2024 Legislative Update
by Tessa Foreman
[email protected]
The 2024 Nebraska Legislature Session is a wrap! It was a bit of a mixed bag, as usual. We saw some good policies become law, some bad policies become law, and a mixture of both that failed to cross the finish line.
It is likely that the legislature will be reconvening for a special session later in the year. Governor Pillen was unable to get his tax bill passed, LB 388. He has stated he will call a special session to get his tax plan accomplished.
As an organization, we had a good year on the advocacy front. Combined with a push from the board president to have each board member take three pieces of action, we had a more collaborative and active group involved in legislative issues than we have had in the past. This was great to see! At least 12 people submitted comments on at least 34 different bills through the online portal, and two individuals testified in person. Susan sent out 19 emails blasts for us throughout the session regarding bills, legislative issues, and calls to action. Maggie facilitated a successful online event on the death penalty with a knowledgeable panel and great participation.
Here is a rundown of just a few of the bills we ended up focusing on this session. Some were carry-over bills from last year.
WORST BILL OF THE YEAR TO PASS
LB 1402 (Linehan) Directs the State Treasurer to use 10 million dollars of state funds each year for private school tuition. The bill also eliminates the Opportunity Scholarship Act, last year’s LB 753. Opponents of LB 753 gathered the signatures of over 117,00 Nebraska voters to get a referendum on the ballot in November. Supporters of LB 753 were afraid to hear from the people, so they just introduced a new bill this session to usurp the entire referendum process. Unquestionably, this was the most blatant act of silencing the Second House I have ever seen.
On a better note, here are:
GOOD BILLS THAT PASSED
LB 16 (Conrad) Eases the process for individuals with certain criminal convictions to apply for occupational licenses. After years of attempts to open up employment opportunities to those with criminal convictions by allowing them to at least apply for certain occupational licenses, Senator Conrad was finally able to get it done this session. There is still more to be done, but this is a big step in the right direction.
LB 631 (McKinney) Changes some provisions relating to parole eligibility, reentry services and other measures, and increases accountability for the Board of Parole. It also establishes the Community Work Release Program, which is aimed at getting more individuals into community based housing for employment, skills training, and treatment. It has been proven that this type of program leads to more successful outcomes and less recidivism.
LB 840 (McKinney) adopts the Poverty Elimination Plan Act, requiring communities to create a 5 year poverty elimination plan. Pared down from the original bill, this will apply to only Lincoln and Omaha. The bill also includes new requirements for the Omaha Housing Authority to protect tenants from unlawful evictions.
LB 20 (Wayne) restores voting rights to individuals upon completion of a felony conviction. Currently, they have to wait for two years after completion of sentence before being allowed to vote. The governor allowed this to pass without his signature but stated that he does not approve of the bill. He has asked the Attorney General to challenge the constitutionality of the bill.
BAD BILLS THAT WERE STOPPED
LB 441 (Albrecht) would have ended protection for teachers and librarians from prosecution for using educational materials or having books in their classroom that someone deems obscene. The bill faced a filibuster and fell three votes short of cloture. The bill failed.
LB 575 (Kauth) would have banned transgender students from participating in sports with teammates that match their gender identity. The bill faced a filibuster and fell two votes short of cloture. The bill failed.
LB 1330 (Murman) would have eliminated Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) classes and programs in colleges. This bill had a record-breaking number of opponents in person and online. It did not make it out of committee.
IMPORTANT ODDS AND ENDS
[email protected]
The 2024 Nebraska Legislature Session is a wrap! It was a bit of a mixed bag, as usual. We saw some good policies become law, some bad policies become law, and a mixture of both that failed to cross the finish line.
It is likely that the legislature will be reconvening for a special session later in the year. Governor Pillen was unable to get his tax bill passed, LB 388. He has stated he will call a special session to get his tax plan accomplished.
As an organization, we had a good year on the advocacy front. Combined with a push from the board president to have each board member take three pieces of action, we had a more collaborative and active group involved in legislative issues than we have had in the past. This was great to see! At least 12 people submitted comments on at least 34 different bills through the online portal, and two individuals testified in person. Susan sent out 19 emails blasts for us throughout the session regarding bills, legislative issues, and calls to action. Maggie facilitated a successful online event on the death penalty with a knowledgeable panel and great participation.
Here is a rundown of just a few of the bills we ended up focusing on this session. Some were carry-over bills from last year.
WORST BILL OF THE YEAR TO PASS
LB 1402 (Linehan) Directs the State Treasurer to use 10 million dollars of state funds each year for private school tuition. The bill also eliminates the Opportunity Scholarship Act, last year’s LB 753. Opponents of LB 753 gathered the signatures of over 117,00 Nebraska voters to get a referendum on the ballot in November. Supporters of LB 753 were afraid to hear from the people, so they just introduced a new bill this session to usurp the entire referendum process. Unquestionably, this was the most blatant act of silencing the Second House I have ever seen.
On a better note, here are:
GOOD BILLS THAT PASSED
LB 16 (Conrad) Eases the process for individuals with certain criminal convictions to apply for occupational licenses. After years of attempts to open up employment opportunities to those with criminal convictions by allowing them to at least apply for certain occupational licenses, Senator Conrad was finally able to get it done this session. There is still more to be done, but this is a big step in the right direction.
LB 631 (McKinney) Changes some provisions relating to parole eligibility, reentry services and other measures, and increases accountability for the Board of Parole. It also establishes the Community Work Release Program, which is aimed at getting more individuals into community based housing for employment, skills training, and treatment. It has been proven that this type of program leads to more successful outcomes and less recidivism.
LB 840 (McKinney) adopts the Poverty Elimination Plan Act, requiring communities to create a 5 year poverty elimination plan. Pared down from the original bill, this will apply to only Lincoln and Omaha. The bill also includes new requirements for the Omaha Housing Authority to protect tenants from unlawful evictions.
LB 20 (Wayne) restores voting rights to individuals upon completion of a felony conviction. Currently, they have to wait for two years after completion of sentence before being allowed to vote. The governor allowed this to pass without his signature but stated that he does not approve of the bill. He has asked the Attorney General to challenge the constitutionality of the bill.
BAD BILLS THAT WERE STOPPED
LB 441 (Albrecht) would have ended protection for teachers and librarians from prosecution for using educational materials or having books in their classroom that someone deems obscene. The bill faced a filibuster and fell three votes short of cloture. The bill failed.
LB 575 (Kauth) would have banned transgender students from participating in sports with teammates that match their gender identity. The bill faced a filibuster and fell two votes short of cloture. The bill failed.
LB 1330 (Murman) would have eliminated Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) classes and programs in colleges. This bill had a record-breaking number of opponents in person and online. It did not make it out of committee.
IMPORTANT ODDS AND ENDS
- No more sales tax on diapers
- Help for qualified low-income individuals with medical debts
- Establishment of October 17 as Nebraska Missing Persons Day
- Establishment of May 19 as Malcolm X Day
- Stronger tools for the Dept of Labor to investigate violations of child labor laws
- Help for pregnant women on
- Medicaid with high risk pregnancies.
