The second session of the 106th Nebraska Legislature has officially begun. We are in the midst of the first ten days of session, which is the only time that Senators can introduce bills. I introduced six bills and one resolution on the first day of session. You can read all bills introduced and follow their status on the Legislature’s website. My bills for this session focus on addressing issues within our district and repealing other statutes to make our government more efficient.

LR 288 is a resolution to urge Congress and the United States Corps of Engineers to reprioritize flood control as a top priority for the management of water systems under their authority in the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System Water Control Manual. This resolution has already received bipartisan support and will be a chance for the Legislature to publicly endorse a plan to prioritize the lives and livelihoods of people downstream with improved flood control.

LB 788 pertains to the Department of Labor. This bill would change a report date from July 1 of each year to December 31 of each year, and would also change an application or renewal fee. This is a clean-up bill for the Department of Labor which repeals over a dozen statutes that are outdated and unused.

LB 789 cracks down on those who violate school bus stop signal arms. This bill would allow a school bus driver to report violators of the school bus stop arm with local law enforcement. Law enforcement could then investigate those reports and issue a citation if the investigation proves a violation has occurred. 

LB 790 is a bill introduced on behalf of the Department of Administrative Services. The bill expands the Department of Administrative Services’ negotiating powers and will save taxpayers millions in excess spending if passed.

LB 791 is a bill to expand the Livestock Animal Welfare Act. If a person is convicted of livestock abuse or neglect and the court orders such person to not own or possess a livestock animal, LB 791 adds that person could not own or possess any other animal, including pets. 

LB 792 gives our law enforcement officers another tool in their fight against methamphetamines and other hard drugs by allowing them to aggregate amounts of the drugs sold to them in sting operations to upgrade their charges. This bill combats the issue of meth dealers habitually being arrested one day, then back out on the streets the next.

LB 793 cracks down on entitlement fraud by bringing it to the same level of crime as theft. Statutes to outline the penalties for theft were updated nearly a decade ago with LB 605, but the same changes were not made for fraud to entitlement programs, like Medicaid and food stamps. This created a loophole in our statutes that needs to be closed with LB 793.

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln NE 68509-4604; telephone: 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov.