NU PRESIDENT: STATE BUDGET COULD MEAN TUITION INCREASES THIS YEAR

LINCOLN- The Legislature gave first-round approval to the state’s two-year budget on Tuesday, including a marginal increase in state support to the University of Nebraska system. At the end of eight hours of debate, lawmakers advanced the mainline budget bill (LB 261) that would close a projected deficit of $262 million on a 37-6 vote. NU President Jeffrey Gold told faculty, students, and staff he would continue working with Gov. Jim Pillen and state senators “to advocate for the critical mission of the university” as the budget continues through two more rounds of debates. 

But, in a letter to lawmakers on Monday, Gold said the funding level approved by the Legislature, along with cuts imposed by the federal government, could mean a “stark” reality for NU moving forward. On Tuesday, senators approved a plan to increase NU’s state appropriation by 0.625% in each of the next two years, or by $8.7 million over the next biennium. The amount represents roughly $36 million less than what the NU Board of Regents requested last year in consultation with the Department of Administrative Services, Gold wrote, or about 17.8% of the total sought.

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STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL STEPS UP MEDICAL CANNABIS OPPOSITION, REGULATORY BILL AWAITS DEBATE

LINCOLN- Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers escalated his opposition to legislative efforts to help implement medical cannabis Wednesday, parading out more than a dozen law enforcement officers who support his stance. At a Wednesday news conference, Hilgers blasted Legislative Bill 677, from State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, asserting that the effort to build a regulatory framework around voter-approved medical cannabis is nothing more than a path to recreational marijuana that he argued would “supercharge the black market.”

As he has already said this year, he urged lawmakers to wait until at least January, as he continues challenging in court the laws that voters approved last fall. “This is not about the will of the people,” Hilgers, joined by various sheriffs, said of LB 677. “This is going to make Nebraska less safe, more dangerous. It’s going to handcuff the good men and women here that are in front of you and all their colleagues around the state.” Hansen, other lawmakers, and supporters of the 2024 ballot measures have already indicated that they have no intention to wait. They argue that without LB 677, the voter-approved laws could become the “wild west” or prevent Nebraskans who need cannabis the most from accessing it.

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LAWMAKERS OK PLAN TO FILL $262 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT WITH RAINY DAY FUNDS, DMV CUTS

LINCOLN- After a heated eight hours of debate, Nebraska lawmakers advanced a measure that would fill most of a projected deficit looming over the state’s next two-year budget. The Nebraska Legislature advanced Legislative Bill 264 Wednesday on a 34-6 vote, pushing it through the first of three rounds of floor debate. The measure, the second of two mainline budget bills, has to do with transfers from cash funds and the cash reserve over the next biennium, starting on July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2027. The Legislature must pass these bills by May 15.

An amendment that dropped late Tuesday covered recent adjustments the Appropriations Committee made to lower a projected $262 million deficit by an estimated $219 million. A second amendment to fill the remaining gap will be considered on the first mainline budget bill during its second round of floor debate, according to the Appropriations chair, State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood.

The amendment includes dozens of cuts to various cash funds, as well as a $132 million transfer from the state’s rainy-day fund. Some of the largest cuts include $12.5 million from the Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund and $8 million in interest from the Nebraska Capital Construction Fund. 

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WHERE THREE OF NEBRASKA'S NEW GOLF COURSES LAND ON LINKS MAGAZINE'S LATEST RANKINGS

NEBRASKA- In its first rankings of Nebraska courses since three of the state’s four newest ones opened, Links Magazine has Landmand at No. 4, CapRock Ranch at No. 7 and Lost Rail No. 9. Opened too late last year for possible ranking was GrayBull Club near Maxwell.

Links’ rankings for Nebraska are Sand Hills at No. 1, followed by Dismal River Red, Prairie Club Dunes, Landmand, Omaha Country Club, Prairie Club Pines, CapRock Ranch, Wild Horse, Lost Rail and Dismal River White.

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VANISHING $100 MILLION: STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS DECRY FEDERAL CUTS

LINCOLN- Nearly $100 million in funding already disbursed to Nebraska is being clawed back as part of the Trump administration’s plan to shrink the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In Nebraska, it will mean less federal money for university research, childhood vaccinations and mental health, and substance abuse treatment. It means fewer dollars for battling opioid addiction, addressing health disparities in underserved areas, and responding to infectious diseases.

A grant termination order recently sent to leaders at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services lays out two reasons for the cuts. One: It will save money. A representative of the federal government wrote in an email that the cancellation was part of President Donald Trump’s February executive order to start the “Department of Government Efficiency” Cost Efficiency Initiative, to reduce federal spending. And two: The COVID-19 pandemic is over.

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LAWMAKERS APPROVE AGENCY MERGER OF STATE'S NATURAL RESOURCES INTO ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

LINCOLN- Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to merge two state agencies this summer and create one central department intended to increase the state’s focus on water. Legislative Bill 317, from State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, passed 34-12 without debate. This July 1, the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources will be folded into the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, creating the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment. 

Gov. Jim Pillen said Thursday he would sign LB 317 next week. Brandt introduced it on his behalf. The governor has also created a “Water Quality and Quantity Task Force,” focusing on a resource that he said “is our lifeblood.” Pillen called the legislation a “win-win” that would help streamline operations and cut red tape.

“As a farming and ranching state that is growing, this is the right time for Nebraska to create a modern model of stewardship and double down on our work to protect and enhance our water resources,” Pillen said in a statement. 

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'WELL-OILED MACHINE' PREPS FOR ONLINE SPORTS BETTING BALLOT PUSH

LINCOLN- After the Nebraska Legislature halted efforts to put the question of online sports betting before voters in 2026, the gaming industry does not plan to wait around. Lance Morgan, the CEO of WarHorse Gaming, which operates Lincoln's casino, said lawmakers could still pass a measure next year allowing Nebraskans to legalize online and app-based sports gambling at the ballot box. But in the meantime, efforts to kick-start a ballot initiative will likely begin.

“The industry’s not going to wait and cross their fingers, they’re going to prepare for the petition drive,” Morgan said. Planning for a potential initiative is already underway, and most of the money to fund the push, which could formally begin in the fall, is in place, Morgan added. Lincoln Sen. Eliot Bostar pulled a measure to put a constitutional amendment to legalize mobile sports betting, including through popular platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings, on the ballot after it became clear it wouldn’t be able to survive a filibuster.

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AMENDED BILL LIFTING LIFETIME BAN ON FOOD FOR NEBRASKANS WITH A PAST DRUG FELONY ADVANCES

LINCOLN- A measure to remove a lifetime ban on public food assistance for Nebraskans who have served sentences for drug felonies passed another hurdle Wednesday. An amended Legislative Bill 319, designated as a priority by Bellevue State Sen. Victor Rountree, advanced on a 31-14 vote to final reading. Current Nebraska law offers a narrow exception to the ban for people with one or two drug possession or drug use felony convictions. They can access Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, if they have completed a licensed and accredited treatment program. 

Rountree’s bill would open the door for other felony drug offenders who currently can’t access SNAP benefits, as long as they’ve completed their sentence or are on parole or under post-release supervision. An amendment that passed Wednesday, on a 32-14 vote, added a requirement that those with three or more felony drug convictions undergo a substance abuse treatment program to be eligible, unless a licensed health care provider determines that treatment is not necessary.

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CONTROVERSIAL BOYD COUNTY FIGHT FROM THE 1980s AND '90s RETURNS TO LEGISLATURE

LINCOLN- It’s been a while since the words “low-level radioactive waste” have been spoken on the floor of the Nebraska Legislature, but state senators revived the topic two weeks ago. During debate on a bill allowing the merger of two state agencies, a debate broke out over whether the legislation should include repeal of the 1986 Low-Level Radioactive Waste Act, a package of regulations passed amid the heated controversy over locating a waste repository in Boyd County.

That controversy divided families and towns in the rural county, spawned a hunger strike by a leading opponent of the waste dump, and eventually led to a judge’s ruling that Nebraska must pay $145.6 million in damages for rejecting the repository, designed to dispose of radioactive waste from five central U.S. states. Two state senators, Tanya Storer of Whitman and Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, questioned the need to repeal the waste storage regulations during floor debate on April 22, and asked why it was included in a then-446-page proposal for a merger of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy with the Department of Natural Resources.

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BILL TO MATCH LINCOLN, OMAHA ELECTIONS WITH STATE ELECTIONS ADVANCES

LINCOLN- Lincoln and Omaha city officials would have the future option to move city elections and align them with Nebraska statewide elections, under this year’s annual election cleanup bill. Legislative Bill 521, from State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, advanced 42-0 on Thursday. Sanders, who chairs the Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, said the goal is “modernizing” elections.

LB 521 would make a series of changes, including to allow hospice or disability services patient records to count as a photo voter ID, stop petition signature verification of candidates or new political parties at 110% of the goal (similar to ballot measures), notify a voter if their voter registration is canceled, prohibit petition circulation within 200 feet of ballot drop boxes and permit the secretary of state to distribute petition pages to counties “by a secure method,” rather than just mail or by law enforcement. 

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LAWMAKERS ADVANCE 'PUBLIC SAFETY' PACKAGE ALLOWING DETENTION OF NEBRASKANS AS YOUNG AS 11

LINCOLN- After debate that spilled into three days, Nebraska lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bundle of “public safety” proposals highlighted by a contentious provision to lower the age at which a Nebraska youth can be detained — to 11 years old. The age drop was backed by Gov. Jim Pillen and originally included in a bill by Ralston State Sen. Merv Riepe, which did not fully make it out of committee but did, in part, emerge in the bundle now known as Legislative Bill 530.

Segments of at least nine bills were folded into the megabill before the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee moved it to the floor for full debate. Lawmakers advanced it 33-0, with 16 senators marking present not voting, to move the package to final reading. The vote came after committee chair, Lincoln State Sen. Carolyn Bosn, agreed to continue negotiations with Democratic lawmakers who view the juvenile justice elements as overly punitive. Several have said prevention and rehabilitation services are more effective when dealing with young people whose brains are still developing.

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PROPOSAL TO EXPAND COLLEGE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS TO COVER PRIVATE K-12 TUITION ADVANCES

LINCOLN- Nebraska’s educational savings accounts designed to help pay for public or private college expenses could expand to cover private K-12 tuition, in line with federal law, beginning in 2029. The proposed change from State Sen. Tony Sorrentino of the Elkhorn area was amended 32-11 Tuesday evening into Legislative Bill 647 after multiple hours of debate. At least 42 states already allow such savings accounts to cover tuition at K-12 private schools, which was first allowed in 2018 after passage of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, for up to $10,000 per beneficiary per year.

A 529 savings plan — in Nebraska, NEST 529 — offers tax breaks to encourage families or students to donate and allow the savings to grow tax-free. Multiple attempts to expand the accounts in Nebraska have stalled in recent years. State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area, who led LB 647 as chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee, said he didn’t have the “foreknowledge” to use NEST 529 accounts for his children. “It’s a great way to save for college education, and with the implementation of this bill … those funds could also be used for primary education,” von Gillern said. 

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MEDICAL CANNABIS REGULATIONS ADVANCE FROM LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

LINCOLN- A legislative bill designed to help implement medical cannabis in Nebraska narrowly advanced from committee Thursday in the waning days of the 2025 session. Legislative Bill 677, from State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, advanced 5-3 from the General Affairs Committee. It would set up a clearer state regulatory scheme for the medical cannabis system that voters overwhelmingly approved in November. Just two weeks ago, the bill failed to advance 3-5 after no committee member tried to adopt a narrowing amendment.

A new “compromise” amendment adopted Thursday passed with one major change: up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower or bud could be sold to a qualified patient or caregiver. Smoking would not be allowed, and post-traumatic stress would not be a qualified medical condition, similar to the most recent version of LB 677 from Hansen. The latest changes won over conservative State Sens. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue and Stan Clouse of Kearney, who voted to advance the bill with three Democrats, State Sens. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, Dan Quick of Grand Island, and Victor Rountree of Bellevue. 

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BILL ADVANCES TO SLOW ANNUAL INCREASES TO MINIMUM WAGE

LINCOLN- State lawmakers advanced an amended proposal Wednesday to slow annual increases to Nebraska’s minimum wage down to a fixed rate, rather than using the inflationary bumps that voters approved in 2022. Legislative Bill 258, from State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln, advanced 33-16 with a “compromise” from State Sen. Stan Clouse of Kearney setting annual increases to the state minimum wage at 1.75%. Voters in 2022 approved permanent cost-of-living increases each Jan. 1, starting in 2027, based on a calculation of inflation for the Midwest region from the prior August.

Nebraska’s minimum wage will rise to $15 on Jan. 1 regardless of LB 258. The bill would increase the state’s training wage for teen workers and limit it to workers aged 16 to 19 at 75% of the state minimum wage this September, rather than 75% of the federal wage (which is $7.25 and hasn’t changed since 2009). That wage can be paid for up to the first 90 days of employment. As a result, workers aged 14 or 15 would get a new youth minimum wage beginning at $13.50 next January and increasing every five years by 1.5%. The training wage would rise by 1.5% each year. 

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SENATORS SCHEDULE PUBLIC FORUMS ON MEDICAL CANNABIS AND PENDING STATE LEGISLATION

LINCOLN- State lawmakers scheduled three eastern Nebraska public forums this weekend to allow the public to weigh in on medical cannabis and proposed state legislation. State Sens. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, and Ben Hansen of Blair plan to host the series this Saturday in La Vista, Sunday in Omaha, and Monday in Lincoln. Attendants will be able to hear updates on the status of medical cannabis legislation, namely Hansen’s Legislative Bill 677, and “share their thoughts.”

The schedule is as follows:

• Saturday, May 3, from 1-3 p.m. at the Carpenters Union Hall in La Vista (10761 Virginia Plaza, La Vista).

• Sunday, May 4, from 1-3 p.m., at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Thompson Alumni Center (8800 Dodge St., Omaha).

• Monday, May 5, from 5-7 p.m., at Southeast Community College (8800 O St., Lincoln).

'DE FACTO BAN' OF MOST 'SYNTHETIC' CONSUMABLE HEMP PRODUCTS ADVANCES

LINCOLN- A legislative proposal to crack down on “synthetic” consumable hemp or other THC products advanced Monday over some opponents’ preference for regulations and not a “de facto ban.” Legislative Bill 316, from State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of the Millard area, would redefine most “hemp” products to mean “marijuana,” putting them legally in line with existing enforcement and penalties. It advances a key priority of Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers to restrict products that exceed 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations, the compound most commonly associated with getting a person high.

The bill advanced 33-13, though at least two supporters — State Sens. Tom Brandt of Plymouth and Ben Hansen of Blair — said the bill would need to be amended to maintain their support and overcome the 33-vote threshold for a filibuster. Three more centrist Democratic lawmakers declined to take a position on the bill: State Sens. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, Jason Prokop of Lincoln and Dan Quick of Grand Island. Multiple opponents said they preferred the regulatory regime proposed in LB 16 by State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, the lead opponent to Kauth’s bill. 

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SCHOOL RETIREMENT, TAX INCENTIVE REDUCTIONS PASS, NARROW DEFICIT BY $136 MILLION

LINCOLN- Lawmakers gave wide final approval Wednesday to two measures designed to shrink the state’s looming budget deficit by $136 million. The two bills are Legislative Bill 650, from State Sen. Brad von Gillern of the Elkhorn area, related to trimming business incentives, and LB 645, from State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, related to scaling back school retirement contributions based on how well funded the pension plan is. LB 650 passed 40-7. LB 645 passed 45-2.

LB 650 from von Gillern, who chairs the Legislature’s Revenue Committee, would reduce or defund various tax incentives with savings this biennium. LB 645 from Ballard, who chairs the Legislature’s Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee, would reduce annual contributions to the state’s school retirement pension plan — for all employees outside Omaha Public Schools, who have a separate retirement plan — depending on the actuarial funding level of the pension plan. The school plan is currently 99.91% funded.

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BUDGET RELEASED; COMMITTEE QUICKLY RELEASES ADDITIONAL REDUCTION PROPOSALS TO COVER INCREASED SHORTFALL

LINCOLN- Senator Rob Clements, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, announced that the biennial budget developed by the committee following public hearings has been advanced to General File. Additionally, following last week's forecasting board meeting which reduced the state's projected revenues, the committee released a 'menu' of areas and amounts they have identified to help addressed the additional shortfall. The shortfall now stands at roughly $ 390 million in the current fiscal year, and nearly $ 700 million in the out-years. 

Senators will have the long weekend (the legislature is in recess on Friday and Monday) to digest the budget changes before returning on Tuesday morning. The legislature will convene on Tuesday at 9:00AM with debate on the budget likely taking nearly all of the 7 allotted days on the speakers session calendar. As a reminder the budget is required to be presented to the Governor by day 80 of the session, which is slated to be Thursday, May 15th. 

To view the full budget summary, as released by the appropriations committee, please click HERE.

To view the 'menu' of additional reductions developed in response to the additional shortfall, please click HERE

To view the updated 'green sheet' with the state's General Fund status, please click HERE

MINIMUM WAGE WOULD SEE FIXED ANNUAL INCREASES UNDER NEW 'COMPROMISE' AMENDMENT

LINCOLN- State lawmakers seeking to slow down annual minimum wage increases that Nebraska voters approved in 2022 have reached a new deal to avoid the law’s inflationary increases. State Sens. Jane Raybould of Lincoln and Stan Clouse of Kearney said they have found a “compromise” for Raybould’s Legislative Bill 258 that would completely remove permanent annual cost-of-living increases to the state minimum wage, beginning in 2027. 

Under the Clouse amendment, the wage would increase instead by 1.75% annually in perpetuity. Under the current law, workers could see much larger increases. Average inflation for the past five years was 4.18%. Over the past 10 years, it was 2.63%. And over the past 25 years, it was 2.39%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Midwest. Raybould said her motivation and why she keeps pushing “passionately” for her measure is to help small businesses and others who might not be able to absorb the cost of rising wages that she said could pass on costs to consumers. 

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'WE NEED MOTHER NATURE': PILLEN ENACTS BURN BAN AMID RAGING FIRE IN NORTH-CENTRAL NEBRASKA

LINCOLN- Gov. Jim Pillen enacted an emergency declaration and statewide burn ban Wednesday amid serious drought conditions and a raging wildfire in north-central Nebraska. By Thursday morning, the fire was 40% contained. That compares to Wednesday afternoon when the “Plum Creek Fire” was 0% contained and had burned 6,631 acres and one cabin (a secondary residence), killed 45 cattle, and destroyed at least eight utility poles, according to state officials.

Pillen addressed the fire from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Lincoln and signed the burn ban and other proclamations related to the fire. What began Monday afternoon as a controlled burn performed by a private landowner in coordination with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, local fire departments, and other partners. However, the fire got out of control, which the Ainsworth fire chief said happened after a sudden shift in wind direction, according to local reporting.

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