2ND SESSION OF THE 107TH LEGISLATURE 

President Ronald Reagan once said, “Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” Every decision that happens in Nebraska by an elected official should be for the purpose of protecting the rights of our citizens. I take that responsibility very seriously as I seek to discern each proposed piece of legislation that comes before me.

There are 523 bills that were carried over from last Session and 754 new bills that have been introduced in the last 10 days. The Legislature certainly has a full schedule to get through all of the bills in this short Session of 2022. I want to highlight for you some key bills that I think strongly impact the people of Wayne, Thurston, Dakota and Dixon Counties in Nebraska.

Pro-Life Bills

I am partnering with fellow Senators Suzanne Geist of Lincoln and Julie Slama of Peru in carrying three pro-life bills this Session. 

LB781- The Heartbeat Act– introduced by Senator Slama creates requirements that prior to performing any abortion, a physician shall perform an ultrasound of the pregnant woman’s unborn child to determine if a fetal heartbeat is detectable. If a heartbeat is detectable, it shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly perform an abortion.

LB933- The Nebraska Human Life Protection Act- provides that when Roe v. Wade is overturned, the performance of an abortion in Nebraska will be a Class IIA felony.

LB1086 – The Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol Act– introduced by Senator Geist would restrict access to a medical abortion by limiting the window in which medication abortion pills can be prescribed. It would also add new reporting requirements and allow doctors to face felony charges for violations of its provisions.

School Database Bill

I also introduced LB1213, which requires that vendor contracts for digital and online library resources for K-12 students contain a provision verifying that the resource will not contain material deemed harmful to minors as defined in Nebraska code and providing that contracts may be suspended or terminated for violation of that provision. It also requires that the Nebraska Library Commission and Department of Education submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature outlining issues with vendor compliance. 

State Board of Education Bill

I have introduced LB768 to clearly define the guidelines for education standards in Nebraska School Districts and to establish that no education standards can be created or distributed by the Nebraska Department of Education without the authority of the Legislature. 

DMV- State Patrol Bill

I was honored again this year to introduce LB720, a joint bill to harmonize our state Department of Motor Vehicles and the Nebraska State Patrol which advanced out of Committee this week. During his testimony at the hearing Officer Mike Maytum of the Nebraska State Patrol shared the following statistics that I found very impressive. The following is an excerpt of his testimony. “Every day our Troopers strive to make our highways safe. In Fiscal Year 2021, the Nebraska State Patrol conducted 24,858 roadside inspections, identifying 8,317 violations of driver requirements, and requiring that 1,139 inspected drivers be placed out of service. 7,026 vehicles were inspected, with an average of 2.67 violations discovered per vehicle and 2,979 vehicles being placed out of service due to serious defects. The roadside inspection program has enabled the State to establish clear guidelines for commercial vehicle operators while ensuring a Nebraska State Patrol presence to assist in correction of operators who have vehicle or driver defects.” I could not be any more impressed with the fine work of the Nebraska State Patrol. The guidelines they carry out create a significantly safer driving environment as we travel across Nebraska.

Bills I am Co-sponsoring 

I am grateful to have courageous colleagues who are standing to protect Nebraskan’s freedoms by introducing the following bill which I am cosigning: 

LB310, Inheritance Tax Reduction– introduced by Elmwood Senator Robert Clements, would decrease inheritance tax rates on beneficiaries and increase the amount of property value that is exempt from the tax, which in Nebraska is collected by counties. The bill would require county treasurers to compile and submit a report regarding inheritance taxes to the state Department of Revenue. LB310 has advanced to Select File.

LB773, Concealed Carry- sponsored by Senator Tom Brewer of Gordon, would provide for the carrying of a concealed handgun without a permit and prohibit regulation of such carrying by cities, villages and counties.

LB774, Religious Freedom Protections– also introduced by Senator Tom Brewer of Gordon, would prevent state and local political subdivisions from placing a “substantial burden” on individuals, associations, partnerships, corporations, churches, religious institutions, estates, trusts, foundations and other legal entities’ right to practice sincerely held religious beliefs.

LB906, Vaccine Exemptions– sponsored by Blair Senator Ben Hansen would require employers to provide for vaccine exemptions and provide duties for the State Department of Health and Human Services.

LB1077, Critical Race Theory- introduced by Senator Ben Hansen of Blair would prohibit public schools, public postsecondary institutions and governmental entities from training or teaching certain concepts relating to race and sex. The bill would allow the state to withhold funding from schools that knowingly violate the new limitations and would put government agencies that do so at risk for lawsuits, at the attorney general’s discretion. 

I always appreciate each of you who intentionally stays informed and engaged in the legislative process. If you have taken the time to reach out to my office, please understand that with over 1200 bills being heard over the next 60 days. Though I would like to, I am not able to personally respond to all of the emails and calls I receive. Have a great week!