Legislative Update

Good morning, Nebraska!

Next week is the final day of committee hearings for most of us, though the Judiciary committee will keep on going as they had over 150 bills assigned to them this year. Far more than any other committee. The week is going to be a busy one for our office as we have five bills up in various committees.

Next Monday afternoon I present LB12 in the Transportation and Telecommunication Committee and LB20 in front of the Banking, Commerce, and Insurance committee.

LB12 is my Commuter Rail Study bill. This bill would task the Department of Transportation to study the effectiveness, cost, and need for a commuter rail line between Lincoln and Omaha. It would then submit a report on the study to the legislature. Among other reasons I brought this bill, I think it will greatly help reduce the traffic on Highway 6 and I-80. Especially when this route gets traveled, the most, during Husker game days. Anyone who has been on I-80 a few hours before or a few hours after a Husker game knows the pain of the interstate traffic jam.

LB20 is my women’s health equity bill. This will reduce interruptions in birth control, helping to reduce unintended pregnancy and abortion by having insurers cover the number of contraceptives dispensed in accordance with the prescription—up to 12 months at a time but it won’t require a 12-month supply on the first pickup. The bill allows an initial 3-month prescription to make sure it is safe to use prior to expanding it. The intent is to close health inequities in rural Nebraska, those reliant on public transportation, and women who must travel for work or abroad.
This also a cost-saving measure for the state. One study found that the longer prescription period led to fewer gaps in taking contraceptives. The study found unwanted pregnancies can be reduced by as much as 30 percent. When you consider that providing a year’s worth of contraceptives cost $365 compared to birthing services that run near $5,000; it’s a no-brainer.

On Tuesday, I’ll present LB478, my firefighter’s retirement bill to the Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee. This bill would move all First Class city firefighters’ pension and retirement funds over to the state’s Public Employees’ Cash Balance Retirement Plan. They currently have a simple 401K program that does not provide enough money for these firefighters to retire on, forcing them to work later into life than they should, thereby putting themselves and others in harm’s way.

Wednesday sees my LB13 slated for hearing with the Judiciary Committee. The bill deals with protection orders from another state when that protection order relates to domestic or family abuse. Currently, certain prohibitions are already in place for Nebraska but we want to harmonize the language to include orders that might be issued in other states and jurisdictions as there have been examples where these individuals have fallen through the cracks, to the detriment of the victim.

Finally, on Thursday, LB8 will get heard by the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs committee. This bill addresses gaps in Nebraska’s current statute that enable “dark money” special interest groups to place influential ads. These ads may incorrectly sway voters during elections without knowing who is behind them. This would fill in the gaps by requiring anyone who makes an advertisement that costs more than $1,000 to file a form with the election commission. This is, by the way, the same thing everyone else has to do. It’s time for the legislature to put its money where it’s mouth is when it comes to transparency. This bill will do that.

This past week I also had a hearing on LB5, the Purple Star Schools Program bill. It encourages but doesn’t require every school in the state to appoint a “military liaison” who will then create programming for students who might be recent transfers into the school district after moving here with their military family. The liaison may also set up a website that demonstrates how to establish a “military-friendly” atmosphere at the school. Choosing to participate in the programming would then designate the school as a “Purple Star” school.

We also got good news this week in regards to one of my bills that we’ve already had a hearing on. LB6, which would change provisions relating to the taxation of military retirement benefits. This is a bit of a tweak from last year’s military retirement bill, LB153. However, that bill was based on 1099’s received from the DOD. There are military retirees that do not receive form 1099 from the US DOD but receive it from The Office of Personnel Management. They are being told they’re not eligible under 153 and LB6 would make them eligible for the benefits. That bill’s language was folded into Senator Brewer’s larger military retirement bill, LB387, and advanced from the committee on Thursday. It will now go in front of the full legislature for debate and we have high hopes of its passage.

A reminder that if you want to participate in any of the hearings on my bills, there have been some changes to the way they are carried out this year. Because of the pandemic, Speaker Hilgers would prefer not to pack the room with testifiers but understands it’s a fundamental right to participate in the legislative hearings in Nebraska. To that end, only those who intend to testify on a bill will be allowed to sit in the hearing room. His office set up a system that will allow users to track the hearing online and enter comments on any bill being heard on the Legislature’s website.

As always the committees are also accepting letters of support or opposition in lieu of testimony. Because of the added stressors that come from all-day hearings, those letters must now be submitted by noon the day before and they must be submitted to specially designated committee emails, rather than the clerk or the chairperson directly.

In order to see exactly how you can participate in legislative hearings this year, you can go to this link.

For a full list and additional information about all the bills I’ve introduced and cosponsored, you can click the link here.

Meet Sarah!
We want to introduce you to our new intern Sarah Lies, who is working with us under the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Honors Legislative Internship Program. Sarah grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and is the only girl among five brothers. Having been homeschooled through high school, Sarah says that she is incredibly grateful to her parents for their continued investment and encouragement.

Now, she is a junior at UNL dual majoring in Global Studies and Political Science and minoring in Arabic and Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. She is involved as a Resident Assistant in Sandoz Hall and the World Youth Alliance organization. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, going rock climbing, and spending time with friends. Upon graduation, Sarah hopes to pursue a career working in foreign affairs for the United States Federal Government.

Water Roundtable In March
Nebraskans continue to reach out to me about the potential for flooding due to the record amounts of snow we have received. Here is an opportunity to learn more about the history, impact, outlook, and preparation regarding ice jams for the upcoming 2021 spring season. This will be an excellent opportunity to have your questions answered, as well.   Please share this information with any interested parties.

Please join the 2021 Water Roundtable presentation being held on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 8:00 am (Central Time)  This will be a webinar format and will feature Bryan Tuma, Assistant Director of NEMA.

You can register for this Webinar here.

Questions regarding the event can be directed to the Nebraska Water Resources Association at 402-476-1528

Rosters Are Out
After a long wait, the new rosters are officially out! If you would like one, don’t hesitate to contact our office and we’ll be happy to mail you one.

It’s A Seussathon!
For something a bit more fun, you can take part in next week’s Bellevue Public Library Seussathon.  It will be virtual this year, with special guest readers in the Zoom room every half hour. You can just head over to the event’s calendar and grab the zoom link. Then join in next Tuesday!

COVID-19 Vaccine Update
The Sarpy/Cass County Health Department issued an update on the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. The department has officially entered into Phase 1B.

Unfortunately for those with underlying health conditions who were hoping to be vaccinated sooner, Governor Ricketts announced last week that “High-Risk” individuals won’t be receiving their vaccinations during Phase 1B. This phase is expected to last until April.

However, Sarpy/Cass residents born in 1951 or before are eligible to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination.

You do not need the Sarpy/Cass Health Department to schedule this appointment for you. Please visit this website to view all the vaccine clinic options in our communities. Select the clinic that works best for you, and click or call that individual clinic to schedule your appointment.

Please keep in mind that scheduling at this time is limited to those residents born in 1951 or before. Appointments made for non-residents or those outside the age range will be canceled by the individual clinics.

If you do have any questions there is a number you can call to get assistance. 402-339-4334 and press option 1.

In preparation for your name being called to get vaccinated, the state does offer a website where you can register to be notified when it’s your turn. You can sign up at this link.