing this LR does give Nebraska a unique opportunity to chart a better path forward for the rest of the country."

Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that, after an investigation into Packers Sanitation Services Inc., it was found that children as young as 13 were working in dangerous conditions at a plant in Nebraska. This included overnight shifts cleaning what was called the "kill floor," with equipment such as head splitters and back or brisket saws found in proximity to the children.

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THREE MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS FINED FOR APPEARING IN CAMPAIGN ADS IN UNIFORM

LINCOLN- Under state law, public officials are prohibited from using public resources for campaign purposes, but three Nebraska law enforcement officials agreed to pay fines after doing just that.

Seward County Sheriff Michael Vance, Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer, and York County Sheriff's Captain Joshua Gillespie were all ordered to pay $1,000 after the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure office found them guilty of appearing in television ads.

In January, York County Sheriff Paul Vrbka agreed to pay a $1,000 fine following his appearance in a television ad for Falls City businessman and gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, who was running against Governor Jim Pillen.

The three law enforcement officials who were ordered to pay fines on Friday appeared in the same advertisement as Vrbka.

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STATE SHOULD SEEK ITS $91 MILLION SHARE OF FEDERAL ENERGY CONSERVATION FUNDS, COMMITTEE IS TOLD

LINCOLN- Senator Blood highlighted an opportunity for the state to seek its $91 million share of federal Inflation Reduction Act funds set aside to make homes as energy efficient as possible. She presented the idea to the Appropriations committee at Monday's hearing saying, "This is an opportunity for us to use tax dollars that are already allocated for us. We’ll give it up to other states if we don’t use it."

The idea was met with major support as people lined up to testify, including 72 letters of support being sent in. The bill at hand is LB560. It simply requires the state to “seek all funds made available” through the Inflation Reduction Act or IRA. Senator Blood did highlight that the bill would not be necessary if the Governor's office actively moved to obtain these types of funds.

Time is of the essence, Blood said, because state have a March 31 deadline to file a “notice of intent” to seek the IRA funds. Bayard Sen. Steve Erdman questioned whether LB 560 could be advanced by the committee and passed in time to have an impact, given the March 31 deadline and the slow pace of floor debate in the Legislature this year.

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NEBRASKA BILL WOULD REQUIRE 'IN GOD WE TRUST' BE DISPLAYED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

OMAHA- LB178 calls for the motto "In God We Trust" to be posted in all classrooms or other prominent places in the school so it can be easily seen. Similar bills have been entertained in the past, but have not advanced very far. LB178 had its hearing on Monday where many gathered to show both support and opposition to the idea. 

Nebraska school boards currently have the option of voting on the display of the memo within their schools. Erdman argued that LB 178 had nothing to do with the establishment of religion, and was more about commemorating an important part of U.S. history. “The national motto is not being taught and displayed in Nebraska’s public schools, yet it plays an important role in our history and in our heritage,” Erdman exclaimed. 

Supporters pointed to various times in the country's history where faith has played a role. Others, however, said requiring a prominent display in schools would violate students’ freedom of religion. One testified pointed out that the county is not based on one single religion. Rather each individual has the right to choose which religion they follow and the manner in which they will do so. 

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKER PITCHES RETURN TO MIDWEST INTERSTATE PASSENGER RAIL COMMISSION

LINCOLN- The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission is a body that oversees rail services and works to improve passenger rail services in the midwest. Nebraska left the commission nearly ten years ago, but LB44 would have Nebraska reenter that coalition. The current members of the commission are Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

The bill's sponsor, Senator George Dungan, pointed out that Nebraska has led the rail industry for over 100 years and supports railways. Dungan said, "It’s important for Nebraska to have a voice in current and future passenger development that will bring a significant transportation and economic benefit to our state.” The bill did not receive any in-person testimony at its Monday hearing, but there were 6 letters of opposition.

Nebraska left the commission in 2015 citing that the benefits of the committee do not outweigh the expenditure of tax dollars on dues. Iowa has also indicated that it would also rejoin the commission. This is partially due to a future rail line between Nebraska and Chicago. Supporters of the bill pointed out that communication is key in the train world.

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NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE'S FLOOR ACTION BROUGHT TO 'SCREECHING HALT' BY ONE OMAHA LAWMAKER

LINCOLN- Over the past two weeks, action on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature has slowed to a crawl, in large part due to the efforts of Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who seeks to stall bills that she says "legislate hate." Since beginning her quest to slow down the Legislature, only three bills have advanced on the floor. "What I'm going to do is slow it down to a screeching halt," said Cavanaugh to her colleagues, "Because we can do better."

Cavanaugh's strategy has garnered her harsh criticism from her Republican opponents, who have gone on record to call her a "bully" and a "hypocrite." Meanwhile, her Democratic allies have largely praised her efforts, but have not yet jumped in substantially to help her. "In the Nebraska Legislature, when it comes to killing bad legislation," said Sen. Megan Hunt in a Tweet supporting Cavanaugh, "time is on our side."

Cavanaugh, specifically, has pointed to Sen. Kauth's LB574, a bill that would restrict school bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams on the basis of biological sex, as one of the main reasons for the filibuster. "If you want to inflict pain upon our children, I am going to inflict pain upon this body," said Cavanaugh, "I have nothing, nothing but time. And I am going to use all of it. You cannot stop me."

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NORTH AND SOUTH OMAHA REPRESENTATIVES CONVERGE TO PUSH FOR $435 MILLION FOR COMMUNITIES

LINCOLN- A substantial number of business owners and advocates packed into the Nebraska Capitol on Tuesday to show their support for a new bill, LB531, introduced by Sen. Terrell McKinney, that would allocate around $435 million to those regions of the city. The funds come from the Nebraska Economic Recovery Act that was adopted last year.

However, a portion of the funds will also come from the state's general fund, rather than from the pandemic-related American Rescue Plan Act. That extra funding, according to McKinney, would allow for far more flexibility in how the funds are disbursed and give business owners more time to decide how to spend the money. ARPA dollars must be spent by the end of 2026, so pulling funds from the general fund will allay some concerns, said McKinney.

McKinney, alongside co-sponsors Sen. Wayne and Sen. Vargas, stated that a different bill, LB785, will include the same language as LB531 but will instead be heard before the Appropriations Committee, rather than the Urban Affairs Committee. McKinney's bill specifically recommends the funds be disbursed towards projects like the Malcolm X memorial and federally qualified health centers residing in North and South Omaha.

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NEBRASKA BOARD OF EDUCATION ROLES TARGETED BY FOUR LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS

LINCOLN- Four legislative proposals were heard in the Legislature's Education Committee on Tuesday aimed at curbing the powers of the Nebraska State Board of Education, but defenders of the Board showed up in droves. Legislative resolution 24CA, perhaps the most strict of the proposals, would eliminate entirely the Board of Education and instead allow the governor to choose an education commissioner.

When asked by Sen. Danielle Conrad whether or not the recent attempt by the Board to adopt optional health and sex education standards in K-12 schools was a motivator for the introduction of LR24CA, Sen. Albrecht, who introduced the resolution, said, "I would say that was definitely a motivator. I don't know that they might not take it up again."

Conrad then stated that she considered the resolution an overreaction to the Board's action, and insisted that lawmakers should not change the governance structure of K-12 education over a withdrawn idea that conservatives organized against and beat. "I don' think this is a measured response," said Conrad, "The proposals were meant to bring different sorts of accountability to the State Board, but they won."

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7,000 FELONS IN NEBRASKA ARE WAITING OUT DELAY BEFORE THEY CAN VOTE, LEGISLATURE CONSIDERING CHANGE

LINCOLN- TJ King, an outreach specialist with the Nebraska AIDS Project, came off probation in August after serving time for drug and theft convictions. In many states, he could have voted in last year's general election, but Nebraska requires a two-year wait after the completion of a felony sentence before someone can register. Voting, according to King, gives "a little bit of your strength back and a little bit of your voice back."

Under a new bill, LB20, introduced by Sen. Justin Wayne, this waiting period would be eliminated. Wayne stated that, when going door to door while running for office, he was told by a large portion of Nebraska residents that, although they support him, they would not be allowed to vote for him. This prompted him to introduce LB20, and he has introduced the same bill several times in the past. IN 2017, when the same bill passed, it was vetoed by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

"When people get out of our system, they've got to feel engaged in their community," said Wayne during a public hearing for LB20, "and the number one way for a person to feel engaged in their community is to be able to vote for the leadership of that community." After receiving substantial support, Kathy Wilmot, a member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, stood in opposition to the bill, saying that the waiting period reinforces the idea that voting is a special process.

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CONSERVATIVES WIN ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE BATTLE, ADVANCE 'OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP' BILL

LINCOLN- On Wednesday, Senator Lou Ann Linehan's LB753, a bill that would adopt the Opportunity Scholarships Act, passed through its first round of debate on a 31-12 vote, a move some are calling another conservative victory in Nebraska. The advancement of LB753 marks the first time in state history that a "school choice" bill has moved forward in the Nebraska Legislature. The vote to end the several-day filibuster blocking the bill passed narrowly on a 33-12 vote, gaining just barely the 33 votes required to end it.

Brian Mikkelsen, the political action director of NSEA, a large state teachers union, pledged during the hearing that, if the bill eventually passes, he will recommend that public school proponents mount a petition drive to put the issue on the ballot. "The perception that this is popular with voters is a complete misnomer," said Mikkelsen.

LB753 specifically provides a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for money donated to an organization that provides scholarships for students attending private and parochial schools. The bill is one of many that are included in Gov. Pillen's ambitious package of education proposals, and would provide $25 million a year in tax credits, with the potential to increase up to $100 million a year in the event that the yearly credit amount is used.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKER PROPOSES NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS FOR STATEWIDE CANDIDATES

LINCOLN- Legislative resolution 2CA, proposed by State Sen. John Cavanaugh, would allow Nebraskans to decide, starting in 2024, whether the state's constitutional officers, like the governor or secretary of state, should be elected on a nonpartisan basis. More specifically, the resolution would provide that the top two candidates with the most votes would appear in the general election, regardless of party.

This would include positions such as the governor, attorney general, secretary of state, auditor of public account, and state treasurer. "It has worked well for the Nebraska Legislature for nearly 90 years," said Cavanaugh in defense of his bill, "It's time that we gave our voters the choice to make our statewide elections nonpartisan as well." 

Cavanaugh also indicated that, contrary to some people's beliefs about such nonpartisan elections, this change would likely not allow more Democrats to be elected in Nebraska, and he noted that, in four out of five cases, two Republicans per constitutional office would've advanced onto the 2022 general election ballot. 

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DMV, POLLING PLACES WOULD BE AUDITED FOR ADA COMPLIANCE UNDER NEBRASKA BILL

LINCOLN- Legislative bill 770, introduced by State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, would require the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office to audit the Department of Motor Vehicles, polling places, and the offices of county clerks and county commissioners to confirm that these areas of government are complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

If passed, the audits would begin in 2025 and be conducted thereafter every five years. "While the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990," Cavanaugh told the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday, "we are still trying to bring all facilities into compliance." After the audits, the Secretary of State's Office would provide its findings and any recommended changes to the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee, as well as the Governor's Office. 

Edison McDonald, a representative of The Arc of Nebraska, an advocacy group for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, testified in support of the bill. "This bill," said McDonald, "helps to provide a toll and a pathway to help ensure that we are regularly assessing this process." The audits, specifically, will look to see whether doors to polling places can be opened without grasping, whether parking spaces are accessible, and whether each of the above locations has safe lighting.

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PILLEN TELLS CHAMBER GROUP HE'S FOCUSED ON NEBRASKA'S EDUCATION AND TAX REFORM

LINCOLN- During the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Wednesday, Gov. Jim Pillen reaffirmed his focus on helping build an educational and economic environment in Nebraska that will fuel opportunity and "keep our kids here." More specifically, said Pillen, that means "strengthening our community colleges," reducing income and property taxes, and practicing "fiscal discipline" when it comes to government spending.

"Not everybody's going to agree with me and I understand that," Pillen told the audience, "But I'm going to be me." Gov. Pillen went on to state that he believed Nebraska's tax policy is "severely flawed," and that it can longer be relied upon to help fund community colleges. The Governor then told the Chamber about his idea to use excess tax revenue available to the state government to invest in education and help fund property tax reform.

However, to obtain these goals, Pillen said that he is trying "to build a trusting relationship with everybody in the Unicameral," and that he has conveyed to all of the members of the Legislature that all of his proposed models are sustainable. Finishing his speech, Gov. Pillen said that it is time to see "transformative change" take root in Nebraska.

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CAMPAIGN DONATIONS BUSTING RECORDS WITH LINCOLN MAYORAL PRIMARY STILL A MONTH AWAY

LINCOLN- With around a month to go until the start of Lincoln's mayoral election, the city has already seen its most expensive race in history, with the Peed and Ricketts families dominating the campaign landscape as major Republican donors. Republican state Sen. Suzanne Geist, who is running against incumbent Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, has already raised $1.1 million in cash contributions, and has spent nearly $742,000, according to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.

The incumbent Mayor is not far behind, as Gaylor Baird has raised a hefty $820,000, but has spent only $190,000. More recent mayoral races have topped out at around $600,000 in contributions, so candidates Gaylor Baird and Geist are on track to almost double the previous record. As mentioned, around $900,000 of the early contributions to Geist's campaign have come from Pete Ricketts, former governor and now U.S. Senator, and Tom Peed, owner of Sandhills Global.

Together Nebraska, a conservative PAC that spent around $300,000 to oppose Adam Morfeld in his race against Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon, raised a hefty $660,000 for Geist's campaign. Most of the PAC's funds came from direct contributions from the Ricketts and Peed families.

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OMAHA STREETCAR AUTHORITY SHOWCASES PROGRESS ON PLAN, SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT

OMAHA- At an open house on Tuesday, leaders from the Omaha Streetcar Authority presented to the public progress on the $306 million project, and also hoped to allay concerns. Dozens of Omaha residents stopped in to ask questions, share feedback, and take a look at the most recent renderings and maps of the Streetcar.

"I'm confident that as people learn more, their concerns about the viability of the project and what impact it may have on them personally," said Jay Noddle, president of the Omaha Streetcar Authority, "Those kinds of concerns are going to dissipate a little bit." At the meeting, it was revealed to the public that Omaha-based engineering firm HDR, one of the parties involved in the project, had reached 15% completion of the Streetcar system's design, but developers wanted to be able to integrate public feedback into the next phase of design and planning.

Nick Stadem, a representative from HDR, confirmed that similar public meetings are planned for the 30% progress mark. Some who attended the meeting indicated that it helped address their concerns with the Streetcar plan, while others stated that they left with unanswered questions.

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NEBRASKA COALITION SEEKS TO GET MENTAL HEALTH APP INTO MORE YOUTH'S HANDS - AND PHONES

LINCOLN- The Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition is looking to get the word out about their "My Companion" app designed to help young people cope with mental health issues and prevent youth suicide. The app is Nebraska based and has helped over 700 users since launching a year ago.

The coalition is placing an emphasis on the app's importance as youth mental health continues to be a growing concern in the state. The app has four main features: reflections, connections, resources and emergency. Dr. Dave Meirs, senior director of behavioral health services at Bryan Medical Center, said the whole idea behind the app is it provides connection amongst the community.

The app is based on a similar Utah app and its development began in Nebraska in 2018. Utah has reported a drop in the number of youths who were expressing suicidal thoughts. In Nebraska, suicide is the leading cause of death among people between ages 15 and 24. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the state.

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U.S. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY UNVEILS INITIATIVES AIMED AT SMALL AND MIDSIZED OPERATIONS

WASHINTON D.C.- The Department of Agriculture and Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled steps to recenter U.S. agriculture and benefit small and midsized operations, including a proposed new “Product of USA” labeling rule and an $89 million expansion of the USDA intermediary lending program. Vilsack also announced a new “seed liaison” in the department to increase fairness in the commodity biotech industry, and proposed changes to the Packers and Stockyards Act.

Vilsack highlighted that the developments mark progress in the Biden administration’s approach to transform the existing food system, and increase resilience and profitability. He said that despite record farm income in 2022, 50% of farms nationwide brought in negative farm income. Vilsack attributed this to the “get big or get out” structure of production-based agriculture, which took hold in the 1970s.

Vilsack announced new investments in diversifying local and regional meat processors, including $89 million in guaranteed loans through the USDA’s intermediary lending program. In regards to "Product of USA", currently you may raise the animal in another country and package the meat in the U.S. and add that sticker. The new rule will require goods that use a “Product of USA” label to have their whole production cycle based in the United States.

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NEBRASKA LAWMAKER SEEKS STATE FUNDING FOR OMAHA STREETCAR- IF IT EXTENDED NORTH TOWARD AIRPORT

OMAHA- If the proposed Omaha streetcar extended its route north towards Eppley Airfield, it may receive a notable increase in its funding. A measure presented by State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha to the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee asks for state funds to establish and operate a streetcar that would connect to Eppley Airfield.

Wayne said, his LB477 is a way to put pressure on the City of Omaha to take the $300 million-plus streetcar project through less advantaged areas and to the airport, and also to “set some standards on who gets included and who doesn’t.” The current plan has there streetcar going from downtown to midtown along Farnam and Harney Streets.

Wayne described his proposal as “Part II” of the Economic Recovery Act the Legislature passed last year as Legislative Bill 1024. That package, called a historic investment into the poorest areas of the state, earmarked $335 million mostly for North and South Omaha. The streetcar would eventually service a business park that is to be near the airport. This business park is also a result of LB1024.

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BETSY DEVOS, TWO OTHERS SPENT BIG ON NEBRASKA LEGISLATIVE RACES

LINCOLN- The former Secretary of Education under Trump, Betsy Devos, gave $710,000 in Nebraska legislative races. Betsy and her husband donated $3.25 of $3.3 million dollars to the American Federation for Children, a national school choice group sent to Nebraska. The American Federation for Children advocates for charter schools, vouchers and tax credit scholarships for private schools.

Lauren Garcia, who directs the Nebraska Federation of Children, said her group and its national organization are pushing for more options for students in Nebraska. She said the federation fights teachers unions that want “to protect their education monopoly.” The Nebraska Federation for Children spent more than $800,000 on nine legislative races during the 2022 election cycle, including the $710,000 sent from the national group.

The group spent $119,000 to help State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Omaha win his race against Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek. It spent $57,000 to help State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha win and $115,000 against Kauth’s opponent, Tim Royers. $124,000 was spent against State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln and $64,000 to boost his opponent, Russ Barger. And it spent $54,000 against legislative candidate Angie Lauritsen in Sarpy County, who lost to State Sen. Rick Holdcroft.

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