LAWMAKERS NARROW, ADVANCE BILL TO DEFINE MALE AND FEMALE IN STATE LAW FOR SCHOOL SPORTS

LINCOLN- A bill seeking to define “male” and “female” in Nebraska law advanced Wednesday for K-12 and collegiate sports teams alone, no longer for school bathrooms, school locker rooms, or state agencies. State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston ultimately supported Legislative Bill 89, the “Stand With Women Act,” on the condition that his amendment was adopted to limit the bill to sports. He said the amended bill preserves athletic competition without a “moral panic” against transgender Nebraskans.

“I did not run for office to become part of the ‘Nebraska State Potty Patrol,’” said Riepe, who publicly requested the change last month. Riepe’s amendment was adopted 34-8. The bill advanced 33-15. The “panic,” Riepe added, “is no different” than when some people justified “government overreach” to argue that video games make people violent, rock music leads to devil worship, and comic books corrupt youth. He said “reason eventually won out” and “cooler heads prevailed” in those cases. 

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LAWMAKERS WILL TAKE RARE OVERRIDE VOTE MONDAY AFTER PILLEN REJECTS SNAP BILL

LINCOLN- Nebraska lawmakers will take up a rare motion Monday to override Gov. Jim Pillen's veto of a proposed law that would eliminate a state ban that prohibits residents convicted of some felony drug crimes from receiving federal food assistance. The bill (LB319) from Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue would have allowed Nebraskans convicted of selling drugs to have their eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, restored immediately after they are released from prison or jail.

Nebraska's Republican governor vetoed the proposal, which seeks to reverse the 2009 law that prohibited drug dealers and, in some cases, convicted drug users from accessing SNAP benefits, hours after lawmakers sent it to his desk on a bipartisan 32-17 vote. In his veto letter to lawmakers, Pillen said individuals "that distribute or sell illicit drugs should not be entitled to taxpayer-funded benefits." LB319 is the first bill Pillen has vetoed this year and would require 30 votes to overcome — no sure thing despite the 32 votes Rountree's bill received Wednesday.

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PROPOSAL TO CAP STATE'S MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES STALLS

LINCOLN- Nebraska lawmakers expected to spend two hours Wednesday on a nearly inevitable proposal to slow voter-approved annual increases in the state’s minimum wage to a fixed rate, rather than the faster inflation-based bumps passed in 2022. Lincoln State Sen. Jane Raybould’s proposal faced a promised filibuster. Yet even her opponents knew the measure had the votes to be sent to the governor’s desk. Wednesday was set to be the latest example in a trend of the officially nonpartisan but GOP-dominated Legislature pushing back against a handful of ballot measures passed by Nebraska voters on paid sick leave, minimum wage, school vouchers, and medical marijuana.

But instead of grinding things to a halt, State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln began withdrawing her delay-focused motions to force an unexpectedly quicker vote on the proposal. Conrad asked for a roll call in reverse order, as one of the 33 lawmakers needed to tweak voter-approved proposals that changed state law was absent. Under the Legislature’s rules, the reverse order vote caused the missing lawmaker, State Sen. Tony Sorrentino of the Elkhorn area, to be considered “excused not voting” as his name is lower than on the roll, and votes are typically done in alphabetical order. This caused the bill to fail 31-17.

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STATE WORRIES RAISED ABOUT FUNDING FOR RURAL BROADBAND EXPANSION

LINCOLN- Nerves are fraying among those seeking to expand broadband service across Nebraska due to funding uncertainty caused by recent actions by the Trump Administration and the Legislature. However, a state official said he isn’t worried that the largest program, the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, enacted by the Biden Administration to bring high-speed “internet for all,” would be impacted.

Patrick Haggerty, director of the Nebraska Broadband Office, said Wednesday that his office continues to take applications for the first round of BEAD grants while it awaits “new guidance” on the distribution of those funds. Despite the cancellation Friday of a $1.25 billion “digital equity” training program by the Trump Administration, Haggerty said he has seen “no indication” that the $405 million in BEAD deployment funds sent to Nebraska is going away. On Friday, states were informed that the $1.25 billion Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program was being cancelled after President Trump labeled the program “racist and illegal” and unconstitutional.

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SOCIAL MEDIA LIMITS, LAB-GROWN MEAT BAN, DOMESTIC ABUSE SURVIVOR HELP, 28 MORE BILLS PASS

LINCOLN- Nebraska state senators sent 31 bills Wednesday to the governor for his approval, including measures requiring age verification to use social media, banning lab-grown meat, helping domestic violence survivors, and outlawing the use of credit card skimmers. The bills that passed included Legislative Bill 383, from State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman, requiring that, starting in July 2026, anyone wishing to create a social media account in Nebraska must prove they are 18 years old or older. Younger users would need parental permission. A parent would also need to prove they are 18 years old or older.

Lawmakers also approved LB 246, from State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara at Pillen’s request, to ban the sale of lab-grown meat. Some lawmakers, including conservative State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, as well as the Nebraska Farm Bureau, preferred to label rather than ban the products, which aren’t currently available in Nebraska markets.

Lawmakers additionally advanced housing supports for survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking through LB 78, from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln. It would increase the documentary stamp tax by 7 cents per $1,000 worth of property, which is on the transfer of real estate, a portion of which the state uses for affordable housing or homeless shelter assistance.  

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LAWMAKERS UNVEIL STATE'S 'ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL' AIMED AT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

LINCOLN- A new “One Big Beautiful Bill” unveiled Wednesday will be the last train out of Nebraska’s 2025 legislative session for additional property tax relief this year. The new amendment to Legislative Bill 170, led by State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, would inject an additional $100 million each year into property tax relief, which would come at the cost of sales taxes being added to 20 currently exempt goods and services, effective Oct. 1, and increasing nicotine-based taxes on vapes (by 30%) and cigarettes (by 72 cents), effective July 1.

Proposed targets for expanded sales taxes range from animal grooming and dating services to lobbying and chartered flights, as well as soft drinks and energy drinks. Supporters have dubbed the LB 170 package as “One Big Beautiful Bill” in a nod to a federal spending package working its way through Congress with President Donald Trump’s support. “It’s why I came here,” State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, who worked with Brandt on the package, said of property tax relief. “It’s all I heard about.”

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NEBRASKA MEDICINE ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGES, NEXT CEO

OMAHA- After more than 40 years in a variety of roles for Nebraska Medicine, UNMC, and the University of Nebraska, James Linder, MD, will step down as Nebraska Medicine CEO on Tuesday, July 1. Dr. Linder has held the CEO title since August 2018. The Nebraska Medicine Board of Directors unanimously chose Michael Ash, MD, to succeed him as the next chief executive officer of the private, nonprofit health system.

“Age 70 feels like a graceful time to step aside—creating space for a leader with a longer runway, while hopefully leaving me time to pursue interests outside of work,” says Dr. Linder. “There is tremendous uncertainty facing health care, but I have confidence that our organization is prepared to thrive in the next decade. As a nonprofit academic medical center, we have the people, knowledge, and culture to excel in our clinical, educational, and research missions.”

Dr. Linder says he and the board have been working on succession planning for the last several years, and the clinical, business, and leadership skills Dr. Ash brings to the role are the right fit at the right time.

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NORTH OMAHA 'INNOVATION DISTRICT' FUNDED BY $30M FROM STATE IS TOPIC OF MAY 21 PUBLIC INPUT MEETING

OMAHA- Community input will be heard May 21 on a plan for a new “Innovation District” in the North Omaha area, which is being funded by a $30 million state grant. The effort is to be overseen by the Omaha Inland Port Authority, the steward of the funding awarded by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. The public is invited to the 6 p.m. meeting at the Venue at Highlander Accelerator, 2120 N. 30th St. Representatives of the port authority will introduce the planning process and gather input to shape a vision for “inclusive economic development in the area.”

The proposed Innovation District is separate from the planned airport area business park project that is also being steered by the Port Authority Board, in partnership with a development team led by Omaha Economic Development Corp. and Burlington Capital. Funds for both projects were originally approved by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the Nebraska Economic Recovery Act of 2022, though the legislation and funding sources have since been updated. On the Innovation District initiative, the port authority board has started to lay the groundwork for awarding a $546,000 consulting contract to HR&A Advisors Inc. Focus group sessions are to be held the day before the public meeting.

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CALIFORNIA AGREES TO REPEAL ELECTRIC-TRUCK EMISSIONS RULE; NEBRASKA LED OPPOSITION

LINCOLN- Nebraska’s efforts to fight California on new electric-truck mandates and related regulations largely ended Monday with California officials moving to repeal the proposed rules. In a Monday court filing, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Steve Cliff, executive officer of the California Air Resources Board, pledged to formally scrub from the books the “Advanced Clean Fleets” rule. The regulations, in part, would have required certain trucking companies to transition to electric trucks over time.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and his office led a 17-state coalition with the Nebraska Trucking Association to challenge the California rule. Last May, he said it could prevent Nebraska and other states from doing business in California or reaching its ports. Hilgers on Tuesday, announcing the “significant victory,” said the “tide is starting to turn.” Gov. Jim Pillen, who joined Hilgers to announce the lawsuit last year, thanked Hilgers for the fight that he said could have raised prices for consumers and which Hilgers said would have “been a blow to our supply chain infrastructure.”

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PILLEN ADMITS HE AND OTHER FARMERS 'MESSED UP,' EXPECTS NEW STATE AGENCY TO IMPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT

LINCOLN- In marking the merger of two water-focused state agencies, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday said he and other farmers “messed up” in managing water resources. “What’s really, really important is we go forward, that we all just have the courage to say the way it is,” said Pillen, whose family runs a Columbus-based hog operation and who became the state’s first farmer-governor in more than a century. “I’m a farmer. We don’t want to admit that we messed up, but we did. We’ve over-applied fertilizer, we’ve over-applied water, and we drove nitrates down into the ground, and we have nitrates in groundwater.” 

Adding that it was time to “stop talking about it,” Pillen said a motivation behind merging two state agencies focused on water resources was to lean on new technology and scientific advancements to “educate all farmers in Nebraska so that we fix the problem and start having measurable breakthrough results.” With that, the governor signed Legislative Bill 317, which he pushed and State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth helped carry over the finish line. The law combines the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (DEE) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) into the new Department of Water, Energy and Environment (DWEE).

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STATE AUDITOR RAISES RED FLAG OVER RISING COST OF RENTED OFFICE SPACE FOR STATE WORKERS

LINCOLN- State government is paying about 37% more to lease commercial office space for employees today than five years ago — a hike from $16 million to $22 million that the Nebraska state auditor described Monday as “far more than necessary.”

“It is important to note that this ongoing acceleration in the cost of renting government office space has occurred despite the number of state employees remaining relatively unchanged,” State Auditor Mike Foley said in a statement. Foley, saying that he doubted that the rising costs would abate any time soon, outlined his office’s concerns in a letter Monday to the Legislature’s Legislative Performance Audit Committee.

Foley added he was surprised to learn during the review that the state leases 1.5 million square feet in 193 commercially owned buildings in 37 Nebraska counties. His team offered recommendations “to avoid throwing taxpayer dollars down the drain in excessive rental payments,” including a possible study on whether the state should consider the purchase or lease-purchase of additional buildings and whether another state office building should be constructed in Lincoln.

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CHOICE TO RAISE TERM LIMITS ON NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS MAY BE ON NOV. 2026 BALLOT

LINCOLN — A proposal to let voters decide if Nebraska state senators should be able to serve three consecutive terms got second-round approval Friday. 

If the proposal continues to advance, it would appear on ballots in November 2026. State Sen. Robert Dover of Norfolk introduced Legislative Resolution 19CA and previously amended the bill for the vote to occur at the 2026 primaries in May. 

He said on Friday that he didn't have the 40 votes he would need to get the issue on the May 2026 ballot, so he shifted back to the general election. Having the vote on the more popular November ballot requires only 30 senators' approval. The proposal and various amendments in two rounds of debate have exceeded 30 votes.

Senators have said the two four-year terms that they can serve lead to high turnover and consistent loss of institutional knowledge. They said there is a steep learning curve, and it takes multiple sessions to get up to speed with all the issues and bills they consider. 

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PRESIDENT TRUMP NOMINATES FEDERAL PROSECUTOR TO BE U.S. ATTORNEY FOR NEBRASKA

President Donald Trump has nominated Lesley Woods Murphy to serve as the next U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer recommended the federal prosecutor for the position.

"And I look forward to her swift confirmation in the United States Senate," Fischer said in a statement.

While her nomination is pending, Woods Murphy has been appointed as the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, effective immediately, replacing acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Molsen.

“Lesley Woods Murphy has spent her career working to bring criminals to justice and ensure the law is firmly enforced. Her experience in complex legal matters, remarkable successes in court, and efforts to improve public safety through strong law enforcement partnerships will no doubt make her an excellent U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska," Fischer said.

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NEBRASKANS VOICE ANGER OVER LACK OF PROGRESS, BARRIERS IN MEDICAL CANNABIS BILL

LINCOLN- Six months to the day after Nebraskans passed ballot initiatives legalizing and regulating cannabis for medical use, some of those same Nebraskans questioned whether or not their elected representatives had received the message. For two hours Monday evening at Southeast Community College in Lincoln, state lawmakers listened as Nebraskans from across the region voiced anger, frustration, and, in some cases, despair over the lack of progress the Legislature has made in carrying out the will of voters expressed last November. 

Nearly 71% of voters backed Initiative 437, which legalized cannabis for medical use and allows patients, at the recommendation of their doctor, to possess up to 5 ounces to treat any medical conditions, while 65% supported Initiative 438 to create a regulatory structure around the medical cannabis industry. While both measures have been in effect since Gov. Jim Pillen signed a proclamation declaring them successful, a bill (LB677) from Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair to implement the initiatives has been slow to work its way through the legislative process this session.

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STATE SET TO GET NEW TRAFFIC LAWS, HIGHER PENALTIES FOR BREAKING THEM

LINCOLN- Nebraska lawmakers are set to update the state’s rules of the road — and levy harsher penalties on the drivers who break them — under a proposed law moving through the Legislature. Lawmakers on Thursday gave first-round approval to a controversial package of proposals (Legislative Bill 530) that would change several aspects of Nebraska’s criminal justice structure. 

The bill faces fierce opposition from Democrats in the formally nonpartisan Legislature, but one set of proposals included in the bill has avoided such pushback: new rules meant to help protect pedestrians, cyclists, first responders, and construction workers, among others, along Nebraska’s roadways. 

Introduced by Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, the proposed changes would create a category of people in state law known as “vulnerable road users,” a class that includes road construction and utility workers and first responders, and pedestrians, skaters and wheelchair users when they’re in a crosswalk or on the shoulder of a road. The new law would require motorists to, when possible, change lanes when approaching or passing any vulnerable road user.

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EFFORT TO LET LARGEST CITIES CONSOLIDATE ELECTIONS WILL INCLUDE LINCOLN

LINCOLN- Lawmakers rejected a last-minute amendment Thursday to keep Lincoln city elections in off years, rather than allowing city officials to tie them to statewide elections. The amendment, from State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, came after concerns from some Lincoln city officials that the amended Legislative Bill 521 could cause problems for the capital city. The original bill from State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha would have allowed just Omaha to move its elections, but when the proposal was amended and attached to LB 521, it added Lincoln.

The amendment to remove Lincoln from the bill failed 16-30. A reconsideration motion failed 18-26. The broader bill advanced by voice vote to the third and final round of debate. Century-old state laws dictate the election timing for cities the size of Omaha (metropolitan class, 400,000 or more residents) and Lincoln (primary class, 100,001 to 399,999 residents). Omaha and Lincoln city officials can already advance changes to their city charter to move election timing, but without a law such as LB 521, the changes could not be carried out.

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PROPOSAL AIMED AT GETTING MORE RELIGION IN STATE SCHOOLS SIDETRACKS ED COMMITTEE

LINCOLN- The Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee has been trying for a month to get one of its packages of education proposals out of committee and onto the floor. But the past few executive sessions have been tense, and committee members remain divided. Now, the committee chair, who until last week had been optimistic about the package’s chances, says the bill that includes giving teachers more time off to deal with significant life events is running out of time to reach the legislative floor this year. The obstacle: lawmaker objections to including one senator’s priority proposal that would allow K-12 students to be excused during the school day for off-site religious instruction and coursework. 

Two Democratic-aligned lawmakers and one Republican on the committee have questioned the inclusion of the religious-themed bill in the package. But the Education Committee chairman, State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenville, continues to emphasize the importance of including the bill. The inclusion of Central City State Sen. Loren Lippincott’s Legislative Bill 550 was part of a “deal” involving the state Legislature’s Retirement Systems Committee, one Democrat and other Republicans on the committee, and the state’s largest teachers' union. 

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CHANGES TO STATE PATROL SURVIVORS' RETIREMENT BENEFITS IGNITE LEGISLATIVE FIGHT

LINCOLN- One state lawmaker’s continued efforts to boost benefits for Nebraska State Patrol troopers, a largely consensus issue, ignited a rare fight among legislative allies. The fight flared up last week in the Nebraska Legislature after State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln and his ally, State Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, struck a deal to add a proposal to increase survivors’ benefits in the case of a trooper’s death from 75% up to 100%. In the case of dependent children without a surviving parent, it would bump benefits up to 100% until the child turns 19 years old.

Bostar’s Legislative Bill 76, as introduced, would also have raised maximum annual cost-of-living adjustments for Patrol members’ retirement benefits. A narrower version, just related to survivors’ benefits, was amended into Ballard’s Legislative Bill 645, related to school retirement, on April 24 in a 39-0 vote, without issue. At that time, the increased benefits would have taken effect on July 1.

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LEGISLATION WOULD PROTECT STATE VETERANS' BENEFITS FROM 'PREDATORY CLAIM SHARKS'

LINCOLN- For-profit consultants make millions each year charging veterans for help in filing benefits claims. Nebraska is moving to crack down on what some call “predatory claim sharks.” It is already against federal law for companies not accredited with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to charge veterans fees for help in claiming benefits. But in 2006, a “clear enforcement method” vanished from federal law, State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst told the Nebraska Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee in March.

New York, New Jersey and Maine are among states that recently passed protections against “claim sharks,” who McKeon said use “aggressive tactics and false promises.” LB 693 would change state law so that anyone receiving compensation for preparing, advising, or consulting someone for earned veterans’ benefits or making referrals for such services would commit a “deceptive trade practice” unless otherwise allowed by state or federal law.

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SENS. MEYER AND MCKINNEY PRIORITY BILLS ADVANCE ON SEPARATE PATHS

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.

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