The majority of this week has been spent debating Senator Brewer’s priority bill, Constitutional Carry (LB77), which has moved on to the Enrollment and Review process. We will have four more hours of debate once it reaches Select File.

This week, I will have four bills being heard in committee.

• LB443–Change provisions under the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Act–This bill would provide for termination of total disability benefits at age 72, unless an employee is injured after age 67, in which case total disability benefits would cease after five years from such compensation having initially been paid. This bill would exempt spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis and severe brain or closed-head injuries and total or industrial blindness from the limitations on the duration of total disability benefits.
• LB635–Database Bill–This bill would ensure that vendors and providers of digital and on-line resources (databases) to school children in K-12 grades filter and block materials illegally obscene and harmful to minors and verify to the schools or Nebraska Library Commission that they have done so and to cause the Nebraska Library Commission and the Nebraska Department of Education to submit an annual report.
• LB638–K-12 Cybersecurity Bill–This bill adopts the Nebraska K-12 Cybersecurity and Data Protection Act; provides a statewide system of best practices to address prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery to assist schools relating to cybersecurity and data protection within the Nebraska K-12 school system.
• LR24CA–This bill will eliminate the State Board of Education and have the Commissioner of Education be appointed by the Governor.

Bills to Watch

• LB753 (Opportunity Scholarships Act) is a priority bill from Senator Lou Ann Linehan. This bill would create the Opportunity Scholarships Act. Under the Act, individual and corporate taxpayers would qualify for a non-refundable tax credit equal to the amount the taxpayer contributed to a scholarship-granting organization. No taxpayer may receive tax credits in an amount exceeding 50% of their state income tax liability. The credits are available for tax years beginning or deemed to begin on or after January 1, 2024, and are initially capped annually at $25 million dollars. Credits are awarded in the order in which they are received. We begin debating this bill on the floor this week for eight hours.
• After LB753 has had eight hours of debate, we will return to debating Senator Lowe’s priority bill, LB376. This bill creates a brand registration for the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission and will allow the Commission to more accurately and correctly identify alcoholic products being imported into or produced in Nebraska. There are several more hours of debate on this bill ahead.

I would like to congratulate the Pender Pendragons Girls Basketball team on beating Oakland-Craig for the Class C2 State Championship. What a great way to end a wonderful season!

As always, I invite you to let me know your thoughts, ideas, concerns, or suggestions by contacting me by calling (402) 471-2716 or emailing me at jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov.